When swimming laps in a pool, the turn is a crucial skill to master, especially when swimming competitively. There are essentially two types of turns a swimmer can perform: an open turn and a flip turn. While the approach for these turns is a little different for backstroke, butterfly and breaststroke swimmers , the mechanics of the turn itself are the same. Teaching swimmers how to perform these turns is all about repetition, practice and preparation.
Open Turn
Step 1
Position your swimmers about a quarter pool's length away from the wall so that they're just touching the bottom.
Step 2
Tell your swimmers to sprint toward the wall while keeping their heads facing down. When they see the "T" at the end of the lane, have them take one last stroke and extend one arm forward to grab the lip of the pool wall.
Step 3
Instruct them to pull their legs in and place their feet flat on the wall using the momentum generated by grabbing and pulling on the lip of the pool.
Step 4
Explain that when they get their feet on the wall, they should bring the arm holding onto the lip of the pool up and over their heads while simultaneously taking a deep breath before pushing off the wall with their legs and streamlining their arms together in front of their heads.
Step 5
Set up the swimmers in heats for each lane. At the blow of a whistle, have the front swimmer in each lane sprint toward the wall, perform the turn and sprint back to the starting position. Repeat the process until each swimmer has gone at least three times.
Flip Turn
Step 1
Position the swimmers in the shallow end of the pool about a quarter of the pool's length from the wall.
Step 2
Instruct them to practice performing somersaults by pressing off the pool's bottom and tucking their heads in and around while curving their spines. Have the swimmers repeat the somersaults for about five minutes.
Step 3
Tell the swimmers to begin the next stage of the learning process by having them push off the bottom into a forward streamlined glide with their arms pointing straight ahead. Instruct them to perform the somersault while gliding by swinging their arms forward while simultaneously pulling back. This will cause resistance in the water and naturally start their flip.
Step 4
Repeat the glide and flip warm-up for about five minutes and then position your swimmers in heats between the lanes. Have the swimmers take turns swimming at a modest pace toward the wall. Tell them that once they reach the wall, they should begin their somersault. Have them swing their arms and hips forward to complete the turn. Continue practicing until they feel confident with flipping and planting their feet on the wall.
Step 5
Begin practicing sprints once you feel your swimmers are ready for a full flip turn. Blow the whistle to start each heat and have each swimmer sprint from the shallow end toward the wall, performing the flip at the "T," planting her feet on the wall and pushing off streamlined into a sprint back to the beginning. Repeat the process until each swimmer has gone at least three times.
Tips and Warnings
- Explain to your swimmers that once their feet have been planted on the wall, they can either twist their bodies or right themselves after pushing off. Some swimmers find it difficult to push off the wall upside down, so encourage them to experiment with both techniques. Instruct the swimmers after they have had enough practice to time their strokes to include one last breath before stroking into their flip. This will help shave off some time from their flip. Encourage your freestylers to learn how to do flip turns. Flip turns allow your swimmers to keep a majority of their forward momentum as opposed to the time taken during an open turn (See Reference 2).
Things You'll Need
- Pool with lanes
- Whistle
