For the 6th and final step in Kristian’s flip-turn progression, he flips at the wall. Don’t rush! Swim smoothly into the wall, with eyes focused on the bottom and not on the wall. As you approach the wall, keep both arms at your sides and then tuck the head, tuck the knees to the chest, turn the hands over and push down with the palms to add momentum to your somersault. As your feet hit the wall, your hands should be together and you should be ready to extend immediately into a streamlined pushoff. The fine point is timing. All 6 steps should happen smoothly and continuously. The goal is to end up in perfect position for a streamlined pushoff the INSTANT your feet hit the wall. The goal during the learning stage is not speed, but timing and flow. Starting with the tuck of the head, feel how each step flows into and augments the next step.
|