Feature simple open turn: the head does not completely plunge into the water during a turn, the cheek slides along the surface in the direction of the turn, and at this time the swimmer takes a breath. This is a simple twist, accessible to beginners.

Consider left when swimming front crawl:

• The swimmer swims up to the wall with his right arm extended forward, and touches the wall with his palm at the surface of the water opposite his left shoulder. The right arm bends at the elbow and shoulder joint, and the left arm, having completed the stroke, is located along the body. At this moment, the legs begin to bend at the joints and exhale.
• Rotation: Leaning against the wall with his right bent arm, the swimmer makes a rowing movement with his left arm, for which he bends it at the elbow joint and directs it in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation towards the midline of the body. At the same time, the legs continue to bend at the knee and hip joints, and the swimmer assumes a loose tuck position. At the moment when the swimmer has turned to the left by approximately 90°, while continuing to lean against the wall with his right hand, he inhales, lifting his head out of the water and turning it to the right. Continuing the rotation, the swimmer places his feet on the wall at the same level as his body at a depth of 20-30 cm, and lowers his head into the water. At the same time, the left hand is extended forward, the right one joins it, the head is squeezed between the hands, the chin to the chest.
• Repulsion: A push with the legs from the wall is performed with increasing effort by extending the legs at the hip, knee and ankle joints.
• Slip: occurs at a depth of 40-50 cm at a slight angle to the surface of the water. The sliding depth can be adjusted by tilting the head and position of the hands. The sliding length can reach 6 m.
• When the speed of movement is equal to the speed of movement at a distance. Reaching the surface is accomplished through leg movements and hand strokes.

A simple open turn, using the technique described above, can be performed while swimming front crawl. Also a simple open turn is suitable when swimming way on the side(you should touch the wall of the pool with your “upper” hand).

Simple open turn when swimming breaststroke, dolphin (butterfly) is slightly different in technique, since according to the rules, when swimming up, it is necessary to touch the wall with both hands at the same time and at the same time maintain a horizontal position of the shoulders. Namely:

• Swimming up to the wall and touching: After the swimmer has swum to the wall and touched it with both hands, he bends his legs at the knee joints, and his arms at the elbows, and the torso approaches the wall.
• Rotation, pushing, sliding: The rotation begins in the direction of the hand that the swimmer first releases from the wall. Continue according to the described scheme.
• Beginning of swimming movements and reaching the surface: when swimming with breaststroke, the first stroke is performed with the hands, allowing the swimmer to rise to the surface, and when swimming as a dolphin, the legs begin to move, changing the direction of sliding, then the hands join in.

When swimming on the back a simple open turn is also performed. Before the hand touches the rotating shield, the swimmer has no right to turn over onto his chest. The direction of the turn is determined by the hand that first touches the wall of the pool (that is, if the right hand touched first, then the turn is performed to the right side and vice versa).

Let's consider simple open twist technique to the left when swimming back crawl:

• Swimming up to the wall and touching: The swimmer must touch the turning wall at the surface of the water with the left arm bent at the elbow and the palm turned to the left side of the turn. At this moment, the other hand, having completed the stroke, is at the hip.
• Rotation: The swimmer groups himself by strongly bending his legs at the knees and hips and moving them through the water through the left side towards the wall of the pool. The arms help rotate the body: the left hand rests strongly on the wall of the pool, and the right hand makes a rowing motion in the water. Continuing the rotation, the swimmer inhales, brings his right arm forward, removes his left support arm from the wall and brings it forward. The feet are placed on the wall parallel to each other at the width of the pelvis under the surface of the water. Hands join behind the head.
• Repulsion: A strong push with the legs ends with active movement in the ankle joints.
• Slip: The body glides at a depth of 30-40 cm.
• Beginning of swimming movements and reaching the surface: Swimming movements of the arms and legs begin simultaneously and provide lift to the surface.

The length of the pool varies from 50 meters (the so-called “long water”) to 25 meters (called “short water”), while sports distances can range from 50 m to one and a half kilometers, and during their passage athletes are required to perform turns at the walls swimming pool Proper use of the turning technique makes it possible to continue moving in the same rhythm and at the same time not waste time stopping and swim the required distance faster.

Swimming turns

Performing a turning maneuver will require competent calculation and rhythm of movements. The first step is a complete immersion under the water in front of the side (when using styles such as crawl, turn on the back, swimming on the chest) or touching with hands (dolphin, breaststroke) and continues until the start of the first cycle of ordinary movements. The rotation is divided into separate phases, which are combined into a single scheme.

Photo 1. Somersault turns in the water are convenient when changing swimming style

There is a certain phase structure and corresponding ways of turning:

• Turns in swimming are performed horizontally around a vertical axis.
  When performing a maneuver, the position of the body remains the same after completion. In the event that a swimmer approaches the side on the chest and makes a 180° horizontal turn, then before the push the person goes into a position on the chest.
• Turns in swimming are performed vertically around a horizontal axis.
  When performing a turn (vertically 180°), if the swimmer approaches the side while on his chest, the athlete will rotate around the longitudinal axis to reach the position of “lying on his chest”.
  It is common for athletes to use vertical turns, which are more difficult to perform and require sports practice to perform correctly. Such elements have a number of advantages, the main thing being the ability to group and minimize inertia. In this case, the time to perform a vertical rotation (from touch to push) will be 600-800 milliseconds.

Photo 2. When turning “Pendulum”, you need to keep your knees bent enough for a powerful push-off

Turns are classified according to the method of execution into open and closed. An element during which the athlete inhales during rotation will be called open. If the maneuver is performed by inhaling, and the body rotates with holding the breath and then exhaling, then this movement is a closed rotation.

