How to make a swerve in the pool in just 5 steps?
Learning to make turns will lead to a consistent improvement in your swimming rhythm.
If you train in a pool, learning to do turns will lead to a consistent improvement in your swimming pace. We'll show you how to do them and incorporate them into your training in 5 steps.
First step: flip
The first thing you need to know is how to do a somersault . If this isn't yet within your repertoire, you can practice by placing a lap rope or a pool noodle on your hip and rotating on it.
You must do it as fast as possible and keeping the hip and knee angles as close as possible (grouped position).
Second step: flipping on the wall
Once you know how to do a somersault, let's link it to swimming. At a distance of approximately 7 meters from the wall, start swimming and just when your head is above the T at the bottom, take 2-3 strokes (depending on your personal technique) and perform a somersault while maintaining a tucked position.
Third step: turn and push
To the previous step, we'll add the contact of your feet with the wall. Once you finish the tucked turn on your transverse axis (hip), place both feet on the wall, approximately where the T is usually drawn, and with a slight orientation towards the side you're going to push off from.
Keep your grouped position of hip and knees until you make the impulse on the wall. Your arms should be stretched out in front of your head with this one between them and your hands overlapping, before you push yourself.
Fourth step: underwater phase
To make your turn as efficient as possible, after pushing off the wall, try to take advantage of the inertia for a couple of seconds while maintaining a good hydrodynamic position (arms stretched out in front of the head with hands overlapping, active abdomen, legs together and stretched out).
After those few seconds, perform a couple of powerful butterfly kicks and begin the crawl kick before starting the arm movement. If you can, avoid breathing on the first stroke.
Step five: automate your technique
Once you manage to perform all the previous steps, you will probably notice greater fatigue if you turn throughout the training , or even that you swim at a slower pace than when you didn't do them, but it's about automating it.
Therefore, we recommend that you start including it in the warm-up and exercises at comfortable rhythms and later in the sets, first alternately and later in all sets.
Little by little you will see the progress and feel the fluidity in the swimming rhythm with respect to the stops when touching the wall on each length.
Even if your competition destination is the open waters, do not miss the opportunity to improve your rhythms thanks to the turns during the training
Laura García Cervantes
Dra. Science of Physical Activity and Sport
Club Trikatlón Tres Cantos Sports Director
Triathlon and Swimming Senior Trainer
Paratriathlon Specialist Trainer
