The Importance of the Open Turn in Swimming
Swimming is a sport that requires a lot of technical skill and strategy. One of the most important skills every swimmer needs to master is the open turn.
They essential in allowing competitive swimmers to conserve energy while maintaining their speed. A good open turn can also make the difference between a win and a loss in a race.
Personal Experience with Improving the Open Turn
As a former competitive swimmer, I can attest that learning the proper procedures for the open turn was essential for me to improve my performance. When I first started swimming, I struggled with this technique because it requires precise timing and coordination between your arms, legs, and body position. However, after lots of practice and guidance from my coaches, I began to notice significant improvements in my races.
My times improved drastically due to better efficiency during my turns. The satisfaction of executing a perfect open turn became one of my favorite aspects of competitive swimming.
In this article, we will explore all aspects of mastering the open turn – from basic techniques to advanced methods that will help you gain an edge over your competitors. Whether you’re just starting or you’re an experienced swimmer looking for tips on improving your technique, this guide has something for everyone who wants to master this critical skill!
The Basics of an Open Turn
What is an Open Turn?
If you’re a swimmer, you know that turns are a crucial part of any race. But what exactly is an open turn?
Unlike a flip turn, which involves somersaulting through the water and pushing off the wall with your feet, an open turn is when you touch the wall with both hands and then push off on your back or side.
Step-by-Step Breakdown
Now that we understand what an open turn is, let’s break down the technique into manageable steps. Here’s how to execute a basic open turn:
- Approach the wall at full speed.
- Take one last stroke before reaching out and touching the wall with both hands simultaneously.
- Tuck your chin to your chest as you pull your knees up towards your chest.
- Roll onto either side or onto your back while pushing off from the wall with strong leg power.
- Streamline underwater for several meters before returning to swimming. Remember that good timing is essential in order to maintain momentum throughout this process – it’s all about finding the right rhythm between pulling, rolling, and pushing off from the wall!
Common Mistakes to Avoid
“The devil is in the details”
Like any technique, mastering the open turn requires attention to detail. There are several common mistakes that swimmers make when trying to execute this maneuver that may hinder their performance. A common mistake is not approaching the wall with enough speed; this can result in extra strokes before the wall and a slow turn.
Another mistake is initiating the turn too late, causing a rushed and inefficient execution of the turn. To avoid these mistakes, focus on maintaining proper body positioning as you approach the wall.
Keep your head down and maintain a strong core so that you can carry your momentum into the turn. Timing is also crucial when it comes to executing an open turn – try different approaches until you find one that works for you and practice it repeatedly until it becomes second nature.
Tips for improving body positioning and timing during the turn
“Positioning Matters”
Proper body positioning during an open turn is essential for success. Swimmers should approach the wall with their head down, arms extended in front of them, and their feet together. As they get closer to the wall, they should initiate a folding motion with their legs while keeping their arms extended forward touching the wall. Make sure to tuck your head when turning and reduce splash as much possible.
Timing is also important; swimmers should initiate their turn as they feel their hands touch. This will help them maintain momentum through their turn and push off from the wall efficiently at an angle toward which they want to swim next.
As with any aspect of swimming technique, careful attention paid to detail combined with consistency in practice will yield positive results over time. So keep practicing!
Advanced Techniques for Faster Turns
The Crossover Turn: A Game-Changing Technique for Speed and Efficiency
If you’re looking to take your open turn game to the next level, the crossover turn is a technique worth mastering. Made for the IM and transition from backstroke to breaststroke, this advanced technique involves crossing your arm over your body as you approach the wall and using your momentum to propel yourself into a fast, efficient turn. The crossover turn requires precise timing and coordination, but with practice, it can help you shave valuable seconds off your lap times.
To begin practicing the crossover turn, start by approaching the wall with a strong backstroke stroke. As you near the wall, cross one arm over the other behind your body.
Your leading arm should cross over your non-leading arm just before you touch the wall with both hands. As soon as you touch the wall, flip backwards and push off hard with both feet and streamline underwater until you resurface for your next stroke of breaststroke.
Dolphin Kick: The Secret Weapon for Explosive Turns
Another advanced technique to incorporate into your open turns is the dolphin kick. This powerful kick involves undulating your entire body through the water like a dolphin – hence its name – to generate explosive speed off of walls and turns. To master this technique, start by practicing dolphin kicks in isolation from an open turn.