The execution of a turn is divided into separate stages - touch (on approach), turn, push, sliding stage, beginning of strokes and subsequent exit to the surface.

Turns are traditionally used with techniques:

• Pendulum;
• Closed turn;
• Somersault with a turn;
• Open turn;
• From the side.

Photo 3. The “Pendulum” turn is not used when swimming on the back to avoid unnecessary actions.

Complex swimming turns - the use of turns from the “dolphin” to the backstroke method and from the breaststroke to the freestyle technique, similar in the method of movement to the “pendulum”. When you transition from backstroke to breaststroke, you turn somersault.

Table with types of turns in swimming

Technique of turns in swimming, method of execution

The approach to a turn requires “jewelry” calculation and rhythm of movements and is recommended for athletes. To make learning turns in swimming easy for beginners and athletes, adhere to strict techniques for performing turns in swimming. To perform the turn, immerse your head on the approach to the side (front and back crawl) or with your hands touching (depending on your style).

Correct swing of the pendulum in swimming

The key distinguishing feature of a pendulum-type turn is rotation in an inclined plane. Inhale during the movement. Let's consider the execution technique:

• As you approach the wall, you turn to the right side and touch the side with your right hand, keeping your hand level with the water. Bend your arm, and the body will move further by inertia.
• Place your right hand on the side and lift your head and shoulders above the water. Bend your knees and pull them towards the wall. Execute a stroke with your left hand to rotate your body. Straighten your right arm and inhale. Lift your straight right arm off the surface and rest your feet against the wall, bringing your left arm forward. Lifting your right hand from the wall, bring it above your head and connect it with your left. Finish with the body on the left side, legs in a bent position resting against the wall, arms straight forward, head between forearms.
• Push-off: intense movement of the legs ends with a vigorous straightening of the lower leg. During the push, rotate the body around the longitudinal axis to change the direction of movement. Hold your breath and push off.
• Sliding: performed while diving half a meter under water.
• Appearance on the surface and transition to rowing actions: intense and high-speed swings of the limbs will give you the opportunity to surface.

Photo 4. A forward somersault is performed with arms extended forward and folded together.

When swimming in freestyle, breaststroke or butterfly, the technique is different. When performing maneuvers, touch the sides of the pool with both hands, while keeping the shoulder girdle horizontal.

A pendulum-type turn can also be performed on its side. Touching the side with your hand from below, move to your side without turning over onto your chest.

The sliding and the stage of going up are similar to the corresponding phases of movement if the start occurs from a bedside table.

You might also be interested in:

Fast somersault turn in swimming

A somersault with a turn is a high-speed and technically difficult maneuver. The turn is used with a crawl at short distances.

The key feature of the element is that it is performed around the transverse axis of the body vertically.

The front crawl technique looks like this:

• 150 cm before the side, inhale and with the hand that is in front, perform half of the stroke, and extend the hand that remains behind along the body.
• Start by tilting your head down towards your chest, moving your shoulders down. Raise your pelvis. Push your legs bent at the knee joint forward above the surface and rest against the side, your hands contribute to rotation.
• Place your hands forward in the direction in which you are swimming and push off with a powerful movement of your legs into a supine position.
• As you slide, turn onto your side and then onto your chest.
• Reaching the surface is accomplished through leg movements and hand strokes.

Photo 5. Turning to face the surface allows you to gain maximum speed after pushing off with your feet

Turns when using the crawl technique

Turns when swimming crawl: “overhead somersault with a turn” or a pendulum turn in crawl require preliminary practice in training. Athletes, if they have the skills, do not push off from the side.

The technique of turning in freestyle swimming looks like this:

• As you approach the side, leave one arm extended near your hip. Perform a powerful long stroke with your other arm, and at the same time you turn on your side towards your arm, then move to your chest.
• Dip your head down to your chest, bend your body, perform a somersault while swimming forward, place your feet on the wall of the pool, throw your arms forward.
• Start moving your upper and lower limbs, due to this you will come to the surface.

Simple closed turns (also called flat turns)

Photo 6. Phase structure of performing a simple closed turn in swimming

A characteristic feature of this element is movement with the head submerged.

• Take a sharp breath through the right side, bring your right hand in the direction of movement, taking it out of the water, lower your head and touch the right side near your left shoulder. At the same time, make a flat stroke with your left hand. Bend your right arm, immerse your head lower in the water; bend and pull your legs towards your chest, tilt your torso down with your shoulder girdle.
• Resting your right hand on the side, begin to rotate your body 180°, applying force with both hands (after finishing the stroke, turn your left hand with your palm towards the side and row in its direction). With your legs bent, place your feet on the side 15-20 cm under the water, stretching your left hand forward, place your right hand towards it, and hold your head with your forearms.
• Push off the side with a forceful extension of your legs.
• The slide begins half a meter under water at an angle to the surface. The degree of immersion is controlled by the position of the hands and the tilt of the head.

Simple closed chest twist

The main element in the back crawl technique. Before touching the side, the athlete does not move to the “chest” position. The direction of movement is determined by the hand that first comes into contact with the side.

• Swimming up to the side, inhale and touch it with your left hand, parallel to your right shoulder.
• Throw your head back, bend your legs, keep your pelvis near the surface, and swing your legs out onto the side over the left side. Push off the wall with your left hand and bring your right hand forward. Place your feet with your feet on the side in the same place where your left hand touched.
• Make a powerful movement with your legs, ending with a vigorous movement at the shin.
• The body is located at a depth of up to 35 cm.
• Start moving your limbs to ensure your torso rises to the surface of the water.

