Lessons

Browse through our thousands of Lessons to gain a deeper understanding of swimming. Use our search bar located above or, if you're new to the site, use the Guided View to help narrow down the Lessons presented to you. If you use the Guided View, you’ll also be able to add your Expertise Level as an additional filter.

Select Category

Designate Expertise

Select Fine Point

Flip Turn Step #1

Kristian uses a 6-step progression to practice his flip turns. Step 1 is a simple pushoff, head first, with arms at your sides and palms facing down. Now the fine points. Push off gently. Maintain a stable bodyline and point your toes. Head and neck are in neutral position, with eyes looking down. Stay on the surface! Notice that every part of Kristian’s body is under water, but JUST under the surface. This takes great control.

Flip Turn Step #6

For the 6th and final step in Kristian’s flip-turn progression, he flips at the wall. Don’t rush! Swim smoothly into the wall, with eyes focused on the bottom and not on the wall. As you approach the wall, keep both arms at your sides and then tuck the head, tuck the knees to the chest, turn the hands over and push down with the palms to add momentum to your somersault. As your feet hit the wall, your hands should be together and you should be ready to extend immediately into a streamlined pushoff. The fine point is timing. All 6 steps should happen smoothly and continuously. The goal is to end up in perfect position for a streamlined pushoff the INSTANT your feet hit the wall. The goal during the learning stage is not speed, but timing and flow. Starting with the tuck of the head, feel how each step flows into and augments the next step.

Flip Turn Step #5

Kristian uses a 6-step progression to practice his flip turns. Step 1 is a simple pushoff, head first, with arms at your sides and palms facing down. Step 2 adds the head tuck. Steps 3 and 4 happen simultaneously – tucking up with the knees and pushing down with the palms. In Step 5 the flip is complete, and you extend into streamline on your back. The key to mastering the fine points is not to rush. As you extend into streamline, make sure it’s a full streamline from fingertips to toes. Hands locked together. Head locked between shoulders. Torso stable. Toes pointed. HOLD your streamline for a few seconds to get the full effect.

Flip Turn Step #4

Kristian uses a 6-step progression to practice his flip turns. Step 1 is a simple pushoff, head first, with arms at your sides and palms facing down. Step 2 adds the head tuck, lowering the head into still water to get the body flowing into the flip. Step 3, tuck the knees into the torso. And Step 4, push down with the palms. Hold the tuck, and let the feet flow over the top and back into the water. The fine point is timing. If you push down with the palms just as you tuck up with the knees, you will gain speed and momentum as your feet flow over the top. To really feel the connection, perform this step with control rather than speed.

Flip Turn Step #3

Kristian uses a 6-step progression to practice his flip turns. Step 1 is just this part: a simple pushoff, head first, with arms at your sides and palms facing down. Step 2 adds the head tuck, lowering the head into still water to get the body flowing into the flip. Step 3 is a continuation of Step 2, tucking the legs into the body and allowing the hips to flow over the head and torso. To work the fine points, DON’T WORK! Don’t try to see how tight you can tuck or how fast you can flip. The point is to explore how two simple moves -- tucking the head and tucking the knees -- can initiate enough momentum for a complete somersault.

Flip Turn Step #2

Kristian uses a 6-step progression to practice his flip turns. Step 2 is a continuation of Step 1, which was a simple pushoff, head first, with arms at your sides and palms facing down. For Step 2, tuck the chin or lower the head and experience how the water pushes the front of the body down to help initiate the flip. Pay attention to the fine points. The body should be horizontal and right at the surface before your start to tuck the head. When you tuck the head, don’t do ANYTHING ELSE! Resist the urge to use your hands or your abs, or to tuck your knees. Simply tuck the head and feel what happens.

