Flip Turns- Swimming

While swimming a race there are so many different aspects that can help put you in the lead. One skill that is essential to helping you go your fastest in a race is the flip turns.

What are Flip Turns?
Flip turns are practically somersaults in the water. A typical pool is 25 yards long and the swimmer performs a flip turn just before they reach the wall when they are swimming distances more than a 25. For example, a 50 yard race is down and back and would require one flip turn, a 100 yard is four lengths of the pool and would require three flip turns, and a 200 yard race is eight lengths of the pool requiring seven flip turns throughout the race, and so on and so forth.


A flip turn in a long race can be compared to a little power up that a character in a video game would get to help them advance towards the finish line. Flip turns are essential because the quickness of the turn, the strength and force behind it give you an extra amount of speed as you begin the next leg of the race. Flip turns can be confusing and difficult to perfect but once the technique is properly learned and performed it can be the difference between a second and a millisecond in the race.


A flip turn consists of somersaulting, planting your feet on the wall, and exploding off the wall to go. According to Michael Brooks in Developing Swimmers, it states that for a fast somersault four things are required to happen quickly all at once. It states "Duck the chin, dolphin-kick powerfully, tuck at the middle, and back-scull with both hands toward the face" (Brooks 114).

Back-sculling is having the palm
 of your hands face the top of the

water, pushing the water as you flip

in order to propel you through the turn.

A dolphin-kick is a synchronized
kick where both legs are together
 moving up and down, similar to the
 movement of a dolphin.



After you turn, you plant your feet on the wall to explode. On the wall, it's a one touch and go, you don't rest your feet, no twisting or turning and no waiting to turn over on your stomach before you push off. For freestyle, also commonly known as crawl stroke, the send-away takes the speed from the flip turn and adds the power of the push-off and underwater kicking in order to get you the best start and most speed for the next length of the race.

Michael Brooks explains that there are also four parts to the freestyle send-away. First, explode off the wall as powerful as you can with a straight and taut body. Then streamline, this is when your arms are above your head and the elbows are squeezed tight with one hand placed on the other. Next, use hyper speed. Do powerful small and fast dolphin kicks off the wall. Lastly, an important part is the break out. This is the second you breach the water and immediately start your stroke. Carry the speed of the push off to start your first couple of strokes and never breathe the first two strokes because this would cause the speed from the push to instantly disappear (Brooks 115).

Why are flip turns the most convenient and fastest way to turn in a race?

Brooks, Michael. Developing Swimmers. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2011. Print.