the 99%...flip turns

Left Brain - 2012-03-02 3:06 PM You don't really need to do flip turns. 

michael_runs - 2012-03-02 1:45 PM

Let's not let this thread get into the discussion of the merits of flip turns for triathletes.  There are plenty of other threads about that.

This morning I tried my first flip turn.  I tried it several times.  It was both easier and harder than I expected.  The flip part was easy enough for me.  I was able to time my flip so that my feet hit the wall with the appropriate knee flex for a good push off.  After 2 or 3 tries, I was even able to control how shallow or deep I came off the wall.  That's where it started to fall apart.

After I was heading back the other direction (facing up instead of down) I really didn't know how to get flipped over correctly.  Every time I twisted around so that I was facing down, I lost all momentum and I was at around 45 degrees in the water (feet/hips dropping very low).

Any tips to control this part of the flip turn?

superjorge1 - 2012-03-02 4:04 PM Hopefully I can explain this correctly. Half your rotation should be complete before you push off the wall, your shoulders should be perpendicular to the bottom of the pool before pushing off. Once you push off you can complete the full rotation to face down before you surface. If you are loosing momentum you may be surfacing too early, but generally I will do 1 or 2 dolphin kicks to extend the momentum off the wall in stream line position.

TriMyBest - 2012-03-02 4:09 PM

I disagree with the bold part.  If we're discussing how to do a flip turn as efficiently as possible, your feet should be planted on the wall with only a small amount of rotation (some coaches even say no rotation).  Pushing off should initiate the roll.  Make sure you are in a tight streamlined position as you push off and during kicking.  By the time you surface (at least 5 yards off the wall), you've rotated back into your normal swimming posture.

ETA:  It's difficult to see in the video you posted, because Ian Thorpe is so fast, but he's actually doing what I describe above, planting his feet at a slight angle, and beginning to twist as he pushes off.

superjorge1 - 2012-03-02 4:04 PM Hopefully I can explain this correctly. Half your rotation should be complete before you push off the wall, your shoulders should be perpendicular to the bottom of the pool before pushing off. Once you push off you can complete the full rotation to face down before you surface. If you are loosing momentum you may be surfacing too early, but generally I will do 1 or 2 dolphin kicks to extend the momentum off the wall in stream line position.

TriMyBest - 2012-03-03 7:09 AM

I disagree with the bold part.  If we're discussing how to do a flip turn as efficiently as possible, your feet should be planted on the wall with only a small amount of rotation (some coaches even say no rotation).  Pushing off should initiate the roll.  Make sure you are in a tight streamlined position as you push off and during kicking.  By the time you surface (at least 5 yards off the wall), you've rotated back into your normal swimming posture.

ETA:  It's difficult to see in the video you posted, because Ian Thorpe is so fast, but he's actually doing what I describe above, planting his feet at a slight angle, and beginning to twist as he pushes off.