Freestyle Turn

These videos are created explicitly for the PEAK Performance Swim Camps to teach students what they’ll be working on at camp. These are short, abbreviated videos and only show part of what is taught at each camp. PEAK Performance Swim Camps utilize the GoSwim app for video recording and evaluations. If you have an interest in a great, year-round swim camp, please visit www.swimcamp.com Peak Performance Swim Camp – Swimming Camps for Competitive Age Group Swimmers

Jan. 14, 2025 - Teaching Freestyle Flip Turns

Teaching the Freestyle Flip Turn This week we continue our series on how to teach the things that are the most difficult to teach – yet are the most basic skills a swimmer needs. This week’s topic – the freestyle flip turn – has the added distinction of being the skill most desired by new swimmers. Join us as we explore how to teach what swimmers most want to learn! Monday Steve Haufler Turns: Teaching Progression for the Freestyle Flip Turn Steve Haufler gets us started, showing us where we’re headed when teaching the freestyle flip turn, and outlining a ten-step progression to get there. https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/758-teaching-progression-for-the-freestyle-flip-turn 0528 bubbles and flips 10040 Head leads immersion at mid pool 13454 Head lead submersion and flip at mid pool 15143 Flip with a noodle 22194 push the hat back 25929 midpole flip 33182 practice approach to the wall 40818 swim flip and push off 42580 Roll from back to front slowly 45870 the complete turn Tuesday Turns – Freestyle Flip Turn Step 2 Here’s step 2 of our five-step progression for teaching the freestyle flip turn. Grab a pool noodle and let’s get started! https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1003-turns-freestyle-flip-turn-step-2 0459 grab the noodle with both hands 0595 Flip without letting go of the noodle 1065 hold the noodle behind and kick forward 1427 flip without letting go the noodle 2588 take it to the wall push-up on your back 3233 noodle keeps the hands high 4647 hand stay stationary 11546 po boys instead of noodles Wednesday Turns – Freestyle Flip Turn Step 4 Here’s step 4 of our five-step progression. Time to ditch the noodle and use the hands to add some speed going into the wall. Keep the hands and arms weightless as you somersault straight over. https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1005-turns-freestyle-flip-turn-step-4 0288 review previous steps 0844 approach the wall with the hands held behind 1230 Flip without moving the hands 2070 flip without using the hands 2678 start in position 11 2912 drop one hand to the side 3177 drop the other hand to the side 3458 flip without using the hands Thursday Turns – Freestyle Flip Turn Step 5 In the fifth and final step of our teaching progression, the swimmer learns how to place the feet on the wall to angle smoothly into position to swim freestyle. https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1006-turns-freestyle-flip-turn-step-5 0582 to review the previous steps 2793 from a push off look at how your feet are placed 5142 initiate the role with the torque on the wall 10704 body roll starts with the push 12343 be aware of your foot placement 13468 can be slightly to the side 14682 height or depth of feet make a big difference Friday Kara Lynn Joyce: Flips Flips Flips Three-time Olympian Kara Lynn Joyce demonstrates one of the best drills for flip-turn experts AND for those just learning how to flip. Flip straight over and snap into streamline. This imprints weightless hands and the ability to be ready to push off as soon as the feet hit the wall. https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/671-bonus-flips-flips-flips 0816 Head down flip 1611 head down flip 2268 head down flip 3175 flow into the flip with a continuous forward motion 4587 same motion through the turn Saturday Joao de Lucca: Flip Turn – Step 3 – Tight Tuck The tighter the tuck, the faster the spin, the faster the turn. How tight is tight? Brazilian Olympian Joao de Lucca shows us what’s possible. https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2072-flip-turn-step-3-tight-tuck 0269 where are the eyes 0380 Down 0404 expose the back of the head 0461 momentum does not require the use of the hands 0551 how small can the ball BE? 4838 Direction of push 4935 using the wall for torque Sunday Kristian Golomeev: Flip Turn Step 6 Olympic sprinter Kristian Golomeev has a six-step progression for perfecting his flip turn. Notice how similar his steps are to those of Steve Haufler’s and GoSwim’s progression. https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2270-flip-turn-step-6 0463 eyes down 0903 expose the back of the head 1176 turn the palms down 1345 tight tuck 1719 positioning of the feet 1998 Drive and use the wall for torque BONUS VIDEOS

