How to Do Backstroke Flip Turns

Video Transcript

"PHILLIP TORIELLO: Hello and welcome to Expert Village, I'm Phillip Toriello from the Avila Bay Athletic Club. The backstroke flip turn is rather easy and it's very similar to that of the freestyle flip turn. However, once again, you are going to be utilizing the lane lines to your left and right and paying particular attention to the backstroke flags above. Again, as we discussed before, it's about four to five strokes from backstroke flags to the actual wall. Now, what I generally work on is as I get into my fourth stroke or just as I'm hitting my fifth, what I'm going to do is I'm going to reach back for my last pull, do my reach, pull myself over on to my stomach and I should be approximately at the wall as I pull myself onto my stomach. And I'm going to perform a freestyle flip turn, putting myself on the wall, but instead of rotating on to my stomach, I'm going to stay flat on my back, thrust my arms up and head up on top of myself, so then, going to a streamline position, performing the dolphin kick underneath the water up to approximately 15 meters. If you go anywhere beyond 15 meters in a competitive race, you will be disqualified. So, pay attention to that. So, you'll perform your flip turn, push off on your back, conduct a flutter kick and do a butterfly kick or the dolphin kick, surface and then go back into your thumb out pinky in, then, the elbow push motion."