Turns and landings

The Turn: Continuity in Crawl and Backstroke

Turns are opportunities to gain speed or lose it disastrously. In Crawl and Backstroke, the flip turn is used.

The technical key is the aggressive approach to the wall; the swimmer should not decelerate, but use his speed to generate a fast rotation.

It involves grouping the body into a compact ball (tuck), somatically turning and planting the feet on the wall with the knees bent, ready for an explosive push in a supine or lateral position.

Tumble turn practice helps minimize the time the swimmer spends on the wall by teaching the turn away from the wall so the legs have room for the springy push.

The open turn: Butterfly and Breaststroke Precision

For the Butterfly and Breaststroke strokes, the rules require a simultaneous two-hand touch. This requires an open turn.

The technique involves touching the wall with both hands, absorbing the impact by bending the elbows and turning the body to one side while bringing the knees to the chest.

One arm is thrown above the water while the other pushes under the water to rotate the body.

The (touch and go drills) are essential to optimize this movement, ensuring that the swimmer does not "hang" on the wall resting, but transforms the touch into an immediate and explosive rebound.

Post-turn breathing discipline

A universal principle in all high-level turns is breathing discipline.

When pushing off the wall, the swimmer travels at a speed greater than his or her normal swimming speed.

Breathing immediately after exiting the turn breaks the hydrodynamic position and slows that free momentum.

The coach should instill the rule of "no breathing on the first stroke" after the turn (and preferably not inside the flags).

This keeps the head low and the alignment perfect during the critical transit