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Flip turn help

melindaberg
melindaberg Posts: 14
edited 1:20AM in Social Groups
I used to do flip turns in swim team but now I get out of breath, I can do one or two but then can't do anymore. Any suggestions?

Replies

  • JESSJESJ
    JESSJESJ Posts: 121 Member
    keep swimming, as you get in better shape, you'll breathe easier. slow down a little, may make breathing easier. breath, every stroke rather than every 4
  • fuselighter
    fuselighter Posts: 40 Member
    Same problem here. Used to swim team, but now I dread flip turns. It just feels like they zap my energy (and breathing). I swam 10x100 free yesterday and wanted to quit because of the flip turns, especially toward the end as I was getting really tired.
  • kreuzen
    kreuzen Posts: 188 Member
    As your endurance builds back up your ability to do more flip turns in a row will also improve. :smile: Keep it up. I can normally only do about a 300 before I need to flip onto my back. It WILL get easier.
  • riftknight
    riftknight Posts: 21
    Try looking at them in a new light. At the pool where I swim, the poor life guard's have their chair at the end of the lane I'm normally in. My goal is to help cool them off on the hot summer days by producing the biggest splash I can on each flip-turn! Make it fun and it's less work.

    Also helps if you start throwing in crunches and sit-ups to build up your core muscles, since those control most of the motion of the fli-turn.
  • LIswimmer51
    LIswimmer51 Posts: 96
    when you workout try doing an open 50.... start in the middle of the pool, swim to a wall, flipturn, swim a lap and flipturn at the other wall and then stop where you started.
  • drewbird911
    drewbird911 Posts: 117 Member
    I like getting the extra breath, so I do an open turn, but do still get a good push and streamline off the wall. Flip turns are faster, 1-2 seconds per lap, but not by that much if you do a good open turn. Just my 0.02.
  • Macstraw
    Macstraw Posts: 896 Member
    I like getting the extra breath, so I do an open turn, but do still get a good push and streamline off the wall. Flip turns are faster, 1-2 seconds per lap, but not by that much if you do a good open turn. Just my 0.02.

    Agreed - Right now my open turn is about as fast as my flip turn (NOT an endorsement of my open turn, more of a condemnation of how slow my flip turn currently is) & I'm getting a much better push & longer streamline from my open turn. I'm starting to do a few more flip turns in my sets & will continue to increase the number, hopefully the speed will come back.....
  • matthew_b
    matthew_b Posts: 137 Member
    I agree with the others, it's just a matter of time and practice to keep doing them. I would do them in a pattern, say once every other lap at one end. Over time I just kept doing them more and more often.

    Part of it is being in better shape, and part of it is better technique. I'm usually able to time my breath so it's right before I flip. The flip is so fast that the time under water is the same whether it's a flip turn or turning with the hands.
  • Macstraw
    Macstraw Posts: 896 Member
    I started adding flip turns into my workouts today, I was able to do the first 4 turns of each set. I will try to add more as I go forward, I felt my technique coming back the more I did them. Once the endurance is there you want to take at least 2 strokes after your last breath before the turn so that you don't lose momentum going into the turn, especially if racing. The more momentum you take into the turn the faster the flip will be. The key is to have enough endurance to last those 2 strokes, through the turn & come up taking at least a stroke before you breathe so that your momentum does not slow. It does no good to snap a fast flip & then come almost to a stop after pushing off the wall because you're turning your head so far to the side to take a deep breath.....
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