They approach the turn without slowing down. Highly qualified athletes typically perform five consecutive cycles of movement without changing tempo.

Photo 8. The streamlined position of the hands ensures gliding in the water after rotation andpush

Simple open twist

A characteristic feature of the element is that the head does not go completely under the water, the cheek slides along the surface to allow the swimmer to take a breath.

Photo 9. A simple open turn with the face sliding along the surface of the water

The element execution algorithm looks like this:

• The athlete swims up to the side, extending his right arm, and touches his palm opposite his left shoulder. Bend your right arm at the elbow, and place your left arm along the body. You begin to bend your legs and exhale at this time.
• With your right bent arm, lean on the side, paddle with your left arm, bend it at the elbow and point it in the opposite direction to where you are rotating. Continue to bend your knees and tuck yourself together. As you turn 90° to the left, still leaning on the side with your right hand, inhale, lift your head out of the water and turn it to the right. Continuing the rotational movement, place your feet on the side at the same level as your body. Stretch your left hand forward, bring your right hand towards it, hold your head with your forearms, lower your chin and press it tightly to your chest.
• Push with force.
• Sliding occurs up to half a meter under water at an angle. The sliding depth is adjusted by tilting the head and position of the hands.
• Synchronized movements of the limbs will help the swimmer to surface.

Part 1. Approaching.

Considering the amount of time that can be gained or lost during a swim depending on the quality of the freestyle turn, it is surprising how little attention coaches pay to improving this critical part of the swim. and Natalie Coughlin view their turns as an opportunity to break away from their opponents, and not only work hard on them, but push off the wall at top speed while performing butterfly kicks in a super streamlined position.

There are four phases of turns in freestyle. And they are all very important. The first phase is approaching the wall. Two common mistakes that are made are: 1) sliding towards the wall and 2) looking up and lifting your head.

The density of water is so great, and the forces of frontal resistance put such pressure on the human body, that the moment we stop propelling ourselves forward with the help of our arms and legs, we immediately begin to slow down. Within tenths of a second after we begin sliding, our speed likely drops from 4 to 5 mph to less than 2 mph. At this speed, not only does it take us longer to reach the wall, but lifting our legs to turn and throw them across the surface of the water requires significantly more effort from the core muscles. When we slow down while sliding, the law of inertia does not apply. If we maintain speed while approaching the wall, our legs roll over the top with much less effort.

The problem caused by moving the head to look up near a wall while approaching is similar to sliding. Looking forward at the wall increases frontal drag forces and slows us down, whether we're sliding or not. This movement while approaching the wall also forces us to arch our back or raise or lower our buttocks. Essentially, this means that we are moving in the opposite direction of where we should be moving... - down. It also does not obey the law of inertia.

The fastest way to get to the wall for a turn is to use what is called a "blind" turn. What this means is: use the T mark on the bottom of the pool, and perhaps look slightly at the bottom of the wall where it meets the bottom of the pool, this is better than looking at the cross on the wall to determine the remaining distance to walls. When you make a turn, when looking at the "T" the head should not rise from a low position and should remain under water. At the same time, no sliding should be allowed towards the wall. You need to perform both strokes and strokes right up to the point where you start to fold.

The worst time to "try" a blind turn is during the competition itself. Practice turning daily, change the speed of approaching the wall. Your body and brain will soon know exactly where the wall is without having to look at it. After a short period of time, you will be quite comfortable turning using the T markings on the bottom of the pool, just like when looking at the cross on the wall. The only risk is that if you don't practice the turn in training and miss it during a competitive swim, all the potential gained will simply be lost.

Part 2. Somersault.

Three typical mistakes that are made during a turn or the somersault itself are the following: 1) weak pulling of the legs and an insufficiently dense “ball”; 2) attempting to rotate the body during the turn itself; and 3) swimmers not keeping their arms straight above their heads as their legs roll over the top.

The larger the ball we make during a freestyle turn (larger radius), the longer we make the turn itself. Just like a diver moving from a tucked position to a flexed position, our bodies are not able to immediately transition into a flexed position. Therefore, we need to put more effort into the core muscles and force ourselves to move into a tuck. This reduces the turnaround time by tenths of seconds.

The easiest way to get into a tuck is to pull your knees as close to your chest as possible as your legs pass over the top. You don't need anything more to do this, but you will spin significantly faster and get your feet on the wall faster.

The second mistake is trying to turn your body (from back to stomach, translator's note) at the moment when your feet and legs pass through the surface of the water. The fastest way to get your feet on the wall is in an "over the top" path, with your toes pointing toward the surface of the water. When your feet touch the wall, your toes should point straight up to the sky, not to the sides. In fact, the body rotation itself can be performed already in the underwater phase in a streamlined position after pushing off from the wall, without punishing yourself with loss of time or meters.

Well, one last thing, many swimmers bend their elbows in an arms-back position as their legs roll over the top. This is done so that the legs rotate faster and easier. The problem is that when your feet touch the wall and your arms are bent at the elbows above your head, you have two options. You can either delay the push from the wall until your arms return to a streamlined position. Or you can push off from the wall in this non-streamlined position and straighten your arms after you push off from the wall. In any case, you will waste time.

The best way is to keep your arms straight during the push-off phase and keep your palms together. In this position, you will push off the wall without hesitation and assume a collected, streamlined position, which will give you higher speed. You need more strength in your core than in your arms to perform this turn, but it's worth it.

