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

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.