Pre-requisites

To learn how to turn left and right while belly-flying, you first need to be able to belly-fly in a neutral body position, hold that position stable, and control any unwanted forward or backward movement.

Objectives

The primary objective is to be able to safely and successfully demonstrate a left and a right turn while belly-flying, aiming to remain in control, stable and in the center of the wind tunnel throughout.

Preparation

You will start in the center of the wind tunnel, off the net, facing your coach. Your coach will give you a signal to turn either left or right. You should plan the timing of your stop based on what turn you are doing (90º, 180º, 270º or 360º) and how fast or slow you are turning.  Obviously, the faster you are going, the sooner you will need to begin your movements to stop. Once you have stopped, you can then start a turn in the opposite direction.

You should be stable and under control throughout all of your turns, using the skills you already learned to stay in the center of the wind tunnel.

Post-flight questions / suggestions

• How did your performance match the initial objectives?
• Were you stable throughout your turns?
• Were you able to stop at any pre-determined point?
• What did you feel comfortable with and what can you improve on during the next session?
• Were you able to control turns using both the basic and advanced methods?

Continuing to advance your ability to turn faster and be more precise during each move will significantly increase your ability as a belly flyer, especially when it comes time to fly formations with a partner.