Turn in crawl. Part 3. Repulsion.

You can gain or lose more time during your push off the wall and into your takeoff than any other part of the turn. The reason is that this is the phase where you can take advantage of strong and well-executed dolphin kicks combined with a long, streamlined body position. Therefore, the number of dolphin kicks that a swimmer performs underwater after pushing off from the wall, if any, is determined by the force and speed of the kick and the distance of the swim.
Some of the most common mistakes made during this turning phase are:
1) insufficiently necessary body rotation speed,
2) starting the dolphin kick too early or too late,
3) kick with legs too bent at the knees,
4) complete absence or insufficiently dense streamlined body position and
5) repulsion is not in a straight line.

The speed of rotation of the body during repulsion from the wall should be smooth and constant, and not fast, jerky or delayed. Your body may immediately begin to rotate with the start of the first dolphin kick, at which time the swimmer should be on his side, not on his back. While there are some coaches who strongly recommend (sprinters) stay on their side for a few kicks, I prefer to see swimmers turn onto their belly no matter how many kicks they take before takeoff. For those swimmers who cannot yet kick quickly, this means doing two dolphin kicks or more: one on the side and one on the stomach. I do not believe that a swimmer can perform faster strokes on his side than on his stomach while underwater. Most swimmers take their first stroke not so much too early, but too late. In the space of one second, a swimmer's speed drops from 8 mph from the moment his toes leave the wall to less than 3 mph, even though he is in the tightest streamline position. Even if you delay your initial kicking motion and slow down too much, you will still not fall under the immutable law of inertia. It's just going to take too much energy to get your speed back. Although kicking is the source of propulsion, bending the knees too much to initiate the kick creates a greater problem with frontal resistance. Any potential strength benefits you could gain by bending your knees too much are lost, slowing you down and moving you toward poor leg position. Therefore, swimmers need to learn to perform a dolphin kick from the hips rather than from the knees. They should also learn to do these kicks in both directions: up and down or side to side, depending on the situation. The pressure or force in the water must be maintained with the feet throughout the entire time in order to maintain the speed gained from the impact. Dolphin kicks need to be done quickly, relatively compactly and equally powerful. Not all trainers agree on how to create the best streamlined body position, but I think Michael Phelps probably knows for sure. Keep your chin tucked to your chest, hands behind your head (not close to your ears), elbows tucked together, wrist over wrist with fingers straight, and most importantly, shoulders pushed forward as much as possible. This is an anatomically quite complex position and not very comfortable, but it is worth it. Doing all four of these movements at the same time will give you the lowest drag coefficient your body can achieve in the water. And finally, pushing off the wall in a straight line. If you push off to depth or upward to the surface, or along a curved path, then nothing else will matter anymore. When it comes to resistance, then the water is merciless.

Part 4. Breakaway.

Nothing is more frustrating for a coach than to see a swimmer who has started and executed a tumbling turn almost flawlessly only to lose it all in the take-off phase. It's very easy to make mistakes in the takeoff because all the swimmer can think about is getting that next breath of air.

Two common mistakes that are made during takeoff are: 1) lifting the head and 2) losing a streamlined body position.

It is important to resist the strong temptation to look up and see where the surface of the water is at the moment before you take off. Once you do this, you will begin to slow down. Just trust that the surface is there somewhere and that when you begin the first stroke, your hand will find the surface. If you push off from the wall in a straight line, then there should be no problem. The best thing you can do with your head is to keep it with your chin tucked into your chest in the same position as it was in the streamline position. If you are swimming less than 200m, you should never take a breath on the first stroke. Keeping your chin tucked will allow you to explode forward rather than upward during the takeoff phase.

Second, don't fold or move out of your streamlined position. The moment you begin the catch phase, push your opposite arm forward as if you were finishing against a wall. Many swimmers tend to bend their elbows at the beginning of the one-arm catch phase. Losing your streamline position will be a big reason why you slow down. Instead, extend your lead arm straight forward, maintaining a straight line, transition from a dolphin kick to a freestyle kick to maintain your speed, and you'll take off like a champ.

To sum it all up, using the recommended tactics I've given you for the approach, roll, wall push and take off phases, coupled with continually improving your dolphin kick, will ensure that you're on top of the curve when it comes to cornering. Now go and practice your turns.

We thank Andrey Ermin, Kazan, instructor in the TI system and methodology, for the material provided.

1) touch the turning board in accordance with the rules governing the finishing technique in which he completes this stage;

2) perform a slide underwater after a turn and reach the surface in accordance with the rules governing the swimming technique in the manner in which he begins the next stage.

Below are the features of turns during transition:

from the butterfly style to the backstroke method;

from backstroke to breaststroke;

from breaststroke to freestyle.

The swimmer's goal when performing turns when transitioning from one swimming method to another is to perform a turn in the shortest possible time and continue swimming along the distance at the optimal competitive pace and rhythm in the next method.

