Mastering the freestyle flip turn is crucial for improving your swimming abilities. It enables you to smoothly transition at the wall and maintain a steady swimming rhythm without interruptions.

In freestyle and backstroke, make sure to do a full somersault at the wall before pushing off in a streamline position. In breaststroke, the equivalent is called an Open Turn. You can learn more about open turns here.

Doing a flip turn is beneficial because it’s quicker, more effective, and can improve your stamina. Mastering the flip turn technique will enhance your workout by eliminating unnecessary breaks when you stop or rest against the wall during laps.

Five Steps to Learn The Freestyle Flip Turn

1. Standing Somersault – lead with both your hands, then one hand. Try to do an entire flip out of the water and try to flip in a tight ball

2. Horizontal Somersault – Use your leading arm to pull yourself into the flip and carry your momentum as you tuck into a small ball

3. Somersault at the wall – Flip at one arm’s length from the wall. Place your feet 6-12 inches under the surface of the water and ensure your body is fully aligned. Flip straight over, so you face looking up at the sky, with your feet on the wall.

4. Push off on your back – Ensure you have a stable foot placement and then push off on your back in a streamline position.

5. Rotate onto stomach – push off on your back in streamline and kick, using your core to return to your front side

You won’t become a flip turn expert overnight, but if you consistently practice this skill every time you swim, you’ll definitely see some major improvements. The more you work on it, the more your flip turns will improve.

Here are some videos that you may find useful in learning Freestyle flip turns:

Front Crawl Technique – Freestyle Flip Turn by Vladimir Morozov and Dave Salo | ProSwimwear

TYR – How To: Flip Turn (Tumble Turn)

Zoggs Swim Tips – Tumble Turns – Presented By ProSwimwear