The freestyle flip turn step by step: approach, somersault, push-off on your back and rotate. Turn fast without swallowing water or losing speed.
The flip turn is the somersault at the wall with which freestylers change direction without stopping. The key that surprises beginners: you don't breathe before the turn and rotate through a compact somersault – not sideways, but forward over the head.
And one more point that makes everything easier: after the somersault you push off lying on your back and only rotate to your front underwater afterward. Trying to rotate fully in mid-air makes you tense up. Push off first, then rotate.
The flip turn saves valuable seconds per length in the pool and keeps your rhythm flowing. It looks harder than it is – with a clear sequence you'll have the basics in a few sessions.
### 1. Approach without a last breath Swim the final two to three metres without breathing, flat toward the wall. A breath right before the turn throws off your rhythm and pushes the head up.
### 2. Initiate the somersault The last arm pulls to the hip, then you lower the head to the chest and use the abdominal muscles to initiate a tight forward somersault. The more compact (knees tucked), the faster the rotation.
### 3. Exhale through the nose During the somersault you exhale continuously through the nose. That keeps the water out and prevents the unpleasant "nose full" feeling that puts beginners off.
### 4. Feet to the wall, push off on your back The feet land shoulder-width on the wall, toes pointing up – you're now briefly on your back. From here you push off powerfully in streamline (arms overhead).
### 5. Rotate and break out Underwater, rotate from back to front during the push-off. Glide in streamline, add a few dolphin or flutter kicks as needed, and take the first arm stroke only just before surfacing – don't thrash away right at the wall.
Practise the flip turn first in the middle of the pool without a wall, to learn the somersault and nose-exhaling before doing it at the hard wall. That avoids disorientation and collisions.
Watch for enough distance from other swimmers and don't turn blindly in a busy lane. If you get dizzy from the upside-down rotation, slow down and do fewer repetitions – your sense of balance adapts gradually.
Train the turn in slow motion as a "somersault series": swim in, rotate, but push off only gently and stand up. Repeat just the rotation until nose-exhaling and foot-planting are automatic.
Only once the rotation itself runs smoothly do you add the powerful push-off. That way you learn cleanly instead of frantically – and the seconds come by themselves.
### How do I do a clean flip turn? In five steps: approach the last metres flat without a breath, initiate a tight forward somersault with a lowered head and abdominal muscles, exhale through the nose while doing so, plant the feet shoulder-width on the wall and push off on your back in streamline. Underwater you then rotate to your front and surface only late for the first stroke.
### Why do I get water in my nose during the flip turn? Because you hold your breath instead of exhaling. As you rotate upside down, the water otherwise presses into the nose. Exhale continuously through the nose throughout the whole rotation – then the water stays out. To start, a nose clip can ease the entry until nose-exhaling becomes automatic.
### Do I have to rotate fully onto my front in mid-air? No, and that's exactly the most common misconception. You only do the somersault and push off lying on your back. The rotation from back to front happens afterward underwater during the glide. Push off first, then rotate – that's faster and more relaxed.
### How do I find the right distance from the wall? Through practice and orientation. Use the floor line and the T-marking at the pool end as a cue for when to start the somersault. Turn too early and the feet don't reach the wall with power; too late and it compresses you. A few deliberate repetitions calibrate your feel quickly.
### Is the flip turn really faster than a simple touch-and-turn? Yes, clearly – provided you do it cleanly. With a simple touch and turn you stop and lose your momentum completely. The flip turn carries your speed through the turn and the powerful push-off, so you swim on almost without interruption. Until you have it down, though, a frantic flip turn can be slower than a calm open turn – so learn it cleanly first, then bring it up to speed. After the push-off you glide in streamline and add a few kicks before surfacing.
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