General requirements for making turns

When making turns you must:

Maintain a possibly higher swimming speed in the last 5 m before the turntable;

Use the inertia of the swimmer's body against the wall of the pool to rotate during the turn;

Use the minimum radius of rotation (group, keep your legs bent together, do not lower your pelvis too deeply);

Perform precise placement of your feet on the backboard with the soles of both feet at the same time; do not twist your feet when pushing away from the shield;

Perform a small and quick squat before a powerful push-off (in order to use elastic muscle stretching forces at the very beginning of pushing off the shield with your feet);

By the time you place your feet on the shield, point both hands forward under water, hide your head between your hands; while pushing off the backboard with your feet, fix your pelvis and torso; avoid bending of the torso and oscillations of the pelvis; increase the force of repulsion from the shield with a final sharp extension of the legs at the ankle joints;

When sliding after repulsion, give the body a streamlined position; stretch your arms forward as far as possible (keep your hands together), covering your head and torso with your hands from the oncoming flow of water;

When gliding underwater, it is under a wave moving onto a rotating shield along the surface following the swimmer;

Control the depth and speed of sliding, accurately determine the moment to begin stroke movements under water in order to reach the surface;

Maintain the smallest angle of attack of the body when reaching the surface.

When transitioning from the butterfly style to the backstroke method, a pendulum rotation is used, in which rotation occurs in a lateral plane slightly inclined to the vertical. During rotation, the swimmer's pelvis and bent legs move towards the wall of the pool under water, the head and shoulder girdle move in the opposite direction above the water surface.

The athlete swims up to the turning wall of the pool in such a way that the last kick falls on the arms fully extended forward directly in front of the turning board. At this time he must:

1) it is good to see the rotary shield and accurately calculate the last stroke movements;

2) do not reduce swimming speed in front of the shield;

3) after kicking, slide onto the shield at high speed, in a well-streamlined and horizontal position.

After touching the wall of the pool with his hands, the swimmer for a moment continues to approach the rotating shield by inertia and slightly bends his arms at the elbow joints. (Avoid early pushing away from the wall with your hands!). Then he groups, bending his legs at the knee and hip joints, and begins to rotate in the lateral plane.

The head and shoulder girdle rise out of the water; hands push off from the shield and move in the opposite direction from the wall: one under water, the other above water. (At this time, inhale.) The pelvis and bent legs accelerate towards the wall. (Keep your legs together! Do not lower your pelvis and legs down!)

The rotation is completed by accurately placing both feet on the shield at the same time. By this time, the swimmer is in a position on his back, his torso is horizontal, his arms are directed forward (hands together), his head is between his arms.

After a slight elastic sit-down (at the moment the legs touch the shield), the athlete performs a sharp and strong push-off with the legs. At this time he needs:

1) hold your back and pelvis rigidly to transfer push-off forces to your torso (avoid moving your pelvis and arching your back!);

3) observe the horizontal direction of movement of the body, avoid excessively deep or shallow sliding.

The push-off is completed at the moment the feet lift off the wall. You should slide underwater.

At this time, the swimmer needs to:

1) keep your arms stretched forward as far as possible, optimally tense and with your hands tightly connected; cover your head and torso with your hands from the oncoming flow of water; create as little resistance to sliding forward as possible;

2) perform several active dolphin-like (or rabbit-like) movements with the legs on the back, maintaining a high speed of forward movement;

3) at the end of the slide, switch to alternating movements of the legs with the crawl (if before this he performed dolphin-shaped kicks), direct the body to the surface of the water;

4) control the distance to the surface - it should be such that with the first hand stroke you can bring the face and shoulder girdle to the surface.
Transition from backstroke to breaststroke

When moving from the backstroke to the breaststroke, several twist options are used. One of them is turning with a pendulum. It is simple, economical and perhaps most effective. Compared to others, in this turn there are no difficulties with orientation, rotation, inhalation, precise placement of the feet with the feet on the wall, and motor switching from one method to another.

Swimming up to the turntable on his back, the swimmer orients himself, performs the last stroke and touches the turntable with his outstretched arm approximately at water level.

After touching, he groups himself (bends his legs at the same time at the knee and hip joints) and, pushing off the shield with his hand, begins to rotate his torso away from the shield. The upper part of the body rises above the surface of the water, one hand moves from the shield under water, the other above the water; inhalation is performed. The rotation ends with placing your feet on the backboard.

As with other pendulum turns, the swimmer must keep his feet together during the rotation and ensure that the pelvis does not sink too far down and slow down towards the backboard. At the end of the rotation, it is necessary to accurately and simultaneously place both legs with the feet on the shield for a confident and strong push-off.

After placing the feet on the backboard, the swimmer finds himself in a position on his side, his legs are slightly bent at the knees, both feet rest securely on the rotating backboard; The arms are slightly bent at the elbows, extended forward, the hands are tightly connected, the head is between the hands.

Immediately after the feet touch the wall of the pool and a slight elastic squat, a push-off is performed. When pushing off the backboard with the legs, the arms are extended forward, the head is hidden between the arms, the torso is rotated relative to the longitudinal axis, and the swimmer assumes a horizontal and streamlined position on the chest. This is followed by sliding under water.

During a short-term slide, the swimmer controls the horizontal direction of movement of the body, avoiding too deep or too shallow movement under water. He then performs a long stroke with his arms up to his hips. A short second slide follows with your hands along your hips.

After this, the arms are brought forward and the legs are pulled up to push the legs with breaststroke in order to reach the surface.
Transition from breaststroke to freestyle

The athlete will float onto the rotating backboard at high speed and in such a way that, after completing the last push-off with his legs, he can immediately touch the backboard with his hands.

After touching the shield, the athlete groups himself and, pushing off the shield with his hands, begins to rotate his body with a pendulum away from the shield. During rotation, the upper body rises slightly above the surface of the water, one arm moves from the shield under water, the other above the water. The swimmer inhales. The rotation ends with placing the feet on the rotating board.

During the rotation, the swimmer should: 1) keep his legs together and make sure that the pelvis does not sink deep down and does not slow down its movement towards the turning board; 2) complete the inhalation and immersion of the swing arm into the water by the time you place your feet on the backboard.

