Flip Turns?!

:cool: Learning to flip turn is a matter of practice, practice, practice. It helps to have someone who knows how to do them to explain and then show you the steps. It also helps a lot to look at this person under water because this is where the whole thing takes place. Back in 85 a good friend of mine showed me how to do this, I am grateful for it and now it is second nature to me. So don't ever give up! You will get it, I promise you will. Be patient and persistant. Good luck!:)

This is going to sound strange, and may not be for the n00b to learn flip turns, but here it is. My trick to flip turns is to not think of it as a somersault at all, even one bit. Basically, doing freestyle (at a healthy pace), as one hand comes to your side as it finishes it's push (you should feel the end of a stroke push in your triceps) you leave it there (palm down) instead of pulling your arm out as the other hand goes into the water. Once the other hand pulls through your stroke and is also at your side (palm down) you will fold your body at the waist. Not like a somersault at all! but more like a hamstring stretch where you try to get your head to your knees. Your arms and hands don't do anything but keep you steady and as your torso bends downward you'll feel the tension a little (like a rubber band) in your back and hammys as your legs sling over your head. It's like a snapping motion rather than a roll! Suddenly, you are facing the opposite direction and your hands are already in the proper position to push off! It'll take a while to get the dsitance correct, as you want some leg bend but nothing too dramatic. It's not like you're in so close you're doing a squat off the wall! The reason to *not* learn it as a somersault is because you'll get used to rolling at a certain distance from the wall--much closer than a proper flip turn because you are tucking your knees more when you somersault. Then when you get better and you learn a real flip turn, your distance will be all screwed up and the back of your ankles will be mightily pissed the first time you smack them on the edge of the pool because you were too close when they snapped over. You don't need a wall to practice the motion but it helps--flip turns feel awkward unless there is a wall there to greet your feet. A visit to a local high school or collegiate swim meet will give you a better sense--just watch the fast ones, not the slow ones :) Flip turns are tough to learn, and words don't do them justice. You might want to see if there is a coach local who will work with you for a couple 20 minute spans.

A flip turn when first learning it is hard. Try using a backyard inground pool. going from the short end streamline and do a flip exspect some water to get up your nose. as you get the hang of it you can streamline back and forth. as you return to a standard lap lane pool add the strokes.Practice during your warm ups.Dont be afraid to look foolish you should see me trying to learn a flip turn for backstroke. Good Luck

Hello, After many moons, I learned flip turns... Here's how... Next time there is a swim meet, college, World's (too bad I read your post so late...), and especially the Olympics, have your VCR running and tape, tape, tape. Most times there is an underwater camera and you can catch the strokes, flip turns, starts, etc., and then replay them to get the right technique. This is how I learned...watching the techniques, listening to the expert commentary and then going to the pool to practice. Also, visit this website...it is german/english language but there are tons of great tips! I hope this helps, imjane

oops...here's the website! http://www.svl.ch/ imjane

Lot of good input here. I'll add my own 2c description here... Have you ever seen a Lobster or a Shrimp take off in a hurry? It bends over in a half, head under the knees and jets off. As I approach the wall, I turn into a shrimp... ;) Elbows and hands tuck inhead goes down under the knees, bent in a half at the waist, feet go overhead, and when it's time to jet off, feet get planted at the wall, arms stretrch forward, and pushoff. As you are about to bend down, I do a very strong kick, that launches my feet overhead. I watch the pool bottom markings, and my current speed to know when to start the turn, so I'm not too close or too far. At the begining, start flipping your feet overhead gently, and bend your knees in as far as you can (as they pass overhead), then start stretching your legs out, in anticipation of your feet pushing off the wall. Feet never kick the wall, they plant amd push off, almost as if the wall is a trampoline. After some practice, you'll know how close or far you are from the wall, so you won't have to waste your time bending your knees all the way in and anticipating the wall. Also, what helped me is watching other people doing flipturns, in a lane next to them, under water. Looking to see where their arms go, where the legs go, how the body bends. You may experience being dizzy after doing flipturns, and for maybe an hour after the workout. That goes away in 2-3 weeks or so, then you can get through the workout without getting dizzy.

:) When it comes to flip turns the word is: Practice, practice, practice. But in order to practice this you have to learned it first. They are a bit tricky but not impossible. All the advise the other swimmers have given you is right on the money but it would help a lot if you can ask one of those grandmas to let you see her do it under water. That way, you can acctually SEE someone do it and then apply all this advice. You said you want to do Triathlons and if this is the case, don't bothrer with flip turns. l read in an article in the www.trinewbies.com web site (which is wonderful, you should check it out!!!!) that said that the flip turns will cause your heart reate to rise. (it does!) This in turn may negatibly affect your aerobic pace. The flip turns are great for competition in a swimming pool but for open water swimming they serve no purpose. So don't worry to much about doing it unless you really think you should, it is up to you. l learned to do them back in the 80s. l was competing with the USMS and a good friend of mine showed me how. Hey, maybe l am one of those grandmas that you say do them when you work out so if you ask me to show you l will defenetly do it. :D Keep on swimming!!!!!!!!!! Maria

I would vote for learning flipturns. It seems to me that I get a better workout when I flipturn, or at least I can swim many more laps just doing open turns than when I flipturn at every end. (It takes me several strokes to recover and get my breathing settled which is more aerobic) I learned by watching others and then after trying it for a few workouts I asked a high school swimmer, who was swimming in the next lane, to show me how she did flipturns. She showed me the basics and that was it. took about 5 minutes. So maybe you can just ask one of the Grannys to give you a quick lesson. She will probably be flattered that you asked!:)

alot of great advice from people.. if you can try to have someone videotape you doing a flip turn that would be best.. there are so many things going on in a flip turn that it may be hard to feel what we are all talking about. The best way to improve is to see yourself and see what you have to change. I coach many triathletes and they have they same question, do I need to learn how to do a flip turn? well, if you want to be a more competent and confident swimmer than yes. you will start cutting time off of your swims in a pool and you may be able to start working at a faster pace with faster people. Think about what people will buy for their bike to make it better or they get better running shoes, doing a flip turn is part of becoming a swimmer. Keep trying and you may be the one passing people soon

I also want to urge you to learn the flip turns. It will actually make your pool swim MORE like your open water swims, not less. Think about it for a minute. When you do an open turn or a stop turn you grab the wall and rest a moment before pushing off and swimming. When you get in open wanter what are you going to grab onto and rest a moment before continuing? When you do a flip turn you do not stop at all, the swimming becomes continuous, just as it is in open water. If you really want to simulate open water, minimize you push off the wall so it just returns you to swimming pace (most pool swimmers maximize the push). The one bit of advice about grazing the wall with your finger is questionable. If you are in that close you will have to bend your knees too much to keep from hitting the wall. People who ball up and turn actually are often slower in their turns that people who do open turns. A simple description of a flip turn is to tuck your chin hard (your torso will follow) and kick your legs over. I strongly suggest initial attempts be done away from the wall and slowly work your way into the wall to get the distance right. Also note, that the cross mark on the bottom of the pool is not always the same distance from the wall from one pool to the next, so you have to adjust your turning point each time you swim in a new pool. This must be part of your pre-meet warmups or you may loose valuable time.