All Strokes - Steve Haufler 7 Competitive Turns

Important Note to the Viewer

LESSONS: 19 VIDEOS

Introduction - By Steve Haufler

Hello. My name is Steve Haufler and for as long as I can remember, I’ve had a passion for the water... and for teaching people how to swim. In this video I want to share with you my bag of tricks for teaching the seven competitive turns. These are the teaching progressions that have worked for me and that have proven themselves in thousands of lessons, with swimmers of all ages and abilities. My goal is to give you new ideas that will help you become a better teacher. Because if you’re a better teacher, your swimmers will be better swimmers, and that’s ultimately what our profession is all about. If you want to become a truly great teacher of turns, you must do 5 things. First and foremost, you must break down each turn into a logical teaching progression. Turns are like aqua-gymnastics. They happen very quickly, and they call for pikes, tucks, spins, and rolls, combined with specific, precise, and high-speed arm and hand movements. In order to teach these complex moves, you must know how to break down each turn into a logical teaching progression. And you must realize that some swimmers will need to perform the movements slowly before adding speed to the skill. Two. You must be ready to get in the water -- at least initially. By physically moving the swimmer’s limbs and head through the correct motions, you’ll be more successful at imparting the correct muscle memory. Three. You must take time to teach the three turn fundamentals to ALL swimmers who join your team. These three basic skills are: Streamline... .... push-offs... ... and underwater kicking.... and you can introduce these skills to swimmers as young as 4 and 5. Four. You must limit a swimmer’s training to 25s until they learn the specific turns. If you start training 50s and beyond, you reinforce incorrect turning movements and introduce bad habits that become hard to correct. When a competitive swimmer graduates from 25s to 50s and to 100 IMs, there should be a time in their career when they spend at least 5 weeks learning all seven of the competitive turns. During this time, they should devote about 80 percent of their practice time to turns. This intense and concentrated period of learning will enhance the acquisition of turning skills. And five. You have to believe in the power of good turns, and you must convey this belief -- and these skills -- to your swimmers. Your job is to help swimmers understand that developing excellent turns will help them improve their times, win races, and give them the potential to compete at the highest levels. If you take the time to do this, you will give your swimmers a sense of pride, accomplishment, and confidence. As a coach and swim instructor, you know that the outcome of a race is often determined by who has the best turns. In short-course swimming and at the elite level, turns and underwaters can represent more than 50% of the entire race. When a swimmer executes those turns correctly, he or she can actually generate speed and momentum that enhances their swimming speed for the rest of the length. On the other hand, when a swimmer misses a turn, they must start the length from a dead stop and have to work much harder to get up to race speed. For this reason, you want to make acquisition of turning skills a top priority in your program. Our goal in this video is to give you simple progressions for teaching each of the seven competitive turns. We’ll first cover the basic skills that apply to all turns -- things like ready positions, push-offs, and streamline. We’ll then present a progression of skills for the open turns, including fly to back, fly to fly, breast to breast, and breast to free. Next comes a progression for the freestyle flip turn... .... followed by a progression for the backstroke flip. And we’ll finish with a progression for each of the back-to-breast turns. We’ll talk about how to correct the most common mistakes that swimmers make when they turn. We’ll show how to use tools, toys, and creative drills to speed the learning process. And our swimmers will demonstrate the most effective dryland drills for improving turns. So let’s get started, and thanks for joining me in the quest to become a more effective teacher and coach... and in the ultimate quest to help your students learn better and faster.