After the feet touch the shield, repulsion is performed; arms stretch forward, head hides between hands; the torso begins to rotate relative to the longitudinal axis to adopt a horizontal and streamlined position on the chest.

Basic settings for the repulsion phase from the shield:

1) after a slight elastic sit-down, at the moment your feet touch the shield, perform a sharp push-off with your feet;

2) complete the working movements of the legs with an explosive push off with the feet;

3) during repulsion, keep your back and pelvis rigid to transfer the repulsion forces to the torso (avoid oscillations of the pelvis and arching of the back);

4) perform a slight rotation of the shoulder girdle relative to the longitudinal axis of the body to transition to a position on the chest while sliding;

5) fully extend your arms forward, squeeze your head between your hands and take a horizontal and streamlined position for gliding;

6) perform all repulsions while holding your breath;

7) observe the horizontal direction of movement of the body when pushing off, avoid sliding too deep or too shallow under water.

This is followed by sliding underwater at high speed. The swimmer's body, remaining elongated and streamlined, completes the turn to the chest position. To maintain a high gliding speed, the swimmer performs several kicks (dolphin or crawl), and then switches to crawl kicks.

Basic settings for the sliding phase:

1) keep your arms extended forward, optimally tense and with your hands tightly connected; cover your head and torso with your hands from the oncoming flow of water;

2) with active dolphin-like kicks to maintain a high speed of sliding under water; at the end of the slide, switch to crawl movements with your legs, if you previously performed dolphin-like movements;

3) adjust the depth so that at the end of the slide, with one crawl stroke you can completely reach the surface of the water.

The length of the swimming pool is 50 meters (long water), but more often 25 meters (short water), and swimming distances range from 50 to 1500 meters. Therefore, swimmers have to perform turns at the pool wall many times. A technically correctly executed turn allows you to continue moving along the distance with the rhythm and pace chosen before the turn, as well as save energy.

The turning section of the distance is taken to be 7.5 m before and 7.5 m after the turning wall. The actual turn begins with the head diving under the water immediately in front of the pool wall (front and back crawl) or hands touching (dolphin, breaststroke) and continues until the start of the first cycle of normal swimming movements on the surface of the water after the turn.

Types of turns in swimming

In sports practice, there are several types of turns:

• rotations, which are predominantly carried out in a horizontal plane around a vertical spatial axis.
  When performing such a turn, the position of the body after rotation, which was before the turn, is maintained. That is, if a swimmer swims to the wall of the pool on his chest and rotates 180 degrees in the horizontal plane, then before the push he will also be in a position on his chest.
  Such turns are much simpler, but more time is spent on their implementation.
• turns, which are predominantly carried out in a vertical plane around a horizontal spatial axis.
  When performing such a turn (rotation through 180 degrees in the vertical plane), if the swimmer swims to the wall of the pool on his chest, he will then need to perform an additional rotation around his longitudinal axis in order to assume a position on his chest.
  Professionals mainly use turns performed in the vertical plane. They are much more difficult; you cannot perform such a turn without preliminary training. But turns in the vertical plane have a number of advantages. The main thing is the ability to group tightly and reduce the moment of inertia to a minimum. The time a swimmer spends turning in a vertical plane (from the moment of touch to the push) is 0.6-0.8 seconds.

Turns can also be divided into open and closed. If inhalation is performed directly during rotation, then the rotation is called open. If the inhalation is done before the turn, and the rotation is performed with holding the breath and exhaling, then such a turn is called closed.

Performing a turn is conventionally divided into phases: swimming up to the wall and touching (or approaching), rotation, repulsion, sliding, beginning of swimming movements and reaching the surface.

When swimming with different styles, different types of turns are used (you can learn more about the technique of performing a specific turn by clicking on the link with its name in the table):

In complex swimming, moving from the dolphin method to the backstroke method and from the breaststroke method to the crawl method, turns are used that are similar in the structure of movements to the “pendulum” type turn. When transitioning from the backstroke to the breaststroke, a somersault turn can be used.

Simple (flat) closed swim turn

A characteristic feature of a simple closed turn: it is performed with the head submerged under water.

Let's look at the technique of performing a simple closed turn to the left when swimming front crawl:

• Swimming up to the wall and touching: The swimmer calculates the movement in such a way that, after inhaling to the right side, bring the right hand forward above the water, lower the head under the water and touch the wall of the pool opposite the left shoulder with the palm of the right hand facing downwards with the fingers facing downwards at a depth of 15-20 cm. At the same time, the left hand makes a stroke. The right arm is bent at the elbow, the head is immersed deeper into the water, the legs are vigorously bent and pulled towards the chest (while the pelvis is kept on the surface), the torso is tilted with the shoulders down.
• Rotation: Leaning with the right hand on the wall, the swimmer rotates the body counterclockwise (to the left) 180°, creating a force with both hands (having completed the stroke, the left hand turns with the palm facing the wall and rows towards the wall). The feet of the bent legs are placed on the wall at a depth of 15-20 cm, at the same time the left hand is extended forward, the right one joins it, the head is squeezed between the hands.

Simple closed turn when swimming front crawl

A closed turn is faster than an open turn. This turn, according to the technique described above, can be performed when swimming front crawl. A simple closed turn is also suitable for swimming on your side. When swimming breaststroke, dolphin (butterfly), you must touch the wall with both hands at the same time.

