Improving tumble turn performance in swimming—the impact of wall contact time and tuck index

Abstract

Race time can be shortened by improving turn performance in competitive swimming, but this requires insight into the optimal turn technique. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of Wall Contact Time (WCT) and Tuck Index on tumble turn performance and their interrelations by experimentally manipulating both variables, which has not been done in previous research. Eighteen Dutch national level swimmers (FINA points 552 ± 122) performed tumble turns with three different WCTs (shorter, preferred, longer) and three different Tuck Indices (higher, preferred, lower), which were recorded by four underwater cameras and a wall-mounted force plate. Linear kinematic and kinetic variables, including the approach velocity (Vin), wall adaptation time (Tadapt), percentage of active WCT (aWCT), peak push-off force (FPeak) and exit velocity (Vexit), were extracted from the recordings and analyzed statistically, using the 5 m round trip time (5mRTT) as performance measure. The results indicated that the WCT should be sufficiently long to generate a high push-off force at the end of wall contact when the body is in a streamlined position. This led to a significantly shorter 5mRTT than a shorter or longer WCT. A linear mixed effect model yielded negative significant effects of WCT (−4.22, p < 0.001), FPeak (−2.18, p = 0.04), Vin (−4.83, p = 0.02), Tadapt (−2.68, p = 0.002), and Vexit (−9.52, p < 0.001) on the 5mRTT. The best overall turning performance was achieved with a Tuck Index of 0.7, which suggests that some of the participating swimmers could benefit from adapting their distance to the wall while turning, as was exemplified by calculating the optimal Tuck Index for individual swimmers. These results underscore the importance of WCT and Tuck Index vis-à-vis tumble turn performance, as well as their interrelations with other performance determining variables in this regard.

Streamlining performance prediction: data-driven KPIs in all swimming strokes

“…The last 5 m leading up to the wall (in5) are intrinsically linked to FSS and holds particular significance in Freestyle and Backstroke, where in5 encapsulates the critical aspects of the tumble turn. Precisely timing the initiation and optimizing rotation velocity within these last 5 m significantly influences the outcome of in5 [ 22 ]. As such, these findings underscore the critical role of swift swimming speeds for all swimming strokes, but also efficient timing of tumble turns for the Freestyle and Backstroke for optimising performance.…”

Swim start and performance in 50 m freestyle in different age categories of competitive swimmers

“…All winners in sprint events need to have the best possible starts, free swimming, turn and finish. Therefore, swimmers need to be continuously analysed, for example using video, to receive relevant information about their performances [1,2,3] More studies have focused on track swimming as an acyclical movement such as a start or a turn [2,4,5], but there are also studies that have addressed these phases [6,7,8].…”