Laps in modern swimming have gradually reached their true value. The swimmer only pushes off something solid at the start and on the turns and so this is where he will reach the fastest speed, regardless of how fast he swims. In no swimming technique can the swimmer achieve greater speed than when he pushes off the wall. But even more so, a good underwater dolphin dwarfs any swimming technique except the crawl with Lifeguard recertification.



You can see the effects of turns in any high caliber modern competition  (see here or also here ) If you have the job of measuring swimming speed when the swimmer goes the first 4 meters from the wall, even if he doesn't do so well , and measure the average swimming speed in the middle of the pool, you will most likely be amazed: it is almost double in laps!

Let's get straight to the point. Let us suppose that you are already convinced that the laps must be trained. From what ages to start? How to do it? What exercises are good to practice them? This is something that is sometimes taken lightly, we would say really lightly , completely disregarding one of the MOST IMPORTANT technical moves for an athlete to win. I have never met bad swimmers who have good laps. A good return technique almost always makes you a winner with Lifeguard Certification Va.



When can you start practicing?

The return can be started from the age of 8. Please note that the above is for reference only. There are children who are chronologically 8 but in reality they are 6 or 7. It is advisable to make them the famous hand plate, to really determine their biological age and work with them according to their age.

The learning of the return consists of two phases. One, the technical learning of the turn and the other the dolphin movement that should ALWAYS accompany it. And it should start immediately from learning. Sometimes we think that only champions should do a long lap. That's not true. The truth is that to be a champion, you must have a good lap, but not that only champions have it. First you learn the lap and then you are champion.

In the return technique it is very important to remember several aspects:

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The swimmer should accelerate slightly as they approach the wall

  1. The approach and turn must be a single movement. You cannot slow down when approaching or change your swimming technique. Many swimmers raise their hands or make superfluous movements. It's just swimming and at the same time, without stopping for a moment, turning around and leaving.
  2. The turning movement must be with the knees out of the water and the turn completely vertical. Previously it was done from half side, allowing a faster push and half turn before pushing off the wall. The idea was based on the fact that the swimmer placed himself in an advantageous position in the final phase of pushing off the wall, that is, slightly face down. But it has two serious flaws: they rub the legs in the water, stopping the turn before starting the turn and part of an abandoned concept: the swimmer does not have to come out face down when pushing off, he can do it effectively face up (as in the technique back) in dolphin and turn while moving away from the wall. This round is very effective.