Drills and Tools - To Improve Your Turns

When I teach flip turns, I use every kind of drill... ... and every kind of tool I can think of. Things like mirrors, noodles, and creative drills make learning fun... and you never know when one of these tools will be the thing that works for a particular swimmer. So try them all, and use your imagination to invent new ways to teach these complicated moves. The Rope I use the rope to help swimmers get more distance off the wall. Place a rope or surgical tubing across the lane lines at the half-way point in a 25-yard pool. Do a set of 25s or 50s -- or maybe longer -- with the swimmers going at least twelve-and-a half yards of underwater streamline and kick before they come up and start to swim. Try this for breaststroke, too. The swimmers have to stay under water and extend their technique (and breath control) in order to break out past the rope. Timed Turns If you’ve never timed an open turn, it can be a real eye opener for both the swimmer and the coach. You’re measuring the time from when the hands touch... to when the toes leave the wall. 1.4 seconds is slow. 1.2 seconds is OK. 1.1 seconds is good 1 second is very good. And under 1 second is excellent. Swimmers enjoy the challenge of getting a faster time, and they’ll usually ASK for ways to shave off a few tenths. This is music to a coach’s ears. Underwater Ready Position Freeze For flips... ... and for open turns... swimmers can freeze at the underwater ready position to see if their body and legs are aligned for a strong push-off. The underwater ready position is where the swimmer has just landed their feet on the wall, and the hands are positioned overhead for a streamline push-off. Notice that the swimmer is not quite in streamline. Elbows are bent, hands are above the head and touching, and the arms and legs will extend simultaneously to add power to the push-off. High-Speed Turns The idea behind high-speed turns is to let the swimmer know what it feels like to turn during a race, when they’re approaching the wall at maximum speed. To get up to race speed and beyond, the swimmer can either use fins... or use the bottom of the pool to generate speed into the wall. They can even use a push and freestyle to build speed for an open turn. Super-Short-Course Turns Take a look at your pool and be creative about how you can practice your turns. If there’s a bulkhead, use it to create a 15-meter pool where you can practice rapid-fire turns. If your pool is wide enough or has a diving well that’s at least 15 meters wide, simply take out a few lanelines and swim widths. The wall will come up quickly -- just as it will in a meet -- and the swimmer has to learn to react quickly. Mid-Pool Turns Even after swimmers have learned the proper technique for turning at the wall, they’ll benefit from practicing at mid pool. Place a cone at the bottom of the pool, about 15 meters from the wall. Have the swimmer do a series of 30-meter swims to the underwater cone and back. The swimmer should perform the mid-pool turn with the same technique they’d use at the wall. The only difference is that they don’t get a push-off. Blind-Approach Turns In order to prevent swimmers from looking at the wall before the turn, have them try what we call the “Blind-Approach” Turn. Make the swimmer promise not to look at the wall. Instead, they must get their bearings by using only the “T” on the bottom of the pool. The official distance from the end of the “T” to the edge of the turning wall is 2 meters. But in many pools, the “T” is not placed at the official distance. Swimmers should be aware of this, and should learn the distance at each new pool. Timed Streamline and Breakout Distances For butterfly and backstroke, swimmers always want to know: How many dolphin kicks should I take before I break out and start to swim? The answer depends on the underwater skill of the swimmer. And instead of guessing... you can use a stopwatch to give the swimmer an exact answer. Time how long it takes the swimmer to go from the push-off (when the feet leave the wall)... ... to the 15-meter mark. Start by taking just one or two dolphins. Then increase the number of dolphins and the distance the swimmer travels under water. Then have the swimmer go all the way to the 15-meter mark before the head breaks the surface. Compare the times, and look for the optimal breakout point -- the combination of underwater kicking and surface swimming that produces the fastest time. Mirrors If I had to choose just one tool for teaching turns, it would be mirrors. They are the best thing ever -- better than any amount of underwater video analysis -- because they give instant visual feedback. Swim mirrors are very safe because they’re not made from glass. They’re made from aluminum or acrylic plastic, and they go on the bottom of the pool and are very durable. They can be purchased through most plastic-supply stores, or through your local glass store. The mirrors that I use are eight feet long and four feet wide, and weigh about 25 pounds. You can position them anywhere on the bottom of the pool, and their weight keeps them in place. For turns, I also use a mirror that is 2 feet wide and 8 feet long. The cost of a mirror is just over 100 dollars, but its value as a teaching tool is priceless. When teaching with mirrors, the most important thing to remember is that this is a tool for visual learning. As a teacher or coach, your job is to tell the swimmer what they should see as they pass over the mirror, rather than what they should do or feel. Let’s see how this works for teaching turns. Mirrors are essential for teaching streamline. Place your mirror on the bottom of the pool, several yards from the wall. Explain the streamline position you want to see, and get the swimmer to demonstrate while standing near the wall. Now describe what the swimmer will see when he pushes off and glides across the mirror. Don’t overload them. Pick just one or two things at a time. You might say, “I want you to see your eyes and your entire face as you glide over the mirror.” Or... “See your arms squeezing tight against the side of your head.” Whatever your definition for a perfect streamline, tell them what they’ll see, and phrase it in positive terms, rather than saying “Don’t do this...or don’t do that.” Remember: Mirrors reinforce visual learning, so give instructions that tell your swimmers what to see and what to watch for. Mirrors are an exceptional tool for teaching open turns. As you approach the wall with breaststroke or butterfly, try to line up directly over the mirror. At the touch, you’ll see your face in the mirror... and see your arms extended. This is not the time to lift up for a breath. Keep your face IN the water and watch the knees come up toward the face. At the same time, watch the turning elbow leave the wall and drive back quickly and close to the body. When you can see the knees approach the face, and see the turning elbow slide past the body, roll back and grab a breath. As you roll back and prepare for the breath, send your wall arm back in a karate-like/ answer-the-phone type of move. Take the breath late... as the body is rolling back and preparing for a streamline push-off. Additional mirrors placed on the bottom of the pool and farther down the lane can be of great benefit for checking the quality of the streamline and body posture. Breaststrokers can also use the mirror to make sure they are flat on the breast before initiating the underwater pull. With mirrors, breaststrokers can critique their own technique during the entire underwater pull, kick, and recovery. Styrofoam Heads The Head, which is made of Styrofoam and costs about $10, is a visual aid that makes your demonstrations more effective. The head is extremely effective for demonstrating correct head and eye position as you approach the wall for a breaststroke or butterfly turn. I like to use the head to illustrate a common mistake on backstroke turns, which is over rotation. Here, I’m using it to demonstrate the correct way to stop the rotation and line up the head and body for the push-off. Plastic Mannequin Hands Kids are fascinated by plastic hands, and will really pay attention to them when you demonstrate technique. I like to use plastic hands to emphasize the precise movement of the hands during the turn. Kids will stare at the hands because they’re unique, and they’ll see exactly what you want them to do. Noodles When a swimmer is doing this with the arms when they flip... it’s time to use noodles. Noodles are one of the best tools for helping swimmers “keep track” of their hands during flip turns. Noodles help keep the arms close to the body during the flip -- as opposed to letting them scull and scoop. Noodles also keep the swimmer’s hands above the head (and away from the turning wall), so that they’re ready to extend into streamline as soon as the feet hit the wall. Pull Buoys and Kickboards If you don’t have noodles, you can use pull buoys to help swimmers minimize their arm movement during the flip. Small kickboards can also be used to stability the arms. Tennis Balls If a swimmer is opening up and looking like this when they flip... ... have them place a tennis ball under the chin and keep it in place throughout the turn. In order to hold on to the tennis ball, the swimmer must keep the chin tucked all the way through the turn. The tennis ball also works for teaching correct technique for the open turn. The eyes will stay down at the touch, and the swimmer must roll back for air rather than turning to the side.

