Will a flip turn hurt or help my Combat Swimmer Stroke time?

Answer 1

A good flip turn will shave 2-3 seconds off your time per turn. However, a good flip turn takes practice, implies you have good endurance and can keep streamlined properly. If you find yourself running out of breath after a single flip turn you need to build your endurance by doing them in practice. Until then, I'd probably only use flip turns in short distance spirts such as 50 - 100 meters

The key to a flip turn is to transition all your power into the opposite direction & save energy and time by gliding under the surface (same as a good start). If you break too soon you'll ruin the kick turn and decrease the benefit.

The best training to get good at kick turns is to swim long distances using hypoxic training doing a kick turn at each lap. Easy hypoxic training methods including:
* Only breathing every 5 strokes
* Doing incremental stroke breaths - 3 strokes - breathe - 4 strokes - breathe - 5 strokes - breathe - 6 strokes breathe
* Limited breath sprints - 2 or 3 breaths per 25m for 50m.

I would get instruction on flip turns as well, as an improper one will not save you much time at all.

Answer 2

What is a "Combat Swimmer" ? A thiathelete who thrashes the water ?
Only good quality flip turns can help your times. I advise most of my triathletes not to bother, as they tend to prefer thrashing.

Answer 3

if you do a good flip turn, then it will help your time. keep your flip turn small, and push off with a tight streamline.