Is a backstroke to breaststroke turn a flip turn?

I've swam IM's before, maybe 6 last summer, but since then I haven't worked on my IM turns at all...and then my coach has put me in an IM tonight.





I've been watching videos but I am terribly confused.





Can a back to breast turn be a flip turn? Can I turn onto my stomach, do a flip turn, and then start my pull out?


Or is the flip a back flip?








Please, any tips would be helpful!


I don't swim during the year!|||There are a few ways that you can turn going from backstroke to breaststroke. Preference between them is up to you. I personally prefer a simple touch turn on 400 IM and a flip turn on 100 and 200 IM.





A flip turn is essentially a back flip. You touch the wall of the pool whilst on your back, bring your knees up to your chest and flip round so your feet push off the wall and you are front, ready to start your breast stroke. Do not turn on to your front before you are on breast stroke.





If you are not getting the hang of flip turns you can try a touch turn (make sure you you touch on your back and leave the wall on your front) or you can try a swivel turn.





A swivel turn is a bit more complicated but is as effective as a flip or touch turn. These turns have recently been approved by fina but they are technically the hardest to master because you don't want to be disqualified every time you swim IM. I'm not going to go into detail because it is hard to put into words. I recommend practicing your flip turns more in training so you become more comfortable doing them and they also become faster.





If you want to know which one is better for you, get your coach or parent to time you from flags to the wall and out again on each turn and the faster one is the one you stick with.|||Touch the wall with your hand then sort of pull your feet towards the wall (don't touch your other hand to the wall) and then push off into a breaststroke pullout.





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGROwNmQX鈥?/a>|||just finish into the wall backstroke then bring ur feet to the wall and kick off and go into ur pullout for breaststroke|||The rules are simple ... you must finish each stroke (in this case backstroke) as if it is the finish of a race. THEN, how you transition to the next stroke is up to you. As long as you immediately start your new stroke using the rules that apply to that stroke you may choose how to turn.





This means that at the end of your backstroke you must touch the wall on your back. When you start your breaststroke you must push off the wall on your chest which means your hips are past 90 degrees facing the bottom of the pool.





So, although I totally discourage my swimmers from doing a back to breast flip turn, it is legal as long as you touch on your back and push off on your chest.





If you did the turn, come into the wall ... reach deep in the water with your fingertips facing the bottom of the pool. Your head should be looking over your shoulder and down your arm to your hand. Hit the wall with the palm of your hand and pull up on the wall. The wall, of course, does not move. However, pulling up on the wall actually forces your shoulders down and gets your legs moving.





As your shoulders start to move, pull your knees in TIGHT and directly over your head. As your knees come over, your feet will touch the wall.





The problem is getting your feet deep enough to push off at the proper depth and angle. Most people's feet are too high on the wall and, as a result, they're head and shoulders are too low and they push off the wall aimed downward. They then must get UP to the top of the surface of the water. This slows you down.





In addition, I like my swimmers to do an open turn as that breath of air helps them about 30 seconds after the turn as it takes that long for the air you just breathed in to get to your muscles.





Good luck ... I'd discourage you from doing that turn.