Wednesday, December 13, 2006

To Flip or Not To Flip

I started taking swim lessons when I was six months old and took them every year until I was 12. Needless to say, I can swim pretty well. And I love to swim. But, I have never mastered the art of the flipturn. Funny enough, I can do a flipturn when I'm backstroking, but I just can't figure it out with the front crawl.

Yesterday I tried a flipturn on my first pass. Not only did I get water up my nose, which usually doesn't happen, I completely missed the wall.

How many of you flipturn when you are swimming laps? If you do flipturn, what are some suggestions that you might be able to give for those of us who struggle with the flipturn?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can do a flip. It is hard to learn though. At least it was for me. One of my best friends, who played on his college water polo team, showed me how to do it. I was a slow learner, but I got the hang of it eventually.

The thing is, I'd probably have to re-learn it before I could show anyone how to do it. It's not like riding a bike.

This might help you out:
http://www.ohioccw.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3777&Itemid=83

Anonymous said...

I swam in a swim team as a kid and was great at flip turns. As an adult I get water up my nose EVERY TIME! Even if I remember to blow out. I totally don't get it and have given up. If you find the secret, please clue me in.

Born To Endure said...

I always do flip turns..and yes, I have gotten water up my nose more times than I can remember..it hurts!!

Anonymous said...

The trick is to make sure your nose is full of phlegm and/or "nose goblins." That'll keep the water from going up your nostrils.

Anonymous said...

Can you do sommersaults in water?

It took me a while, but I at least finally stopped missing the wall. I stole a useful graphic on a post I did last Nobember...

http://www.thedeegans.net/train/http://www.thedeegans.net/train/2005/11/30/to-flip-or-not-to-flip