A simple closed turn is one of the main ones when swimming backstroke. Before the hand touches the rotating shield, the swimmer has no right to turn over onto his chest. The direction of the turn is determined by the hand that first touches the wall of the pool (that is, if the right hand touched first, then the turn is performed to the right side and vice versa).

Let's briefly consider the technique of performing a simple closed turn to the left when swimming backstroke:

• Swimming up to the wall and touching: Swimming up to the wall of the pool, the swimmer inhales and touches it with his left palm, fingers facing down, at a shallow depth opposite the right shoulder.
• Rotation: The swimmer throws his head back under the water, vigorously bends his legs, keeping his pelvis at the surface of the water, and throws them out of the water through the left side with a swinging motion. Then the left hand pushes off the wall and, together with the right hand, is brought forward; the legs are placed with their feet on the wall almost in the same place where the left hand just touched it. The head is located between the outstretched arms.

Simple open swim turn

A characteristic feature of a simple open turn: the head is not completely immersed in the water during the turn, the cheek slides along the surface in the direction of the turn, and at this time the swimmer takes a breath. This is a simple twist, accessible to beginners.

Let's look at the technique of performing a simple open turn to the left when swimming front crawl:

• Swimming up to the wall and touching: The swimmer swims up to the wall with his right arm extended forward, and touches the wall with his palm at the surface of the water opposite the left shoulder. The right arm bends at the elbow and shoulder joint, and the left arm, having completed the stroke, is located along the body. At this moment, the legs begin to bend at the joints and exhale.
• Rotation: Leaning against the wall with his right bent arm, the swimmer makes a rowing movement with his left arm, for which he bends it at the elbow joint and directs it in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation towards the midline of the body. At the same time, the legs continue to bend at the knee and hip joints, and the swimmer assumes a loose tuck position. At the moment when the swimmer has turned to the left by approximately 90°, while continuing to lean against the wall with his right hand, he inhales, lifting his head out of the water and turning it to the right. Continuing the rotation, the swimmer places his feet on the wall at the same level as his body at a depth of 20-30 cm, and lowers his head into the water. At the same time, the left hand is extended forward, the right one joins it, the head is squeezed between the hands, the chin to the chest.
• Push-off: Pushing the legs away from the wall is performed with increasing effort by extending the legs at the hip, knee and ankle joints.
• Sliding: occurs at a depth of 40-50 cm at a slight angle to the surface of the water. The sliding depth can be adjusted by tilting the head and position of the hands. The sliding length can reach 6 m.
• Beginning of swimming movements and reaching the surface: When the speed of movement is equal to the speed of movement at a distance. Reaching the surface is accomplished through leg movements and hand strokes.

Simple open turn when swimming front crawl

A simple open turn, using the technique described above, can be performed when swimming front crawl. Also, a simple open turn is suitable when swimming on your side (you should touch the wall of the pool with your “upper” hand).

A simple open turn when swimming breaststroke, dolphin (butterfly) is slightly different in technique, since according to the rules it is necessary to touch the wall with both hands at the same time when swimming up and at the same time maintain a horizontal position of the shoulders. Namely:

• Swimming up to the wall and touching: After the swimmer has swam up to the wall and touched it with both hands, he bends his legs at the knee joints, and his arms at the elbows, and the torso approaches the wall.
• Rotation, push-off, sliding: The rotation begins in the direction of the hand that the swimmer first releases from the wall. Continue according to the described scheme.
• The beginning of swimming movements and reaching the surface: when swimming with breaststroke, the first stroke is performed with the hands, allowing the swimmer to rise to the surface, and when swimming as a dolphin, the legs begin to move, changing the direction of sliding, then the hands join in.

Simple open turn in breaststroke and dolphin swimming

When swimming on your back, a simple open turn is also performed. Before the hand touches the rotating shield, the swimmer has no right to turn over onto his chest. The direction of the turn is determined by the hand that first touches the wall of the pool (that is, if the right hand touched first, then the turn is performed to the right side and vice versa).

Let's look at the technique of performing a simple open turn to the left when swimming backstroke:

• Swimming up to the wall and touching: The swimmer must touch the turning wall at the surface of the water with the left arm bent at the elbow and the palm facing the left side of the turn. At this moment, the other hand, having completed the stroke, is at the hip.
• Rotation: The swimmer tucks in by strongly bending the legs at the knees and hips and propelling them through the water across the left side toward the wall of the pool. The arms help rotate the body: the left hand rests strongly on the wall of the pool, and the right hand makes a rowing motion in the water. Continuing the rotation, the swimmer inhales, brings his right arm forward, removes his left support arm from the wall and brings it forward. The feet are placed on the wall parallel to each other at the width of the pelvis under the surface of the water. Hands join behind the head.
• Push-off: A strong push with the legs ends with active movement in the ankle joints.
• Sliding: The body slides at a depth of 30-40 cm.
• Beginning of swimming movements and reaching the surface: Swimming movements of the arms and legs begin simultaneously and provide rise to the surface.

Simple open turn when swimming backstroke

Rotate the pendulum while swimming

A characteristic feature of a pendulum rotation: rotation in an inclined plane; during the rotation, the swimmer inhales.

This turn is widespread in the practice of sports swimming when swimming in the front crawl, breaststroke, dolphin and side stroke.

