Turns - Air Control Flip Turn

Many swimmers, especially ones still learning, can tend to allow too much air to escape during the flip turn. This is done to make sure no water goes UP the nose, but it also has a detrimental effect on your pushoff.

Why do it:
While it's good to get around quickly on a flip turn, we have to remember that, without focus, we could be making a great underwater dolphin tougher.

How to do it:
1) Start to experiment with HOW you hold or release air through your nose. Go underwater and hold your breath.
2) Go underwater and start to allow just a little bit of air to release through your nose.
3) Go underwater and blast out air from your nose.
4) Now go through some flip turns thinking about the same thing. BLAST the air out... allow just a bit to release... then see if you can get around without any air escaping.

How to do it really well (the fine points):
This is an additional thought process for swimmers, but one that can help you hold just a bit more air as you push off into the underwater dolphin. Humming through the turn is an option, or as our young swimmer shows, using the upper lip to help close the nostrils also helps. The important thing is to learn how much air you allow to escape when you're not thinking about it.

While working with development swimmers, you'll always have more fun things to work on in addition to the release of air... like how he's not using his hands. Step-by-step this young swimmer continues to improve.

[marziyahmajeed]

how the hell does the kid block the nostrils with his upper lip??!! it deserves a tutorial on its own

[klongR]

Water get in my nose "a bit"even if I was breathing out, but if i was not breathing out,  it seems all water in the pool get in my nose. 

[fdgohjigfnhkgfmhkfg]

When you turn do you keep your arms by your side

[patrickcallow]

I can do a flip turn but after i do the flip turn I keep running out of breath :( but I think I can use this tip to help with my breathing after the flip turn :)

[animalartistartworld]

thanks you so much this helped me a lot with my 500 freestyle!!! 😃 😃 still need to work on my breathing 😃 I've got this!!! 😃 I will be working on it thus summer!!! 😃 ❤ 💘 🏊

[romaneightnine]

I can’t do a flip under water because whenever I do it makes my nose hurt

[islambek]

that's a hell of a lip out there.

[miker]

Now here is a stupid question. Why is there a orange cone on the bottom of that pool, LOL.

[mariagaytan]

nice front flip I like that 😀😀😀😀😄😄😃😃☺😊😉

[aSmjUiCe]

*Warning:* Practicing this will cause a lot of headaches. Atleast for me.

[pampigwo]

this is so hard for me... I still can't do the flip turn !

[Solfeggio]

Not sure I agree with the supposed benefit here. Holding the air longer during the flip turn just means you now have CO2 to expel during and after the dolphin kick. Holding on to that CO2 has no benefit. It's not like holding on to that air equates to a longer phase of Oxygen absorption into the bloodstream resulting in a better dolphin kick. This is one of those things that some swim coaches think apply uniformly to most or all students, but it is HIGHLY dependent on aerobic capacity of the individual. Instead of having swimmers slow their exhale like this during the flip, it is probably better to have them work on breathing drills in general to increase aerobic capacity over time.

[animalartistartworld]

Iam forgeting to do that streamline after my flip turn but I will work on it 😃 👍

[forgottenone]

LOL, if I exhale only moderately during a flip turn, water slips into my

[dontreadmyname]

When i first did this i bump my head on the wall