Attention Swimmers! How do I do that roll thing at the end of a length?

[Hassled]

How do you know when to start rolling? I'm always convinced I'm going to bang my back.

How can I stop myself from ending up pointing sideways rather than back the way I came?

I have tried and tried and I JUST CAN'T DO IT and I really need to because I only have a few weeks left before the Swimathon- a friend convinced me to sign up and I have to be able to swim 100 lengths by then. Currently personal best is 66 by which stage I'm close to death, so I have a way to go.

Oh, there's a good set of videos on how to do really good flip turnshere. When to start the turn gets easier with practice. You can use the markings on the bottom of the pool (there's a 'T' and a few dots a standard distance from the wall in competition pools) as well as looking forwards to see the end. You can practise a forward roll near the edge to judge where is best to allow your feet to land on the wall with legs bent for a good push off, but when you are swimming in you start slightly further out and use your momentum to carry you forwards - to start with most people almost stop to do the turn, so almost the same place as for a standing start but as you get better you can gradually initiate it further out.

You are a star with a very pertinent name - many thanks .

good luck with the swimathon!

Ver difficult to describe. Videos sound like a good idea. I would say that speed is a crucial factor. If you slow right down you will get stuck half way over (not very elegant ). The speed will carry you through! Good luck.

I will be watching this thread with interest as I'd really like to learn (I think they're called tumble turns). I LOVE swimming and go about 6 times a week (I work next to a pool) and think I'd be a lot faster if I could master it. I've tried doing forward rolls but just end up with my bum in the air like a duck looking stupid. I think there are some videos on the bbc sport website with an animation - didn't really help me but might be worth a look.

yes you have to just be really brave and do it, try not to get water up your nose. (although is many years since i did one, i swim backstroke, where the turns are quite different).

well done hassled, how long is 66 taking you? 60 is about my max, about 35 mins (but front crawl is faster than backstroke).

do you really have to do 100 lengths in one go for swimathon? not a very inclusive event.

It's not exactly a forward roll. It's slightly on the diagonal. "Bum in air" is quite common! Like everything, it takes practice, so find a time when the pool is very quiet!

fishie you are showing your age - modern backstroke turns are the same as frontcrawl ones (except you start by turning onto your front and don't roll back onto your front at the end).

There's a range of distances you can sign up to for for the swimathon these days and you can always enter a team splitting the distance how you like between the members.

I tend to reach out with right hand then, instead of touching wall, point it down towards left foot and dip my right shoulder and follow it through - not sure this is very helpful!

To me it is a little bit like the break falls you learn in martial arts. This is forward roll that kind where you start with right shoulder going onto floor (chin tucked down) and roll onto left shoulder.

up in despair hopefully a proper swimming teacher will come along soon....

I'm a qualified swim teacher fondant - I think the videos explain it more easily than trying to describe it. They develop it stage by stage quite well, but starting with arms back which gives optimum streamlining. Some people do find it easier to pull one arm across as you describe, but the best swimmers these days tend not to.

Thank you everyone - I just need to get to the pool when it is more or less deserted so I can practice without embarrassment!

My 66 lengths take about 40-45 minutes, but I'm trying to add a couple lengths each time I go. It's a far more pleasurable experience since my lovely DH bought me a waterproof armband-case and headphones for my ipod .

snorkle i can't make those videos work, will try on another computer later. have i really got to do it? is everyone pointing at me being all old fashioned? i rather enjoy not having to wear goggles and hat won't i drown if i try without?

fishie, I'm sorry, the links worked about a month ago, but here's the direct links from the go swim website...

flip turn step #1

flip turn step #2

flip turn step #3

flip turn step #4

flip turn step #5

You absolutely do not have to do these turns. You rarely see them done outside clubs imo and I am even a bit worried that Hassled might find the lanes too crowded in the swimathon, they can be awkward if people are stopped at the ends, which would be a shame.

Go swim also do a set of videos on doing a fast touch turn (they call it open turn), the first is currently on this page Dated Jan 18th, so you should be able to find it if it moves and the others follow shortly after.

I used to swim with a club. I never got the hang of these turns. Several other members never did them either. They take a lot of practise to be good at them and if you've only a few weeks left before the swimathon I'd put the work into the lengths. These turns look good at swimming competitions as the people doing them have probably been doing about 200 each swim session umpteen times a week for several years!

If anyone else is in the lane with you and not doing them, this will make it more difficult if they are around the end of the pool.

I would join a club (most have a 'masters' for mature people), and ask the coach to show you, then practise for next years swimathon.

Some one taught me and that made it easy. Is there anyone you could get in the pool with you who can teach? Basically he made me do a forward roll about a metre from the side. (In shallow end). Practice that a bit, then move closer to the side and do forward roll and just place your feet on the side but don't push off. Keep doing this for a while, then push off gently, but keep it controlled so that you don't head off wildly in the wrong direction. When you can do this you can speed it up and do it from swimming from a few paces away.

I got quite good, though I always had a moments trepidation as I approached the end that it was all going to go wrong! Very satisfying though.

(Can't do them now as my hip is too stiff to curl up )

Those 5 step links were excellent, thanks - just seeing people do it from underwater helped it make more sense.

The problem of lane congestion and people being in the way hadn't actually occurred to me but you're right, it will be a problem. Maybe I'll just focus on not drowning for this year .

Second FJ that now may not be the time to do them. If you're not that used to them they may take up more energy than necessary.

I agree, I'd concentrate on getting your stamina up rather than learning to tumble turn (if they're still called that ). They can take a lot out of you as you're holding your breath to tumble and swim out of the turn.

Good luck with the swim!

they are still called tumble turns! I think 'flip turn' is an americanism. Agree that it might be a stretch to learn and use them succesfully for the swimathon - you need to do some training with them to not get exhausted. But don't give up on them as a long term objective - they have excellent pose value and are quite satisfying to do!