The Importance of Correct Turn Technique in Swimming

All over the country from Emily Overholt of Canada and Thiago Periera of Brazil at the Pan Am Games in Toronto to the WRASA BCSSA swim meet at the Fleetwood Pool, and the CBSC meet in crescent beach, athletes were engaged in non simultaneous touch of the wall in their turns the past week.

So, with our own Cloverdale/Surrey meet just a few days away, I want make sure that in addition to clocking best times and giving it your all ……..that you approach your race with a laser focus on correct technique too!

We will go over this in practice as we move into the last few meets of the year so it becomes second nature. When not in the water you might watch our Canadian athletes swimming on you tube, you can even read the BCSSA rules if that helps. The rules state:

Breast Stroke and Butterfly: “Separation of hands in butterfly and breaststroke, the touch in both strokes must be made with both hands simultaneous.”

In backstroke there are 2 ways to turn, the first is to touch the wall with 1 hand while on your back, turn around, and push off on your back. The second way is to flip on to your front, and flip immediately with a continuous motion, and then push off on your back. I recommend that swimmers push off 2-3 feet deep and do 8-10 worm kicks on their back while blowing bubbles.

In front crawl or freestyle I recommend a flip turn with 8-10 underwater dolphin kicks in streamline, any turn is legal as long as the wall is touched.

It was so much fun to watch everyone swimming last weekend at WRASA and I know the best is yet to come. Go Sea Lions Go!