How To Do A Flip Turn When Swimming | Tumble Turn Step-By-Step Guide!

Flip turns, you've seen people swimming on tv do them and tried them in the pool yourself, but how do you master this skill? They can be tricky but Mark is here to break it down with a step-by-step guide so you can look like a pro in your next swim session!


If you enjoyed this video, make sure to give it a thumbs up and share it with your friends. 👍

Submit your content here:

Watch more on GTN...

Music - licensed by Epidemic Sound:
ES_A Wasteland Fairytale - Matt Large
ES_Out the Way (Instrumental Version) - Xavy Rusan
ES_Short Shorts - Timothy Infinite

Photos: © Triathlon / Getty Images

The Global Triathlon Network (GTN) is the world's biggest triathlon YouTube channel, with new videos every day! GTN is for anyone who loves triathlon: from seasoned triathletes to first timers – and everyone in between!

With the help of our former pro and Olympic medal winning team, we’re here to inform, entertain and inspire you to become a better triathlete; including videos on:

- How to swim, bike, and run faster with expert knowledge
- Try our session ideas
- Investigations into wide ranging topics
- The best triathlon bike tech and gear with pro know-how
- In-depth, entertaining features from the heart of the sport
- Chat, opinion and interact with us across the channel and on social media!

Join us on YouTube’s best triathlon channel to get closer to the sport and to become a better, faster and fitter triathlete!

Welcome to the Global Triathlon Network.

Thanks to our sponsors:

[luammerces]

Some months ago I was obsessed with including flip turns in my train, I felt left behind not knowing how to do it and seeing my swimmates doing it so effortlessly. I watched this video over and over I just couldn't replicate it in the water, I felt so frustrated until one day, it clicked and now I swim for kilometers doing flip turns and the other day one of my mates said my flip turns are amazing and asked me for advice lol. Thanks gtn 🏊🏾‍♂️

[paulbressie]

Took me awhile to get it. At first, I felt like a dying walrus. The issue is speed. As your speed gets more consistent, it’s easier. My recommendation, and one that the GTN guys left out, sorry mates, is not to look up towards the wall. It slows you down and will make the turn too far from the wall. Practice looking only at the T at the end of the lane line. Keeping your head down allows you a better glide and more speed into the turn, which makes the turn tons easier. Hope that helps.

[SharonKnight-up]

Dude, you own that lanky white English bod. Flip on! That's for the great tips!

[troyawitt]

I made flip-turns my 2021 resolution. Been doing ALL of my turns in the pool as flip turns this year. 4 months in, I think I’ve gotten them. Figuring that it’s the 10, 000 times rule... I’ve done just about 10, 000 by my count.

[MrBraindead]

Thanks for the video. My advice is to practice every single time you get to the end. The more you do it, the easier it gets.

[mjberlanga]

I have been swimming for 35 years and I was doing some fossilised errors, thanks to this video I am able to correct them! Thanks!

[lynnnjerik]

Always wanted to know how to do this. Thank you!!!

[pcu]

Very helpful instructions….I’m getting there but definitely need more practice!

[EnduranceJay]

I’ve been trying to master the turn for years, this has really helped thank you 😊

[alexsemel]

Thank you ..
Love your explanation. Now I’m going to practice…

[jaydesimone]

Thanks for this! I always had to flutter my hands to keep the flip going, which slowed me down and also confused my watch into thinking I hadn't reached the wall. It became so frustrating I switched to touch turns. I'm looking forward to getting it right from now on!

[longsam]

When I see other videos and ppl doing it, it looks practicing this for months and still haven't mastered it yet. It's very difficult to do

[Drbbler]

Has taking me an age to get these right, shooting off at all angles 😂 Have found driving your head down, flip, plant then push off to a twist all whilst making yourself long. They do take some practice but help your speed and stroke count no end.

[andruswj]

I'll say for the arm movements, I usually have both hands out in front and imagine pulling on the "T". So it's more of a Butterfly pull then a single arm pull.

[marciab]

I’m having better luck with BUTTERFLY than this freakin flip turn!

[badmuppet]

Remember to keep your arms pointing towards the direction you want to be going afterwards ie the opposite end of the pool and not the bottom of the pool or the surface!

[robohippy]

One thing that drove me crazy when watching videos on the flip turn, was that there are a lot of 'tricks' to learning the flip turn, and many of the videos would have a couple of tips, but none, ever, had all the tips. Most notable that are not here, using your arms in the bicep curl to help pull you over, and tucking your chin into your chest to initiate the rotation. I am so old that they wouldn't teach us flip turns because 'they are too difficult and you can't do Now, kids learn them as soon as they can make the length of the pool....

[marciab]

What can I do to keep from ending up at the bottom of the pool while doing flip turns?
I scraped my finger once, my arm, my back all on the bottom of the pool. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[flynnifyable]

I struggle with when to take the last breath before the turn and how soon to take one after. I keep hearing that I shouldn't breathe after the flags and also that I should take at least two strokes after the turn before breathing again. But at my pace that's a lot of not breathing! Are these really "best practices" or is someone just trying to drown me?

[eagleironic]

Got any tips for doing tumble turns in a shallow pool? I started working on doing tumble turns last year, but only at the deep end. Problem is the pool I visit regularly there isn’t a deep end!