I haven't been able to get those down, either. Anyone out there ever teach flip turns?

The secret is to breathe out through your nose. When swimming, you should always breathe out through your nose, not just when doing flip turns.

As for how to do them properly, here's the general idea.

Glide into the wall at a decent pace.
When about 1.5m from the wall, take a single hard + fast arm pull.
As that hand moves past your sternum, start curling up into a tight ball.
Do a quick dolphin kick to help flip your legs over your head.
As your ass passes over your head, start unrolling and trying to get your feet planted firmly on the wall for the push off.

Now, the key to it is curling up tight and the little dolphin kick to flip your legs over.

Also, starting 1.5m out from the wall is probably a little far, so your legs might not hit the wall. However, start this far out until you get the hang of it, then gradulally start closer to the wall until you find your correct range. Starting too close can result in smashing your heels off the wall, which I can assure you is worse than a bit of water up your nose.

So, exactly how do you do a dophin kick and how does it help flip your legs over? Forgive my naïveté, but I assumed a dolphin kick is when you kick with both legs? How does that help flip your legs over? Sorry for the basic qustions, but I learned how to swim when I took up triathlon and I don't know any other stroke.

As you might have guessed, you have to blow water out your nose. It was 25 years ago when I learned, but I remember blowing out my nose for all I was worth for a couple days before it became natural.

As for dolpin kick - yes, it it when you keep both legs together and flex from your hips - sort of - like a dolphin. You can either give a dolphin kick to start you flipping over, or you can ball up tight and just sort of roll over like a turtle. I think the turtle method is where most people are going to start, it is where I did. Not graceful at all, but with enough repetition it gets better fast.

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Andy Tetmeyer (I work at HED)

You have to exhale like the curtains are on fire!

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Tom,

this is one of the very few times that I would have to say that you are wrong. I have found that part of being comfortable in the water is to work on keeping your breathing rhythym as normal as possible. Doing a super exhale does two things for you. First it lets out all of your air very quickly, and then it creates another problem, as soon as all that air is gone, your first response is to get more in.

By timing your exhale and slowing it down, you keep your breathing rhythym a bit more normal and don't get that "holding your breath" situation as much.

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Mike Plumb, TriPower MultiSports
Professional Running, Cycling and Multisport Coaching, F.I.S.T. Certified
http://www.tripower.org

"So, exactly how do you do a dophin kick and how does it help flip your legs over? "

You are correct in that a dolphin kick is kicking with both legs at the same time, ie: L+R do the same thing at the same time.

The hard part of doing a flip turn is getting the flip fast enough. Anyone can do a flip in the water, but if it's done slowly you tend to go all over the place. Not very useful.

Tucking your head into your chest makes you into a smaller "ball", therefore you can rotate quicker.

Doing ONE dolphin kick helps to propel your legs over your head.
Try lying on your stomach in the pool and lift your legs over your head. It's bloody hard. Now try doing a quick dolphin kick and see how it makes it easier.

Finally, the long term goal is that you wouldn't need a full kick (fomr the hips) but only a quick flick or your lower leg (from the knee).

Hope this helps clarify things.

Should I try to exhale during the entire sequence to keep the water out of my nose?

Dave from VA

Another thing that might help is to pull back down with your arms. When you're coming into your wall and take your last stroke, your arms will most likely be down by your sides. If you pull your arms back down towards the bottom of the pool, that'll help start momentum of your body to get over.

What I would recommend is that you start learning how to flip straight over in the middle of the pool while swimming. Just swim down the lane and try and try to flip straight end over end so that you end up facing the same direction as you were before you started the flip. You must have body control when you flip or you'll never be able to push straight off the wall.

As you get more comfortable with this, you can attempt to do it near the wall to start to judge the correct distance you'll need to push off the wall.

Yes. Basically, when in water, all your exhalations should be through your nose in a controlled manner.

This does two things: 1) keeps water out of your nose, 2) teaches you to control your breathing.

Two things. One, you don't need to exhale. Just ensure that you are applying a little air pressure through your nose just to keep the water out. If you exhale, you'll end up having to breathe too soon off the wall.

Two, I'd like to expand on the suggestion about your arms. Picture taking your last arm stroke before the wall, so that your right arm just entered the water and your left arm is straight down your body and your left hand is by your hip. Turn your left arm so that your palm is facing the bottom of the pool. You will want to anchor that left hand where it is, just under the surface. When doing that dolphin kick, pull normally with your right hand to maintain speed. As you turn, you apply downward pressure with your left hand (but don't drive it to the bottom!), keeping it near the surface. When you hit the wall (with the soles of your feet, hopefully), your right arm should be next to your left arm, and both will be pointing in the direction you want to go. Push off the wall and go!

Ken Lehner

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"Go yell at an M&M"

Generally, how long does it take someone to get the hang of flip-turns? Also, will my 50M times improve with a flip turn verses touching the wall, spinning and then pushing off?



Dave from VA

I've no idea how long it will take to master the flip turn. Depends on how much practice you do I guess.

Yes, they are most definitely faster than touching, turning and pushing off again, which is why you'll never see a good swimmer doing that.

http://www.goswim.tv/vids/flpturnseq.html

Well, first off Mike, I am no expert on swimming. I am very much the student- and often a poor one at that- so I defer to your recommendation.

Personally, and this may be completely wrong as you mention (in retrospect, I think it is...) I give it a good hard exhale about 1/3 into the rotation of a flip turn- just as my head is pointed at the bottom of the pool. That keeps the water from going up my nose. No one ever taught me how to do flip turns. I kind of watched the guys on the swim doing them and mimmicked that. I doubt my technique is very good.

You are right though- when I come off the wall I need air faassssttt.......

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Wow, great video. This is why I love this site so much. I have a problem/concern...within a couple hours over 200 folks have read my post with 15 replys.

Many thanks to all!!

Dave from VA

BTW, when all else fails... two words... nose clip. Guaranteed to work.

I'm allergic to chlorine and been using them successfully for 20 yrs.

Joe Moya

A couple of other suggestions for after you get the basic hang of the flip turn--

1. Flip in the pike position (think of folding yourself at the hips like a taco), not the tuck (ball) position.

2. Flip onto your back, and rotate back onto your stomach during the push off and glide.

Both of these techniques will save some time, but more importantly, make you look cool.

"BTW, when all else fails... two words... nose clip. Guaranteed to work."

Don't be "that guy". :)