Dryland Drills - To Improve Your Turns

Teaching Progressions for Back-to-Breast Turns - Crossover Turns

This swimmer is demonstrating the back-to-breast crossover turn. This is the most advanced of the back-to-breast turns, so let’s slow it down and look at how how we can learn it with a step-by-step progression. Step 1: Mid-Pool “Touch” Start by kicking away from the wall. Kick on your back with one arm extended and pressed against your head and the other arm by your side. Without changing your arm position, roll toward the arm at your side and stop your roll when you’re looking under water straight across the pool. Balance and kick in this position without rolling past vertical. Here’s the same move from under water. Roll toward the arm at your side and stop when you’re looking straight across the pool. Step 2: Mid-Pool Roll In Step 2, you’re still kicking away from the wall. Once you can balance and kick in the crossover position, continue to roll toward the arm at your side and then immediately do a front flip. As your legs come over, angle your feet to the same side as the extended arm -- the arm that will touch the wall during the actual turn. Here it is again. Roll... flip... and as the legs come over, angle your feet to the side. Step 3: Kick to the Wall, Touch, and Flip In Step 3, you kick toward the wall, with one arm up and one arm at your side. As you roll to start the crossover, make sure you don’t roll past vertical before your hand touches the wall. At the touch, put your palm flat on the wall and continue to roll toward the stomach and immediately into your somersault. Step 4: The Hands In Step 4, let’s focus on the hands. As you begin to flip, turn the non-contact hand palm down, and push toward the bottom of the pool. This helps bring your head up and into alignment with the body for the push-off. Watch again for the hand to turn palm down and to push toward the bottom of the pool. In this next clip, watch the hand that touches the wall. Notice how the swimmer brings it forward to a position above the head as the roll is completed, and in time for a streamline push-off. Step 5: Swimming Approach and Turn In Step 5, as you put all the steps together, remember the rule for back-to-breast transition turns: You cannot roll past vertical before your hand touches the wall. Swim into the wall. As you cross over and reach behind your head with the right arm, you’ll be facing the lane line that was on your left side when you swimming. When you push off for breaststroke, that lane line will be on your left side. Step 6: Turn on Each Hand It’s important to practice this turn on each hand. In a race or during practice, you never know which arm will take the last stroke. So be prepared!

