{"id":301824,"date":"2018-03-26T06:00:14","date_gmt":"2018-03-26T13:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=301824"},"modified":"2018-03-26T09:47:46","modified_gmt":"2018-03-26T16:47:46","slug":"commit-swimming-getting-into-a-strong-flipturn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/commit-swimming-getting-into-a-strong-flipturn\/","title":{"rendered":"Commit Swimming: Getting Into A Strong Flipturn"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Abigail Fish<\/em>
\nTechnique Coach, Ritter Sports Performance<\/p>\n

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This post is courtesy of Commit Swimming<\/a>, the #1 workout journal for coaches and athletes, as well as Abbie Fish of RITTER Sports Performance, a stroke mechanics guru who believes anyone with the heart to train can benefit from technical advice!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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Welcome back to Part II of our series on Freestyle Flipturns. This week, we are going to discuss the turn itself, and how a swimmer can carry their fast speed through the approach and the turn!<\/span><\/p>\n

If you missed Part I of this series on the approach into the wall<\/span>, click here to learn the 3 things a swimmer should do to have a great approach.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s get started!<\/b><\/p>\n

A flipturn is a complex transition between two lengths of the pool. Consisting of the final two strokes, a hinge at the hips, the turn, and preparing to get the arms back into a streamline\u2014there\u2019s a lot more to a flipturn than just a somersault underwater. Let\u2019s take a deeper look into these <\/span>4 portions<\/strong> of the turn itself!<\/span><\/p>\n

1.) The Final Two Strokes<\/span><\/p>\n

The final two strokes into the wall happen at the very end of the approach. As we discussed in Part I, the more a swimmer can anticipate the wall and know their stroke count\u2014the easier and more automatic it\u2019ll become to know when to start the flip portion of the turn.<\/span><\/p>\n

Each swimmer should pick a favorite arm, that they finish with before they initiate the turn. For me personally, I like finishing with my right arm (as shown below).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

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A SWIMMER FINISHING THEIR FINAL STROKE INTO THE WALL WITH THEIR RIGHT ARM.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

So with my preference, on my very last two strokes I start dropping my chin (the girl in the picture above actual lifts her head up\u2014big NO NO!<\/b>) and I finish the pull with my left arm, while recovering with my right arm. Once the left arm complete its\u2019 pull, I keep it stationary by my left side, and it waits for the final pull to be completed with my right arm. The last two strokes are completed when both arms are directly by the swimmer sides and their eyes are facing towards the bottom of the pool.<\/p>\n

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A SWIMMER FINISHING THEIR FINAL STROKE INTO THE WALL WITH THEIR LEFT ARM.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

2.) The Hip Hinge<\/h3>\n

After the final two strokes have been completed and a swimmer has dropped their chin\u2014they should feel a natural instinct to want to drop their chest towards the bottom. This natural instinct happens because as a swimmer drops their chin\u2014they are redirecting their speed from being carried horizontally to diagonally.<\/p>\n

Think about it<\/b>: if a swimmer is swimming towards the wall\u2014they are carrying their speed forward. By dropping the chin and lowering the chest towards the bottom, the swimmer redirects their speed from the horizontal to more of a diagonal direction\u2014between the wall and the pool floor. This change in where a swimmer\u2019s speed is being directed is actually<\/i> the first portion of the flipturn that SLOWS<\/b> a swimmer down.<\/p>\n

Since this is the first portion of the turn that drastically reduces a swimmer\u2019s speed, it is best for the swimmer to complete the hip hinge as quick as possible. The goal of the hip hinge is to bring a swimmer\u2019s chest towards their knees without any head lift. The girl in the picture below has a good hip hinge, but her head is a little too high. Ideally, your chin should be closer to your chest.<\/p>\n

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For more information on how to strengthen a swimmer\u2019s hip hinge outside the pool, watch our video<\/a> from our strength coach, Bo Hickey!<\/p>\n