Turns - Freestyle Flip Turn Step #1

If you've always wanted to learn how to do a flip turn (and what swimmer doesn't?), here's a fun drill that is step 1 in the learning process. Over the next few weeks we'll present a 5-step sequence that will get you spinning and turning with ease - even if you thought you'd never be able to master this basic skill. Take your time with the process, have some fun with it, and in a few short weeks people will be coming to YOU for lessons. Why Do It: When doing a flip turn, one of the most common mistakes that swimmers make is using their hands and arms. Using the hands and arms may FEEL like the right thing to do, but it actually slows down your rotation. It also causes you to pause just before the pushoff... so that you can get your arms back in streamline. Your flip turns will be faster, more efficient, and actually EASIER if you take your arms out of the equation. Notice how this swimmer flips by using her abs rather than her hands -- and how this puts her arms in perfect position to STREAMLINE when her feet hit the wall. And notice how she flips STRAIGHT OVER rather than turning to one side. In this drill, you'll be using a noodle to help you learn to flip STRAIGHT OVER and without using your hands. Remember. This is Step 1 of a 5-part sequence. This will seem pretty basic, but just try it and please trust us that this will lead you where you want to go. How To Do It: 1. Get a noodle. Many pools have these on deck for water-aerobics classes but, if not, you can find one at your local discount store for a couple of dollars. 2. Stand in the shallow end of the pool and grab hold of the noodle at both ends. 3. Take a big breath and get ready to exhale water through your nose. 4. Push off the bottom of the pool and do a forward somersault INSIDE the noodle. Try to go STRAIGHT OVER and DON'T LET GO OF THE NOODLE. Try not to pull back with the noodle, or push down on it. Remember -- DON'T USE YOUR HANDS TO HELP YOU FLIP. 5. After you flip, stand back up and get ready to try it again. 6. Once you get the hang of this drill, try speeding it up. See how fast you can get around and get back on your feet. Troubleshooting: If your feet get caught in the noodle, you need to tuck up into a tighter ball and hold your tuck until you get all the way around. If you can't get all the way around, tuck your chin and look back between your legs as you start your somersault. Think about sending your energy down and AROUND rather than just DOWN. If you are holding just one end of the noodle when you stand up, you are probably not going straight over. HANG ON to the noodle with both hands. Don't let go. If you are getting water up your nose, start exhaling BEFORE you start your somersault. And then keep exhaling till you regain your feet. Try noseclips if things get really bad. But most important: JUST TRY IT. Stick with it... and stay tuned for Step 2.

Turns - Kick Through Your Turn

Learning an effective flip turn means learning to NOT slow down into your flip turn. Why do it: There are so many small factors that go into this, we'll focus on just one today... kicking THROUGH your turn. Maintaining momentum through your turn can make for a faster turn. How to do it: 1 - First, identify a couple problem areas. Do you lift your head or look at the wall as you approach? This gets you going in the wrong direction for a great turn. 2 - Do you drive the turn from a dolphin kick in the back? While even great swimmers have a small dolphin, too many swimmers think the dolphin IS what drives them over. 3 - Once you've identified the problems, do some turns keeping your head down, and maintaining a flutter kick for as long as you can into the turn. How to do it really well, the fine points: Watch for the "breach" prior to the turn. That means do you POP-UP, or do you submerge into the turn? Leaning into the turn and maintaining your flutter kick for as long as you can, will help you develop a turn that flows smoothly and quickly. Keep everything moving, and don't wait for the wall to come to you.

Ankle Pull-Buoy Turns

Putting the pull-buoy at the ankles makes it JUST a little slower to do a turn. Getting the buoy out of the water and over the flip is just a little slower. The more turns you do with this added resistance, the better it's going to feel when you take it off. Follow the links to FINIS if you want to pick up any of these products. Use Promo code GOSWIMTV to receive 20% off you're purchase. FINIS Manta Paddles FINIS Stability Snorkel FINIS Nose Clip FINIS Ankle Strap FINIS Pull Buoy

