Key Points

• Freestyle to Backstroke Transition: As you approach the buoy, initiate the turn by rotating your body onto your back, mimicking the motion of a backstroke stroke.
• One-Arm Stroke: Use a powerful one-arm stroke to guide your body around the buoy while maintaining a streamlined position.
• Maintain Momentum: Keep your kick strong to prevent losing speed during the turn, quickly transitioning back to freestyle after the turn is complete.
• Sighting: Look for the next buoy as you approach the turn to ensure a smooth transition and minimise unnecessary directional adjustments.

Drill Execution

1. Swim towards the buoy using freestyle, adjusting your breathing to sight the buoy as you approach.
2. As you reach the buoy, initiate the turn by rotating onto your back and using one arm in a backstroke recovery motion.
3. Continue rotating until you’re back on your front, completing the turn in a tight arc around the buoy.
4. Accelerate out of the turn and sight the next buoy, quickly returning to normal freestyle.

Progressions

1. Start with Freestyle Turns: Begin by practising tight freestyle turns around the buoy without the backstroke element, focusing on maintaining speed.

2. Corkscrew with Fins: Use fins to help maintain propulsion while you practice the corkscrew motion, allowing you to focus on refining the turn technique.

3. Shorten Distance: Decrease the distance between buoys and perform multiple turns in quick succession to simulate race conditions and improve agility.

4. Sighting with Turn: Incorporate sighting practice as you approach each buoy to work on both navigation and turning efficiency in open water.