Swimming Pool Turns: Mastering Open Turns, Flip Turns, and Biomechanics

How Do You Turn in a Swimming Pool?

Turning in a swimming pool, whether for leisure or competitive purposes, involves specific techniques to efficiently change direction at the wall, minimizing drag and maximizing propulsion. The primary methods include the open turn for two-hand touch strokes and the faster flip turn for single-hand touch strokes.

Introduction to Turns in Swimming

Turns are a critical, often overlooked, component of efficient swimming. While much focus is placed on stroke technique, a well-executed turn can significantly impact overall swim speed and energy conservation. For competitive swimmers, a strong turn is a moment to gain an advantage, transitioning seamlessly from propulsion in one direction to propulsion in another. For recreational swimmers, understanding turns enhances flow, reduces fatigue, and improves the overall swimming experience. The fundamental goal of any turn is to minimize time at the wall, maintain momentum, and exit into a powerful streamline.

Understanding the Basic Open Turn

The open turn is the most common and versatile turn, required for breaststroke and butterfly, and often used by recreational swimmers in all strokes. It involves touching the wall, rotating the body, and pushing off.

• Approach: As you approach the wall, maintain your stroke rhythm and speed. Begin to anticipate the wall, judging your distance to ensure a smooth, controlled touch. For breaststroke and butterfly, a two-hand touch is mandatory, with both hands touching simultaneously. For freestyle or backstroke, a single-hand touch is sufficient if using an open turn.
• Contact & Hand Placement: Touch the wall firmly but gently. For two-hand touches, hands should be placed slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, fingers pointing downwards. This provides a stable base. For a single-hand touch, place the hand flat against the wall, palm down or slightly angled.
• Rotation & Push-Off: Once contact is made, tuck your knees towards your chest. Simultaneously, pull your hands off the wall (or rotate around the single hand) and use your core muscles to rapidly rotate your body 90 degrees, bringing your feet to the wall. Your head should lead the rotation, looking towards the direction you will be pushing off. Your feet should land flat on the wall, roughly hip-width apart, with knees bent at approximately 90-120 degrees for an optimal push-off angle.
• Glide & Breakout: As soon as your feet are firmly planted, push off the wall powerfully, extending your legs fully. Simultaneously, bring your arms into a tight streamline position, one hand stacked over the other, biceps squeezing the ears. Maintain this streamline underwater for as long as permissible (typically 15 meters in competition) to minimize drag and maximize the momentum from the push-off. Breakout involves initiating your first stroke and kick sequence as you surface.

Mastering the Flip Turn

The flip turn (or tumble turn) is the fastest and most efficient turn for freestyle and backstroke in competitive swimming. It utilizes angular momentum to rapidly rotate the body without losing forward speed.

• Approach & Timing: Maintain speed as you approach the wall. The timing of the flip is crucial: initiate the flip when your head is roughly one arm's length from the wall. This allows enough space for the rotation without colliding with the wall or being too far away.
• Initiating the Flip: Take a final stroke, then immediately bring your chin to your chest and begin a rapid forward somersault. Simultaneously, press down with your hands and forearms, using the water to help initiate the rotation. Your legs will naturally come up and over as your body tumbles.
• Tuck & Rotation: As you flip, tuck your knees tightly towards your chest. This reduces your moment of inertia, allowing for a faster rotation (similar to a diver tucking for a faster spin). Keep your body compact. Your body should rotate approximately 270 degrees, bringing your feet towards the wall.
• Foot Placement & Push-Off: As your feet approach the wall, they should land flat, hip-width apart, with knees bent for a powerful push. Your body should be on its back for a freestyle turn, or on its stomach for a backstroke turn, ready to push off. Ensure your push-off is directed towards the surface, not straight down or up.
• Streamline & Underwater Glide: Immediately upon pushing off, extend your arms into a tight streamline position, one hand over the other, head tucked between the biceps. Maintain a powerful flutter kick (for freestyle) or dolphin kick (for backstroke or after any turn) while underwater. The dolphin kick is often preferred due to its higher propulsion-to-drag ratio.
• Breakout: As you approach the 15-meter mark (or the surface), transition smoothly into your first stroke and kick cycle, ensuring a powerful and continuous propulsion.

Specific Considerations for Different Strokes

While the biomechanical principles are similar, specific rules and techniques apply to turns based on the stroke.

• Freestyle: Primarily uses the flip turn for speed. Open turns are permitted but less efficient.
• Backstroke: Also primarily uses the flip turn. Swimmers are permitted to rotate onto their stomach for a maximum of one stroke before initiating the flip turn. The push-off must be on the back.
• Breaststroke: Requires a two-hand touch simultaneously at the wall. An open turn is mandatory. The swimmer must push off on their stomach.
• Butterfly: Like breaststroke, requires a two-hand touch simultaneously at the wall. An open turn is mandatory. The swimmer must push off on their stomach.

Key Biomechanical Principles for Effective Turns

Efficient turns are rooted in fundamental biomechanical principles:

• Momentum Conservation: The primary goal is to carry as much of your incoming speed into the push-off as possible. This means minimizing time at the wall and avoiding excessive deceleration before the turn.
• Body Position & Streamline: A tight, compact body during rotation minimizes drag. Upon push-off, a hydrodynamically efficient streamline reduces resistance, allowing the swimmer to glide further and faster underwater.
• Force Application: The push-off from the wall should be powerful and directed optimally. Pushing too straight down or up wastes energy. The ideal angle allows for a strong propulsive force into the water, setting up the underwater kick.
• Timing & Coordination: All components of the turn (approach, touch/flip, rotation, push-off, streamline, breakout) must be seamlessly coordinated. Poor timing can lead to awkward turns, lost momentum, and increased drag.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Slowing Down Before the Wall: Decelerating into the turn wastes precious momentum. Maintain speed until the moment of initiation.
• Pushing Off Too Weakly: A weak push-off negates the advantage of a good turn. Explode off the wall.
• Poor Streamline: A loose or un-streamlined body position after the push-off creates significant drag, slowing you down.
• Looking at the Wall: For flip turns, looking at the wall disrupts the head-chin-chest tuck and can lead to disorientation. Trust your timing.
• Inadequate Tuck (Flip Turn): Not tucking tightly enough increases your moment of inertia, slowing down the rotation.
• Incorrect Foot Placement: Feet too high, too low, or not flat on the wall can lead to a weak or unstable push-off.

Practice Drills for Improvement

• Wall Kicking Drills: Practice pushing off the wall in a tight streamline with powerful kicks (flutter or dolphin). Focus on extending the glide.
• Flip Turn Progression (Dry Land): Practice forward rolls and tucks on dry land to get comfortable with the rotation.
• One-Arm Touch Turns (Open Turn): For open turns, practice touching with one hand, rotating, and pushing off to improve efficiency.
• No-Breath Entry (Flip Turn): Practice flip turns without taking a breath on the last stroke before the turn to improve timing and commitment.
• Underwater Dolphin Kick Drills: Focus on perfecting your underwater dolphin kick, as it's a powerful tool post-turn.

Conclusion

Mastering turns in a swimming pool is a skill that significantly enhances both performance and enjoyment. Whether executing a precise open turn for breaststroke or a lightning-fast flip turn for freestyle, the underlying principles of momentum, streamline, and powerful propulsion remain constant. Consistent practice, attention to detail, and a focus on biomechanical efficiency will transform your turns from mere changes of direction into powerful propulsive sequences, propelling you more effectively through the water.