Teaching Progressions for Back-to-Breast Turns - Somersault Turn

Here’s a good example of the back-to-breast somersault turn. The somersault turn is a little more complicated than the back-to-breast open turn, but you can get to the end result in 5 steps. Step 1: Mid-Pool Approach Step 1 is to try an approach and simulated touch in the middle of the pool. Swim a few strokes of backstroke. When you decide which arm recovery will be the last, watch that arm with your eyes and follow it back into the water. The arm should drop back to a depth of 12 to 18 inches. The head dips upside down and you must make sure you’re blowing bubbles out your nose. Step 2: Approach and Touch In Step 2, you practice the approach and touch at the wall. Approach the wall with your last arm recovery, and watch the arm dive straight back under water. Watch the hand touch the wall at about the center of your target. The fingers of the contact hand should point down. And make sure you’re blowing bubbles out your nose. Step 3: Mid-Pool Somersault For Step 3, you go back to the middle of the pool. Swim a few strokes of backstroke and simulate a backstroke touch at mid pool. As the hand goes back, immediately begin a back somersault by bending the knees and tucking them into your body. As you spin around, bring your chin into line and your eyes will be facing the bottom of the pool. Step 4: Somersault at the Wall Step 4 is at the wall. As you touch, push up and back against the wall to help with rotation. Bring the knees straight up and over the water. When the feet pass overhead, quickly release your hand from the wall. You should see your hand touch the wall, and see it leave the wall. You’ll also see your feet come into the picture before touching. Bring your head into neutral and look at the bottom of the pool. At the same time, bring your contact arm up under the body to meet the other arm that remained overhead. Turn the palm of that hand UP and push it toward and above your head. Bring your hands together before your feet hit the wall, and push off into streamline. Step 5: The Other Hand The last step is to practice this turn with the other hand.

Teaching Progressions for Back-to-Breast Turns - Spin Turn

This swimmer is demonstrating the back-to-breast spin turn. When we slow it down, you can see that the knees clear the water. This reduces resistance and lets you spin a little faster. Step 1: The Touch Make contact with the wall by reaching back and touching the wall behind the opposite shoulder, and near the surface -- with a maximum depth of 6 to 8 inches. Notice that instead of grabbing the edge, the swimmer’s palm is flat against the wall. Step 2: The Spin Practice the spin by jumping off the bottom of the pool and reaching one arm back BEHIND the opposite shoulder and into the wall. Touch with palm flat and fingers pointed in the direction of the spin. Here it is again in slow motion. As you reach back toward the wall, bend your knees. As you touch the wall, bring your knees out of the water and spin them toward the wall. As you spin, absorb the touch by flexing the arm, and push on the wall to assist your spin. When your legs are past half way to the wall, continue to push to the side. Before your feet reach the wall, move your hand away from the wall and toward your head. Step 3: Answer the Phone After your hand pushes away from the wall, move it toward the ear as if you were answering the phone. After your hand passes the ear, drop it under water to match up with the other hand for a streamline push. Step 4: Approach, Spin, and Turn Swim toward the wall and reach back and across on your last stroke to initiate the spin. Clear the knees out of the water to decrease resistance and increase your rate of spin. Watch your knees spin toward the wall, because this will help you line up your head for an powerful push. The hand at your hip should turn palm up, and push toward your head. This helps bring your body in line for the push-off. Step 5: Use the Other Hand The final step, as with all the back-to-breast turns, is to practice the turn with each hand.

Teaching Progressions for Back-to-Breast Turns - Open Turn

Here’s where we’re headed in teaching the Back-to-Breast Open Turn. This is the simplest of the back-to-breast turns, and I like to teach it with a 5-step progression. Step 1: Approach and Touch Step 1 is The Approach and Touch. Approach the wall like you would for a backstroke finish except that when you touch the wall... you should place the hand palm down on the gutter. Touch and freeze with your hand palm down. The other arm is extended and by the side. Your head is straight and lined up and your eyes are looking at the shoulder that’s away from the wall. Here it is at normal speed, and we’ll stop it at the touch. Step 2: Touch and Ready Position At the touch, your palm is down and you actually grasp the lip of the pool. Without moving your shoulders, go into ready position, like this. Do this by tucking the legs, drawing up the knees, and placing your feet on the wall. Right after the knees begin to tuck, spin your head... from looking at one shoulder... to looking at the shoulder near the wall. As you spin your head, think chin. Simply move your chin from one shoulder to the other, without moving your shoulders or changing their alignment to the wall. Plant your feet on the wall with legs, knees, and feet parallel and toes pointed to the side and slightly up. Your free arm, which was back at the hip when you touched the wall, bends at90 degrees and points toward the other wall as you scull upward with the palm. You are now in the official ready position. Step 3: Ready Position and Go! After you touch the wall and get to the ready position, check your position. Are your head, shoulders, hands, legs, knees, and feet in the correct position? Make your adjustments, then go. Simply push off from the ready position. Use your free hand to push up on the water. This helps you to drop the upper body and head under water for push-off. The hands meet under water and above your head, and match up for streamline. Extend your arms to a complete streamline right before your feet leave the wall. Step 4: Back-to-Breast Open Turn without Pausing In Step 4, try the back-to-breast open turn without pausing. Go right through the ready position but with one major difference: Let go of the wall before your feet touch the wall. Step 5: The Other Hand Once you can do the back-to-breast open turn on one side, practice all the steps on the other side. You never know arm will take the last stroke, so you need to be comfortable on both sides.

