After some practice, I can do pretty good flip-turns in deep water. With pretty good consistency I gauge the distance to the wall, flip fairly well, and push off with a slight upward slant and a roll to put me into a stroke and a breath at the same time. All this with a pathetic approach speed; I am not a fast swimmer.
The real trouble is shallow water. And it is trouble, because the pool I swim in (the only one to which I have free access) ranges from three to ten feet; one end of the pool requires me to turn in a very narrow vertical range. Actually swimming in that end is fine; I can stay off the bottom with no problem. But a flip turn is a bit more complicated. I suppose this is really the indicator of the quality of my turns, because if I can’t minimize the depth I use during a turn, then I haven’t really got it. Anyway, it’s going to stay hot outside for two or three months yet, so I have plenty of time before the weather forces me in.
The other difficulty is speed of approach. I watched some clips of expert swimmers flipping turns, and their approach to the wall is so fast that they kick water onto the pool deck. I have the idea that a flip turn would be easier if I increase my swimming speed, and that’s another challenge in itself.
