Tumble Turn

A tumble turn is a fast method of reversing direction at the end of a pool length. Approaching the wall, the swimmer tucks into a forward somersault, plants the feet on the wall, and pushes off on the back or side before rotating to the front and streamlining away. Done well it conserves momentum and saves time compared with a simpler touch-and-turn.

It is standard in freestyle and, in a rotating variant, at the backstroke turn, and is often called a flip turn, especially in North America. Rules govern how the swimmer may touch or leave the wall in each stroke, so the turn is coached as a precise, repeatable sequence of approach, rotation, foot plant and push-off.