Let's look at the technique of turning the pendulum to the left when swimming front crawl:

• Swimming up to the wall and touching: Approaching the wall of the pool, the swimmer turns on his right side and touches the wall with his right hand, placing the hand on the surface or slightly higher (up to 15 cm above the surface of the water). Next, the arm bends at the elbow, and the body moves towards the wall by inertia. The legs begin to bend at the knees and hip joints.
• Rotation: performed in an inclined plane around the anterior-posterior axis of the body. The swimmer rests his right hand on the wall and lifts his head and shoulders out of the water. The legs, strongly bent at the knees, are pulled towards the wall. The left hand helps rotate the body by making a scooping motion. Then the right arm begins to straighten and inhales. When the right arm is fully straightened, the swimmer lifts it, places his feet on the wall, and brings his left arm forward. The right hand, breaking away from the wall, sweeps forward over the water and connects with the left. By the end of this phase, the body is on the left side, legs bent, standing on the wall, arms extended forward, head between the arms.
• Push-off: A strong push with the legs ends with vigorous extension of the ankle joints. During the push, the swimmer rotates around the longitudinal axis of the body in order to assume a position on the chest. The push-off is performed while holding your breath.
• Sliding: performed at a depth of 40-50 cm.
• Beginning of swimming movements and reaching the surface: When the speed of movement is equal to the speed of movement at a distance. Reaching the surface is accomplished through leg movements and hand strokes.

Rotate the pendulum when swimming front crawl

When swimming with the breaststroke and dolphin (butterfly) methods, when performing turns, the swimmer must touch the wall of the pool with both hands at the same time, while maintaining a horizontal position of the shoulders. A pendulum turn when swimming breaststroke and dolphin is somewhat different from the same turn in the front crawl:

• Swimming up to the wall and touching: At the moment of touching the wall with the hands, the swimmer’s body is positioned horizontally, legs and arms are extended, the head is between the hands, touching the wall is carried out with both hands. The swimmer groups up as above.
• Rotation: performed in the direction of the hand that first comes off the wall.
• Push-off and slide: During the push, the swimmer moves to the chest much faster than during the front crawl and performs a slide in this position.
• Beginning of swimming movements and reaching the surface: When swimming with breaststroke, the first stroke is performed with the hands, allowing the swimmer to rise to the surface, and when swimming as a dolphin, the legs begin to move, changing the direction of sliding, then the hands join in. The distance covered by the athlete after pushing off by the time he reaches the surface of the water is 4.2-5.4 m when swimming as a dolphin, and 4.8-6.4 m when swimming as a breaststroke.

Pendulum-type rotation when swimming breaststroke and dolphin (butterfly)

A pendulum-type turn can also be performed when swimming on the side. In this case, the swimmer touches the wall of the pool with his lower hand and then switches to his side while sliding, i.e. He simply doesn’t roll over onto his chest.

Forward somersault with a turn (somersault) in swimming

A forward somersault with a turn, otherwise a forward somersault turn (somersault) or a turn without touching the wall of the pool with your hand is the fastest, but also the most technically difficult turn. Most often, this turn is used when swimming crawl over short distances.

A characteristic feature of a forward somersault: rotation is performed around the transverse (anterior-posterior) axis of the body in the vertical plane, and then the longitudinal axis of the body in the horizontal plane; the turn is closed.

Let's consider the technique of performing a forward somersault turn without touching the wall of the pool with your hand when swimming front crawl:

• Swimming up to the wall and touching: Approximately 1.5 meters before the wall, the swimmer inhales and performs the first half of the stroke with the hand in front, while the other arm is extended along the body.
• Rotation: Rotation in the vertical plane begins with a vigorous movement of the head down towards the chest, while the shoulder girdle moves down behind the arm performing the second half of the stroke. The pelvis rises up. The legs, bent at the knees, are thrown forward above the surface of the water and placed on the wall, the hands help the rotation.
• Push-off: The arms are thrown forward in the direction of movement and the push-off occurs by vigorously extending the legs in a supine position (since the athlete performed a half-turn in the vertical plane during the rotation phase).
• Sliding: During the sliding, the athlete turns first on his side, then on his chest.
• Beginning of swimming movements and reaching the surface: When the speed of movement is equal to the speed of movement at a distance. Reaching the surface is accomplished through leg movements and hand strokes.

Turning a forward somersault (somersault) without touching the wall with your hand when swimming front crawl

There is a variant of the technique of performing a somersault turn, when the swimmer touches the wall of the pool at a depth of 50-60 cm from the surface of the water. Also, with this version of the technique, in the rotation phase, the swimmer rotates first around the horizontal axis of the body, and then around the longitudinal axis of the body so that by the end of this combined rotation he ends up on his chest or side, and then places his feet on the wall of the pool. Next, repulsion and sliding occur, during which the athlete, if necessary, performs an “additional rotation” in the horizontal plane to take the position required for swimming on the chest (when swimming crawl) or on the side (when swimming on the side).

Somersault forward touching the wall when swimming front crawl

A forward somersault with a turn according to the techniques described above is used when swimming front crawl and side crawl.

Advanced swimmers can use a forward roll without touching the pool wall with their hand when swimming backstroke. The turning technique has some differences:

• Swimming up: Swimming on his back to the wall of the pool, the athlete completes the stroke with one hand and leaves it extended at the hip. He then performs a vigorous long stroke with the other arm up to the hip and at the same time turns on his side towards that arm and immediately onto his chest.
• Rotation: The head plunges sharply down to the chest, the body bends, a somersault is performed forward, the feet are placed on the wall of the pool, the arms are thrown forward, similar to a turn when swimming crawl.
• Repulsion; vigorous extension of the legs in a supine position.
• Beginning of swimming movements and reaching the surface: swimming movements of the arms and legs begin simultaneously and provide rise to the surface.

Turning somersault forward (somersault) when swimming backstroke