VQ Coach Karyn Austin recently had a conversation with one of her athletes regarding flip turns vs open turns. Here is her two cents worth...

• Whatever kind of turn you do, please practice efficiency and getting in and out of the wall at a quick pace
• Watch the following video for a GREAT demo on effective and ineffective open turns
• It is hard to simulate open water conditions in a pool, but the less of a “break” you get on the wall, the better, esp. training for mile plus swims
• If flip turns are just not your thing (get dizzy, too much water up the nose, etc.) then watch this video and practice perfecting the most efficient open turn you can. There really is an art to doing this!
• When you watch the video, see the guy pulling way up? My swim coach used to rag on us and tell us not to be looking for money in the gutters when we turned