July 16, 2024 - Summer Swim Camp Session 2: Flip Turns

At any given practice, swimmers often get more than 100 chances to practice their flip turns. But they almost never get a chance to break down the movement to get BETTER at it. Here’s how we teach flip turns at summer swim camp. Thanks in advance to NCAA sprint champion and Olympic finalist Kristian Golomeev for the progression. Monday Kristian Golomeev: Flip Turn Step 1 Three-time Olympian Kristian Golomeev uses a 6-step progression to practice his flip turns. It begins with a simple pushoff, head first. Of course, there are details. https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2265-flip-turn-step-1 0457 pushoff horizontal and on the surface 0650 maintain a horizontal bodyline 1649 push off with enough force to create resistance 2931 start the practice of having the palms facing down Tuesday Kristian Golomeev: Flip Turn Step 2 Step 2 is really simple, but pay attention to the fine points. https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2266-flip-turn-step-2 0262 push off like you did in step one 0371 tuck the chin to expose the back of the head 0512 allow the water to take the body down 0732 continue the ride 1042 again push off with enough force to create resistance 1178 tuck the chin to expose the back of the head 1409 be patient 2437 exposed the back of the head and back Wednesday Kristian Golomeev: Flip Turn Step 3 The fine point in Step 3 is: DON’T WORK! The fine point is to explore how two simple moves – tucking the head and tucking the knees – can initiate enough momentum for a complete somersault. https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2267-flip-turn-step-3 0768 reviewed step one 1828 review step two 2731 tuck the knees after you see them 3016 allow the body to flow over 3522 tuck the chin before you tucked the knees 4299 see how far Christian is before he starts tucking the knees 4444 not a complete tuck but close Thursday Kristian Golomeev: Flip Turn Step 4 Kristian’s flip-turn progression is all about the details. In Step 4, the focus is timing and control, rather than speed. https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2268-flip-turn-step-4 0357 review step three 0931 now at the hands 1478 hand stay high until the knees are tucked 2289 Christian adds a very small dolphin 2420 the tuck of the chin and the resistance of the water get the torso down 2506 the tuck of the knees create a smaller ball 2567 the flick of hands gets the legs over 3038 momentum is your friend 3436 with momentum look how far he is through the turn 3447 now things are starting to come together Friday Kristian Golomeev: Flip Turn Step 5 Step 5 is all about how you come out of the somersault. Don’t rush the fine points: full-body streamline; hand lock; head lock; torso stable; toes pointed. https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2269-flip-turn-step-5 0235 practice all the steps before you move forward 0268 tuck the chin 0294 tuck the knees 0313 push the hands 0376 get the hands in streamline 0416 extend to streamline position 0951 body should be parallel to the surface of the water 2329 body parallel to the surface of the water Saturday Kristian Golomeev: Flip Turn Step 6 The final step in Kristian’s progression is how you leave the wall. Aiming for timing and flow here. https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2270-flip-turn-step-6 0422 step one 0476 step two 0566 step three 0599 step four 0750 step five 0888 step six 1975 body is starting to go down prior to the small dolphin 2131 Christian can see his knees 2252 the tuck of the knees and the flick of the hands are starting to coordinate 2827 streamline prior to push 3457 Watch how fast he turns the hands over 4258 at speed all the components are harder to see 4651 step one 4667 step two 4696 step three and four 4774 step five 5013 it’s all one movement 5915 at speed 10052 follow the last hand down 10211 Palms are facing down 10407 horizontal before push 10584 slightly downward exit 11136 parallel to the surface Sunday Turn Drill: Eyes Down Flips Don’t spoil a beautifully executed and timed flip turn by looking for the wall. Here’s what to do instead. https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2032-turns-eyes-down-flips 1585 looking at the wall 1630 looking at the wall 1711 Head is open and hand start before knees tuck 1741 hands too close to head 1765 slight upward orientation 1811 pushing off too high 2809 start learning the cross 3253 look for the deepest part of the line 4819 different at nearly every pool 5358 memorize the bottom and the wall 10129 look for the color change from the floor to the wall 11355 memorize these spots 12707 better eyes down approach 12817 better tuck of the chin 12849 hand still early but better 12928 a little bit better pushoff 20711 different head positions 21751 heading uphill or heading forward 21181 trying to position the swimmer at the same spot 23880 noticeable difference BONUS: Turn Drill: Cord Flip Turns Here’s a quick trick that will help you stay low and tight on your flip turns. https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2175-turns-cord-flip-turns 3732 place a cord in the right position so the swimmers head Hass to get under it 4944 he should get under the legs will go over 11056 after the legs push the cord down 11154 it will snap back in place LILI 0373 eyes slightly up 0513 Head goes down 1165 Head follows the last stroke down 1552 ready for the push 2275 eyes looking down 2487 momentum took the head and torso down 2510 combination of steps three and four 2906 step five thank you thank you