Swimming race etiquette in a pool.
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Carlos Mx posted 7 weeks ago.
My first triathlon was a sprint with 400 m swum in a 25 m pool. I am a reasonably good swimmer and had raced a few times in open water before. I usually do flip turns at the pool, but I was told that they were illegal in that race. In the end, that was not the problem. The bad part was swimming with 20 + people in the same lane. I wouldn't have been able to do flip turns even if they were permitted.
Just ask ahead if flip turns are legal, and also, how many people will be swimming in each lane. Flip turns make your swim faster, and you get to rest your arms and legs for a fraction of a second every lap.
However be prepared to fight for your space in the swimming pool.
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644 days
Ironmom posted 7 weeks ago.
Most pool-swim tris I have done have allowed flip turns. That being said, they're often not easy to execute in a lane with 5 - 8 other people, so often a touch turn is just as effective in a pool tri, especially if you are new to flip turns. I usually use a combination of flip turns when I have a clear shot at the wall, and touch turns when it is congested or I'm passing someone.
Additionally, I'll note that flip turns are not usually a speed advantage unless you are averaging around 1:40 per 100 yards or faster. Below that speed, most people do more of a somersault than a true flip turn and you actually bleed off speed instead of gain it. Slower than 1:40, I tend to recommend an open-wall turn (touch turn) because you aren't saving any time with the flip turn and you get the extra breath with the touch turn. Also, some folks find that they move their arms around during a flip turn to help them get over - another sign that you're probably moving too slow to execute a true flip. If your legs don't go over without assistance from your arms, you're also better off doing a wall turn until either your speed increases or your flips get smooth enough to pull your arms down to your sides and then shoot them straight forward.
Blue Skies, -Robin-
http://ironmom.blogspot.com/
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86 days
Tri_it_out posted 7 weeks ago.
I agree with Ironmom, I don't think you need to worry about the flipturn so much as the bulk of the swim leg and all the other racers around you. As a swimmer before a tri'er I have found that when you're dead tired your flipturns do really slow you down because you don't get anything out of them. However, when training you should make every turn a flip and this will get you more confident with them as well as improve your lung capacity and breathing. Practice hard for the swim and as you improve your stroke the turn will just come with it.
A great swim is a good start to a great tri.
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xc800runner posted 7 weeks ago.
Ironmom wrote:
some folks find that they move their arms around during a flip turn to help them get over - another sign that you're probably moving too slow to execute a true flip. If your legs don't go over without assistance from your arms, you're also better off doing a wall turn until either your speed increases or your flips get smooth enough to pull your arms down to your sides and then shoot them straight forward.
Not necessarily. When I flip, I actually throw my hands up and back behind my head. This assists in gaining extra force into the wall for your legs, giving you that snap everyone wants to achieve. Also, it positions your hands out in front of you before coming off the wall, thus more efficiently streamlining your body for the subsequent push and kick. I dropped on average .3 sec off my 50 yd free time--22.2 to 21.9--when I figured this out (so multiply this by 11 for your 300 yd swim and you get a 3.5 sec gain at least).
That said, in crowded pool swims, I'll usually do an open turn as I have them down to be faster than most people's flips.
917
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259 days
TriSooner posted 7 weeks ago.
Since you asked about etiquette, I think as long as you don't flip turn and slam into someone during the push-off, you are OK. If you can do a legit flip turn, keep it up. I don't/can't.
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cutiger95 posted 7 weeks ago.
Actually the flip is my only natural pool motion. My coach told me he wished his was as tight and precise. guess all those years of simply spinning in the pool as a kid paid off in something.
Just a note, my 50 time is about 55 secs. With the flip it drops to about 50 secs. As I get faster it may not matter as much by over 6 laps for the 300 it would give me almost a 30 second advantage.
Then again I am just hoping to finish this one so I may simply flip for training and then move to a touch for the race.
917
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259 days
TriSooner posted 7 weeks ago.
cutiger95 wrote:
I don't understand why you would go to a touch when you just wrote that your flip turn is faster. Go with what is faster.
Then again I am just hoping to finish this one so I may simply flip for training and then move to a touch for the race.
97
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114 days
cutiger95 posted 6 weeks ago.
Problem with my flip is that I am afraid of what is behind me in the pool. The race is a staggered start with 15 secs., everyone lists their expected times. Worried about crashing into the person behind me if they are faster or having to negotiate under the person in front of me if they are slower. Whole swimming thing is foreign to me especially a pool race with reverse clock direction in the lanes.
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125 days
azmojo804 posted 6 weeks ago.
I'd say that if you just passed someone, then come to the wall, grab then push off. If you pass someone at the beginning of the lane, then flip. If in a big group when at the wall, grab and push off. Do what's safe, but try to do your flips when you feel comfortable doing them.
One of the last races I did, had a 300m swim like you'll have. I think I did the spin on about 6 of the 11 walls that I had to touch. The others, I grabbed and then pushed off. It sucked too, but I actually had to hold onto the wall for a sec before pushing off a couple of times. I was closing in on people and would have definitely ran into them on a push off...so, just passed them as quick as I could there.
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nfl posted 2 weeks ago.
I think it is customary to tap the foot in front of you to let them know you are passing. When you are getting ready to make your turn cross over the line to do your flip turn. You can do this only if you are coming up to an "empty" wall. Also when you enter your seed time, don't put in an even number. I entered 6:00 for a seed time and found out that 40 people in front of me put in 6:00 and 40 people behind me put in 6:00. After that I put in 5:59. That way I was in front of the 6:00 crowd. :)
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114 days
cutiger95 posted 1 week ago.
Thanks for the advice. The foot tapping is a good suggestion so that I don't knock heads with the person trying to pass at the wall fi they don't know that i am there.
Alright, here is the question. I have swimming helper - he is a swimmer and has done significant distances. During my miraculous 300 m this week he taught me to flip turn.
Now the question that i have. The Tri guy in the next lane that I see every week simply swims the length of the pool touches the wall, takes a nice big breath and then starts swimming back down the lane.
Me on half of my 300 I flipped and pushed, on the other 1/2 I executed said touch and go as I was getting tired and a little unsure of the distance to the wall.
My question is should I continue to practice my flip and is it legal in a pool race. Last but not least is there an advantage or disadvantage to each method of swimming?
The flip makes me look like a real swimmer, or at least I think it does amongst my flailing stroke. But it also shortens the pool as I am curled and get a tremendous push off the wall.