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.


Sign In to watch video

Teaching Progression for Open Turns