Correctly utilizing the flip turn will not only limit the amount of stopping at the wall when swimming, but it will also be a great way to increase core strength.
Learning and understanding a skill can be simple, but incorporating it into motion will be another challenge that some must overcome. We will now do somersaults from a swimming position instead of standing for this next step.
In the previous skill, you would start in a standing position and use a small jump to tuck and initiate the somersault. We want to utilize the skill close to a streamlined position and use the last pull from the freestyle swim to start the somersault rather than a jump.
Start by swimming freestyle and doing five strokes. After the fourth stroke, keep your hand at the hip instead of initiating another recovery. The fifth and final pull will be the main generator for the somersault, and both hands should end up by the hips. You still want to end off in a standing position after somersaulting from the swimming position. Remember, if you start the swim with your right arm, you finish with the right arm and vice versa.
When practicing this skill, there are a few things to remember. You want to make sure you practice not only finishing with your right arm but also with your left arm. Sometimes when you’re swimming, you’ll never know which arm you have to end off with. You must also remember to blow your bubbles when flipping to prevent water from going up your nose.
Check out the previous tip series starting with Flip Turn Standing Somersault
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By Colyn Ma
Colyn is one of the Aquatic Programmers at MacEwan University Sport and Wellness. He has been with us for over six years and has over 10 years of competitive swimming and coaching experience.