Teaching Progression for the Backstroke Flip Turn

Here’s where you’re headed when learning the backstroke flip turn. Notice how everything flows together... the final backstroke stroke... the crossover... the single pull that takes both hands to the sides... the immediate tuck into a straight-over flip... the solid foot placement... and the streamline push that puts the swimmer slightly on the side, but tilted more toward the back than the front. Let’s watch it again... and then we’ll break it down into a 9-step teaching progression that begins with something the swimmer should already know... the freestyle flip turn. Step 1: Learn the Freestyle Flip Turn The first step in learning the backstroke flip turn is to master the freestyle flip turn, which we covered earlier in the video. You should know how to approach the wall with arms at the sides, and how to execute a straight-over flip, with a solid push-off into streamline position on the back. Step 2: 3-Stroke Crossover at Mid Pool When learning the backstroke flip turn, it’s best to start by swimming away from the wall. Start by kicking with both arms at your sides, and recover the right arm first. As you start to pull with the right arm, start to recover the left arm. After the left arm enters and begins to pull, turn your face down into the water. As the face enters the water, the right arm continues to come over the top and crosses over to begin a pull that is 100 percent freestyle. As both hands complete the pull, the hands stay at your sides and you begin to tuck into a straight-over flip. Let’s watch that again. Right arm up... left arm up... left arm starts with one-quarter of a backstroke pull, then finishes with three-quarters of a freestyle pull... then tuck into the flip with both hands at your sides. When you can do a three-stroke crossover on one side... ... try a three-stroke crossover on the other side. Kick away from the wall... left arm comes up first... then right arm... then right arm starts with one-quarter of a backstroke pull and finishes with three-quarters of a freestyle pull. The swimmer tucks into a straight-over flip with both hands at the sides. A variation of the three-stroke crossover is to start with one arm extended. Pull right... roll and pull left... cross over and pull right with a 100-percent freestyle pull. On the other side this looks like pull left... roll and pull right... cross over and pull left with a 100-percent freestyle pull. A third variation is to start in streamline. Pull right... roll and pull left... cross over and pull right with a 100-percent freestyle pull. Step 3: Swim, Cross Over, and Flip at Mid Pool In Step 3, we’re still practicing the flip in the middle of the pool. Push off and swim 5 to 7 strokes of backstroke, then do a cross over into head-lead position, submerge, flip, and position your hands and body for an imaginary push-off. Then, extend your legs and arms simultaneously into underwater streamline. Let’s see it one more time. Five to seven strokes... cross over into head-lead... flip... check your push-off position... then extend into streamline. Step 4: Using the Flags Through practice and trial and error, you can determine how many strokes you take between the flags and the point where you begin to rotate toward your stomach. In the learning stage, start with just two strokes from the flags. As your eyes pass under the flags, the next hand hit is 1 and you take a backstroke pull. The next hand hit is 2 and you’ve already started to rotate. This pull is one-quarter backstroke and three-quarters freestyle, and you submerge and tuck before you get to the wall. This time, take three strokes from the flags. Hand hit 1 is backstroke. Hand hit 2 is backstroke. Hand hit 3 is the crossover. If your feet hit the wall after the flip, three strokes from the flags is a good count for you. If your feet don’t hit the wall, try four strokes next time. Step 5: Completing the Turn Take your last stroke into the wall, then submerge. Spot the wall by watching the “T”... or the bottom edge of the pool... or the lowest row of tiles on the foot ledge. When the hands reach your sides, flip immediately. Roll directly into the flip, without a big dolphin kick and without rising up with your shoulders. Slide your arms down the legs toward your knees and use your palms to “push the hat back” as your legs come out of the water and to the wall. Push off and extend into streamline as your feet leave the wall. Step 6: The Push-Off and Underwater Dolphin Push off in a slight downward direction to glide under the surface turbulence and to keep your body deeper during the dolphin kick. Glide in a tight streamline until you slow to underwater dolphin speed. Then, depending on your ability and training, take two to eleven quick underwater dolphin kicks before transitioning to flutter kick and the breakout. Step 7: The Breakout For the most effective breakout, start your first arm stroke while still under water. Here the swimmer transitions from dolphin to flutter, starts the first stroke while rising, and starts the second stroke just before the face breaks the surface. Use the first and second strokes to help Maintain the momentum of the push-off and underwater kicks. Proper timing leads to an aggressive breakout and sets you up for a fast length of backstroke.