Lie face down or towards the side in the water with both arms extended overhead. Keeping both legs together and straightened out behind you, create a wave-like motion through your core muscles that propels your body forward through the water without any strokes from arms or legs.
Once you’ve got this motion down on its own, try incorporating it into an open turn by extending into streamline position after pushing off from an open turn. With practice and patience working on these two advanced techniques — crossover turns and dolphin kicks — it won’t be long before you’re seeing major improvements in your times and efficiency.
Building Endurance through Open Turns
Swimming is an excellent way to build endurance, and incorporating open turns into your training routine can take your endurance to the next level. By mastering the open turn technique, swimmers are able to maintain their speed and momentum during a race without expending too much energy.
This allows them to swim faster and for longer periods of time. The key to building endurance through open turns is practice.
By incorporating open turns into your regular training routine, you will be able to build up your stamina and improve your overall fitness level. One effective way to do this is by including various types of turns in a workout routine that focuses on increasing endurance.
Sample Workout Routine that includes Various Types of Turns
Warm-up – 200-meter freestyle – 4 x 50-meter kick set *2 with a board, 2 without*
Drill Set
– 4 x 50-meter open turn set *focus on technique*
– 4 x 50-meter crossover turn set *focus on timing*
Endurance Set
– 8 x100-meter freestyle with alternate flip and open turns – Pace yourself so that you’re swimming at about 60% effort while going 80% into each turn
– Take short breaks *no more than ten seconds* between each interval
Cool-down
-200-meter easy swim
This workout routine should be done at least once a week for optimal results.
Make sure you are focusing on proper technique during each turn, as this will help you keep your momentum going and conserve energy for longer periods of time. Remember that building endurance takes time, so be patient with yourself as you work towards becoming a stronger swimmer!
Mental Preparation for Open Turns
Importance of mental preparation before a race or competition
While physical training and technique are important aspects of mastering the open turn, mental preparation is equally valuable. Swimming is not just about the body; it’s also about the mind. A swimmer can have all the physical abilities necessary to succeed, but without proper mental preparation, their performance could suffer.
In order to perform a successful open turn, swimmers need to be confident and focused. The pre-race routine is an important factor in achieving this state of mind.
Some swimmers may prefer to listen to music while others may choose to visualize their race in their head. Whatever works best for each individual athlete, it’s important that they find a routine that helps them get into the zone.
Techniques for staying focused and confident during an open turn
During an open turn, it’s important that swimmers stay focused on what they’re doing. It’s easy to get lost in thought or become distracted by external factors such as other swimmers or noise from the crowd.
However, distractions can lead to mistakes during the turn and negatively impact overall performance. One technique for staying focused during an open turn is visualization.
Swimmers can mentally rehearse each step of the turn beforehand so that when they get into the pool, they know exactly what they need to do without needing conscious effort or thought. Confidence is another key element of a successful open turn.
Swimmers need to trust their abilities and believe in themselves in order to perform at their best. Mental affirmations can be helpful in boosting confidence levels before a race or competition.
Mental preparation plays a crucial role in mastering the open turn technique and achieving success as a swimmer. By developing routines and techniques for staying focused and confident during competition time, swimmers empower themselves with tools to perform at their best.
Recap of Key Takeaways for Open Turns
Congratulations! You’ve made it to the end of this guide on mastering the open turn. By now, you should have a solid understanding of what an open turn is, how to execute it properly, and some advanced techniques and drills to improve your skills.
Here’s a quick recap of the key takeaways:
– The open turn is an essential skill for swimmers looking to improve their times and overall swimming abilities.
– It differs from a flip turn in that the swimmer touches the wall with their hands before pushing off.
– Proper body positioning, timing, and technique are important for executing a successful open turn.
– Advanced techniques such as crossover turns and dolphin kicks can help swimmers achieve faster times.
– Incorporating open turns into regular training routines can also help build endurance and technique.
Encouragement to Practice and Incorporate These Techniques into Regular Training Routines
Now that you have a solid foundation on mastering the open turn, it’s time to put these techniques into practice! Remember that mastery takes time and practice, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t see immediate results. Keep practicing regularly with proper technique and soon enough you’ll see improvements in your times.
Incorporating these techniques into your regular training routine can also help build endurance and improve overall swimming abilities. Focus on perfecting each aspect of the open turn – body position, timing, technique – until it becomes second nature.
And remember to keep challenging yourself by trying more advanced techniques like crossover turns or dolphin kicks. With hard work, dedication, and practice, you’ll soon be mastering the open turn like a pro!