Open Turn Sets

Open Turn Circuit 1 

(4 rounds through) 

4 surface backflips 

2 open turns with tennis balls 

1 turn (in and out) 

Purpose and Focus Points 

Open turns require a strong drive of your knees to rotate backward. This set helps you focus on that skill.  

Start off with four surface backflips to learn to aggressively tuck your knees to your chest and roll backward. Next take that same skill into open turns but do them with tennis balls. This will reinforce the same skills of tucking tight and rotating in a ball. Finally, see you if you can do all this well during a regular turn. 

Open Turn Circuit 2 

(3 rounds through) 

10 bottom jumps 

2 no-hand turns 

10 bottom jumps 

1 turn and glide 

Purpose and Focus Points 

This circuit helps you work on two important elements of a good open turn. 

You’ll work on pushing off the wall with a great streamlined position with the bottom jumps. Your goal should be to get used to jumping straight up and down with great alignment and body position. If you fall out of line, you’ll quickly notice that you struggle to land in the same place. 

Then, with no-hand turns, you work on tucking tightly. You must be effective in driving your knees up and tucking tight to make it happen. 

In the final piece of the circuit, put everything together. Flip fast and tight and then do a strong, straight push to maximize your glide.  

Open Turn Circuit 3 

(4 rounds through) 

2 hands on deck 

2 no-hand turns 

1 swim with mid-pool flip into fast finish 

1 turn (in and out) 

Purpose and Focus Points 

This circuit helps you take your ability to tuck tight to the next level. 

Start off with hands on deck, to encourage you to tuck tightly and aggressively. Then use that same skill set to get you through no-hand turns. You’ll have to be aggressive to get through the turn with speed. Then do a mid-pool turn, which is difficult because you won’t be able to use your arms to turn or legs to push. Then do one great turn. 

Open Turn Circuit 4 

(6 rounds through) 

12 bottom jumps with quarter/half/full turns 

50 butterfly/breaststroke, glide until your head passes cone* 

* - Choose appropriate distance for you 

Purpose and Focus Points 

This circuit helps you focus on doing a great push off the wall in a great streamlined position. 

Bottom jumps with quarter/half/full turns let you work on the twisting component of your turn. This is difficult, but it’s what every turn requires. To challenge your ability to do these skills while swimming, do a 50 butterfly or breaststroke with a minimal gliding distance of 3 to 5 yards/meters. This will require you to do a great push and hold your bodyline. If you don’t, you’ll struggle to reach the target distance with speed—or you won’t make it at all.