Teaching Progression for the Freestyle Flip Turn

Here’s where you’re headed when you teach the freestyle flip turn. Notice the unbroken, eyes-down approach... the straight-over flip... the tight tuck... the lack of extra arm movement... the sure and solid foot placement... the streamline push... the quick dolphin kicks that transition into flutter kick... and a forward-moving breakout. The freestyle flip is a complicated gymnastic movement that takes place at high speed. We’ll take it one step at a time, using a 10-step teaching progression that starts with blowing bubbles... ... and ends with a continuous turn that looks like this. Step 1: Bubbles and Flips Blowing bubbles out the nose is Skill 1 for learning the flip turn. Without this basic skill, swimmers will get water up their nose and this makes flip turns a very unpleasant experience. Here’s where you need to get in the pool with your swimmer. Have them take a big breath... ... and then go under water with them to make sure bubbles are coming out their nose. Have them look at you and imitate. When you see lots of bubbles from their nose, you can move on to flips. Have the swimmer push off right at the surface, with hands by their sides. Tell them to “Go straight over fast and blow bubbles out your nose.” Don’t give any additional instruction. Just see what happens. If they go straight over and you want to fine-tune how they do it, some good instructions would be: Bend at the waist and look at your knees. Make your chin go to your chest, and then bow. Get your face close to your knees. If the swimmer cannot go straight over and always “falls off” to one side, like this... ... or if they cannot get over at all... ... they will need special instruction to master the straight-over flip. This is another time when it helps to be in the water so that you can guide the swimmer through the correct movements. Step 2: Head-Lead Submersion at Mid Pool Step 2 is to swim 3 to 5 strokes toward mid pool and then stop one hand... ... and then the other hand by the hips, then lean in on the chest to submerge the body.. Here it is again... 3 to 5 strokes, then one hand back... then the other... then lean in on the chest. You should feel as if you’re angling slightly down a ramp... or that your head is breaking through an underwater paper wall. Step 3: Head-Lead Submersion and Straight-Over Flip at Mid Pool Step 3 adds one more motion to your sequence Start with 3 to 5 strokes, then one hand back... then the other... then lean in on the chest... then flow into a straight-over flip. Here it is again. One hand back. Other hand back. Lean in. Flow straight over. Step 4: Flip with a Noodle For Step 4, you need a noodle cut in half. Float face down, holding the noodle at your hips, with palms facing down. Push off and do a straight-over flip. As you begin the flip, keep your arms straight and look for your knees, as you slide the noodle down the back of your legs to the knees. When the noodle is past your knees, let go of the noodle and continue to flip straight over. Here it is again. Float face down, palms down. Push off, keep the arms straight, look for the knees, let go of the noodle, and continue straight over. Step 5: Push the Hat Back For Step 5, stand on the bottom of the pool or on deck, and place a tall “Abe Lincoln-type” hat on the top of your head. Now try to push the hat back. Keep your elbows bent and in front of your face where you can see them. Point the fingers straight up, with palms facing the hat, and use both hands to push the hat back just a few inches. Repeat this motion, making sure to use both hands, so that you get the feeling of using your hands like this during the flip. Step 6: Mid-Pool Flip, Thinking Noodle, Hat, Streamline! For Step 6, swim four to five strokes toward mid pool and get into head-lead position, than submerge. As you flip straight over, slide your hands down your legs to your knees (as if you were holding the noodle), and then use your palms to push the water back over the top of your head (as if you were pushing back the hat), and then streamline and push off on your back. Let’s watch it again. Four to five strokes. One hand back. Other hand back. Think Noodle... Hat... streamline. Step 7: Practice Approach to the Wall In step 7, practice a head-lead approach to the wall by stopping the arms at your sides as the head passes the “T” at the end of the lane. Sight the wall by looking at the bottom edge of the pool (where the bottom meets the wall), or by sighting the bottom row of tiles of the target on the wall. Come to a head-lead position, know where the wall is, and stop without flipping. Make sure you finish your last stroke and submerge -- but don’t come too close to the wall. Step 8: Swim, Flip, and Push Off on Your Back Step 8 is to swim toward the wall and submerge on the last stroke. You will be in this position: head lead... hands back. Flip straight over, thinking... noodle as you slide your arms down your legs ... then hat as you push water toward the top of your head and bring your feet to the wall... ... and then streamline as you extend and push off the wall. Step 9: Roll from Back to Front -- slowly! We’re almost there! In Step 9, you flip straight over... push back the hat... streamline... push off on your back... and then rotate slowly until you are facing the bottom of the pool. Notice which side you rolled to. Usually, one side feels more comfortable than the other. As you roll from back to side to front, hold your streamline until you see the bottom of the pool. When you can see the bottom, then you may pull with the arm that’s on the side to which you were rolling. Do not breathe on this first stroke! Step 10: The Complete Turn In the final step -- Step 10 -- you push off slightly on your back rather than directly on your back. Start with a straight-over flip, the same movement as before. But this time, the feet land slightly to one side -- your more comfortable side. As you push off, just slightly on your back, hold a tight streamline until the body rotates toward the bottom of the pool. As you rotate, start with 2 to 3 quick dolphin kicks, then transition to flutter kick, and the first pull into breakout. Here it is again at full speed. Flip straight over, turning the feet at the last moment for a push off that is slightly on the back. Quick dolphin into flutter and into the first pull and breakout. And once more in slow motion. Notice that all the moves are continuous and smooth, and that the first stroke is executed at a depth that allows the pulling shoulder to clear the water as that arm is finishing. In this final clip at normal speed, notice the continuous motion and lack of extra motion. The turn is compact, smooth, and efficient.

