1. Practice flipping in the middle of the pool: do about 5-7 strokes and on your last pull do a flip so that you end up on your back.
- Your last pull is a big one with a kick so that you can get momentum into the turn.
- As you are turning, keep your knees shoulder width apart.
- Do not focus on moving your legs over. Focus on keeping your knees apart and turning your abdominal area on up so that your knees are sort of by your head. Your legs end up being bent at the knees.
- You bend your legs last. If your stroke into the turn is strong enough, that is what drives the turn.
2. Once you master flipping onto your back, go ahead and try to extend your legs as though you are pushing off the wall.
- THE ACTUAL PUSH OFF WILL BE ON YOUR BACK. Do not try to twist or any of that nonsense. Just push your legs out.
3. Try this at the wall.
- When you flip, your legs should not have to extend more than a foot or so to contact the wall.
- As you approach the wall you flip as in step one and then extend your legs.
- You should be close enough to the wall that you are a little scared that your heels might hit. This is normal until you get used to the timing.
- PUSH OFF ONTO YOUR BACK.
- The motion should put you in a position so that the flip and push are fluid, not the flip then push that you see a lot of people do. The key to this is practicing step 1. If you can do a good flip, then you can position yourself by the wall so that you can push off immediately when the feet are positioned to do so.
4. Learn to turn over onto your stomach AFTER you push off.
- Do not push and twist.
- Push off on your back.
- THEN twist onto your stomach with one big stroke.
- There is no hurry to turn over as long as you can keep momentum off the wall with some butterfly kicks or a really strong push off.
5. Competitive swimmers are taught not to breathe for at least 2 strokes after the break out
- all breakouts should be beyond the flags.
- If you can't do this, practice it.
I have been a swimmer for way too long to mention here and I still practice flip turn drills. I especially practice the flips in the middle of the pool. I usually do about 100 yards of flipping every 5 strokes or so, just to practice flipping quickly and getting my knees in the right place. It's easy to become lazy and flip with your legs too extended. You should NEVER flip with your feet together--HUGE no, no.
Flip turns are fun and easy and give you a good legs workout in the pool. They also allow for less breathing which always improves swimming speed (unless you pass out, of course.)
I hope this helps someone. I'm sure I didn't describe this well enough so please ask some questions and I'll try to help you out.
- Your last pull is a big one with a kick so that you can get momentum into the turn.
- As you are turning, keep your knees shoulder width apart.
- Do not focus on moving your legs over. Focus on keeping your knees apart and turning your abdominal area on up so that your knees are sort of by your head. Your legs end up being bent at the knees.
- You bend your legs last. If your stroke into the turn is strong enough, that is what drives the turn.
2. Once you master flipping onto your back, go ahead and try to extend your legs as though you are pushing off the wall.
- THE ACTUAL PUSH OFF WILL BE ON YOUR BACK. Do not try to twist or any of that nonsense. Just push your legs out.
3. Try this at the wall.
- When you flip, your legs should not have to extend more than a foot or so to contact the wall.
- As you approach the wall you flip as in step one and then extend your legs.
- You should be close enough to the wall that you are a little scared that your heels might hit. This is normal until you get used to the timing.
- PUSH OFF ONTO YOUR BACK.
- The motion should put you in a position so that the flip and push are fluid, not the flip then push that you see a lot of people do. The key to this is practicing step 1. If you can do a good flip, then you can position yourself by the wall so that you can push off immediately when the feet are positioned to do so.
4. Learn to turn over onto your stomach AFTER you push off.
- Do not push and twist.
- Push off on your back.
- THEN twist onto your stomach with one big stroke.
- There is no hurry to turn over as long as you can keep momentum off the wall with some butterfly kicks or a really strong push off.
5. Competitive swimmers are taught not to breathe for at least 2 strokes after the break out
- all breakouts should be beyond the flags.
- If you can't do this, practice it.
I have been a swimmer for way too long to mention here and I still practice flip turn drills. I especially practice the flips in the middle of the pool. I usually do about 100 yards of flipping every 5 strokes or so, just to practice flipping quickly and getting my knees in the right place. It's easy to become lazy and flip with your legs too extended. You should NEVER flip with your feet together--HUGE no, no.
Flip turns are fun and easy and give you a good legs workout in the pool. They also allow for less breathing which always improves swimming speed (unless you pass out, of course.)
I hope this helps someone. I'm sure I didn't describe this well enough so please ask some questions and I'll try to help you out.