Slow turns rob swimmers of victory time and time again. One of the main culprits is a lack of momentum at the breakout point. Angling downward off the wall typically causes swimmers to travel to the surface in a curvilinear pathway resulting in more time spent underwater, increased drag and a slower breakout. Angling outward off the wall causes swimmers to travel to the surface on a more linear pathway resulting in less time spent underwater, decreased drag and a faster breakout. A downward angle off the wall is not always a bad choice. Swimmers who have mastered the technique of body whip must push off the wall on a steeper downward angle in order to remain underwater for a longer period.