Open Turn Common Mistakes - How to Correct Them

When it comes to open turns, there are four mistakes that coaches see every day. In this section we’ll look at these common mistakes and how to fix them. Mistake 1: Jack in the Box We’ve all seen a Jack-in-the-Box open turn. The swimmer grabs the wall and, instead of keeping the head and eyes down, they push up on the edge of the pool, sending their head and shoulders up and out of the water. They get a lot of air, but it costs them valuable time and momentum. The fix for a Jack-in-the-Box turn is to let the arms absorb the wall like a shock absorber. Notice how this swimmer touches and almost collapses into the wall, letting the head continue to travel toward the wall. As the legs come under the body, the elbows bend so that they can then push away from the wall. Keep the face and shoulders in the water as the head continues to travel toward the wall. Wait until after the touch, the tuck, and the elbow to take a breath. The breath comes late, as the head and shoulders roll back and down into the water. An excellent drill to fix this problem is the Tuck-and-Back-Spin Drill, which you’ll find in our chapter on Drills. Mistake 2: Pushing Off on the Stomach Swimmers who push off on their stomach waste valuable time because they spend additional time on the wall rotating to the front. Others cause increased resistance because they drop through the water with the complete width of their body, rather than slipping under water on their side. Swimmers make this mistake often believe they are supposed to push off on their stomach. To fix this, go back a step and re-teach the Ready-Position and Push-Off. Help the swimmer plant their feet to the side, and keep the knees and feet pointed up rather than down before the push. They should push off on their side. Keep the knees above the feet and do not reverse this position before pushing off. Mistake 3: Pushing Off Too Shallow When swimmers push off too shallow, it’s usually because their arms are not aligned and completely under water when their legs are on the wall and ready to push. Correct this mistake by getting the arms off the wall faster. The wall hand is usually the one holding on too long. Get the wall hand off the wall and back into the water before the feet touch the wall. Mistake 4: Lifting the Head If you lift your eyes to see the wall, you create added resistance and lose the momentum that helps you turn quickly and get a powerful push. To fix this mistake, keep your eyes down on the touch and begin to tuck the knees while the face is still in the water. An underwater mirror -- placed right up against the wall -- is an excellent tool for fixing this problem because the mirror gives instant feedback. If the swimmer doesn’t see the touch, they’re lifting the head too soon. If the swimmer does see the touch, they’re automatically stay low and roll back into the water during the turn.

The World's Best Drill for Improving Your Open Turns

One of the best ways to improve your turning speed for open turns is the Tuck-and-Back-Spin Drill. Here’s the entire drill at full speed. In slow motion it looks like this... and now let’s break it down into steps. Step 1: Mid-Pool Float Start by floating face down with arms extended and shoulder-width apart. Keep your legs straight and together. Balance in this position to get ready for the move. Step 2: Knees to Chest, Small Ball, Chin Down, Hand to Knees For Step 2, start by floating face down. Draw your knees quickly up to the chest. At the same time, bring your hands to your knees and keep your chin down. Round the back, and get into a really tight ball. If you stay nice and tight, momentum will take care of the rest. Let’s watch it from under water. Float face down. Quickly draw your knees up and send your hands to your knees. Tuck the chin, stay small... and let momentum carry you around. Step 3: Keep Rolling Let your momentum carry you back into a complete back somersault. Come all the way around and complete at least one revolution. Keep your chin down, and stay in a tight tuck all the way through the move. Step 4: Alternate Spin Drill and Open Turn In Step 4, you’ll do the Spin Drill once more, right near the flags. Then start close to the wall and do an open turn at the wall. The muscle memory of a tight, quick tuck -- and of rolling back and not to the side -- will transfer over to your turn at the wall. In slow motion, notice that the body should be horizontal with eyes down at the touch. The knees come UP, the chin stays tucked, and the body rolls back in a very efficient and fast turn. Just attempting this drill will help you avoid turns that look like this -- with the swimmer lifting up after touching the wall. When you first try the drill, you may not get much of a roll back, but that’s OK. Even if you look more like this... ... than this... ... you’ve trained your brain and your muscles to fall back during the actual turn. And you’ll gain valuable time -- even seconds -- on your butterfly and breaststroke turns.

Teaching Progression for Open Turns

Competitive swimmers must learn four different open turns: Fly to Fly. Fly to Back. Breast to Breast. And Breast to Free As you can see, the four open turns are very similar. While the strokes into and out of the wall are different, what happens at the wall is virtually the same for each turn. So our teaching progression for each of the open turns is the same, and includes these seven steps: The Approach The Touch The Tuck The Elbow The Roll The Push And finally, the entire turn without pausing. Step 1: The Approach As you approach the wall in butterfly and breaststroke, the goal is to touch the wall with arms and body fully extended and eyes looking down at the bottom of the pool. The hips should be near the surface, with the head in neutral and barely under water. Use the “T” on the bottom of the pool to judge how far you are from the wall. Ideally, you’ll make contact with the wall just as you finish the kick. Step 2: The Touch In breast and fly, the touch is with two hands, and the hands must touch the wall at exactly the same time. If there’s a lip or a ledge, grasp it lightly with the front part of the fingers. Now freeze. Have the swimmer hold this position while you check and give feedback. Arms should be extended at shoulder level. Eyes should be looking down. The head should be in neutral and just below the surface. Hips should be near the surface and toes should be pointed. If you can get into this position at every touch, you carry maximum momentum into the wall, which helps you execute a fast turn and a powerful push. Step 3: The Tuck To master The Tuck, start in the touch position. While keeping your head in the water and both hands on the wall, bring both knees UP and get your feet on the wall as fast as possible. To increase your speed, use your stomach muscles to bring your knees toward your chest. Stay in a tight ball, point your toes, and hide the feet behind your bum. If you flex your feet... like this... you’ll slow your tuck and have a slower turn. Keep your toes pointed until the last possible moment before planting your feet on the wall. To assist with your tuck, give a small tug with your hands as the arms bend to about 90 degrees. Keep practicing just this until you can get your feet on the wall quickly and without pulling up with your arms. Step 4: The Elbow The next step in the progression is The Elbow. Start in the touch position, initiate a fast Tuck, but this time release the turning hand. Get your hand off the wall as fast as possible by driving the elbow back with a quick, forceful movement. Drive the elbow as if you were delivering a karate chop, sending it right next to your ribs and behind your body. This quick action will turn the shoulders, but not the head. Keep your face in the water. You should be looking at your knees as your feet land on the wall. When you finish the touch, tuck, and elbow, you should freeze and check your position. Step 5: The Roll For the next step -- The Roll -- you start in the touch position and initiate a fast tuck. Before your feet hit the wall, release the wall hand and send it right past your ear. Here it is again. Touch... fast tuck... elbow back... release the hand and send it past the ear. Notice that the elbow stays in the water until the hand gets to the ear. Stay in a tight ball as you fall back and not to the side. Keep your head straight, with your chin near the wall shoulder. As you roll back, you may see your wall hand coming toward your ear, or you may see your forearm, elbow, or bicep. As you drive the elbow past the hip, that hand will be palm up and it will press up to help the head and shoulder drop straight back into the water. At the end of The Roll, your hands meet behind the head and lock together to prepare for streamline, with your body on its side. Freeze in this position for a few seconds. This is the Underwater Ready Position. Step 6: The Push Step 6 is The Push. Start in the Touch position, begin a fast tuck, drive the elbow, release the wall hand, roll back, and then freeze in the Underwater Ready Position. Make sure your feet are planted firmly and that you’re on the balls of your feet. Check your alignment. Feet, hips, shoulders, and head should be lined up and ready for a direct and powerful push-off. Then, extend your arms into streamline as you extend your legs for the push. Push off on your back in a tight streamline. Step 7: Step 7 is to connect all the moves without pausing. Try it first at a nice easy pace. Touch... tuck... elbow... roll... and push into streamline. Try it first on your back. This is not how you will push off in race, because it’s not legal to push off on your back in breast or fly, but this is a good way to practice during the learning stage. When you feel like the steps are more natural and continuous, try pushing off so that you’re more on your front than on your back, and then slowly rotate to your stomach. This is the legal way to push off. You need to be more toward your stomach than toward your back as you push off, and you need to be completely on your stomach when you start the pulldown in breaststroke or the first armstroke in butterfly. When you can connect all the moves from a Touch position, try swimming into the wall for a complete, non-stop turn. Remember to keep the eyes down and the body long and extended on contact. On this final clip, watch for another learning point: The feet and the hands are never on the wall at the same time.