Triathlon - should I be learning to do flip turns in the pool?

I am training for my first triathlon, and swimming laps in the pool. Will there be any benefit training wise to learning to do flip turns, or is it just something extra, icing on the cake? Is my time better spent focusing on stroke technique? I've tried it a handful of times and usually end up out of lane, or angling deep or snorting water. My tri will be in July in open water.

I'm also training for my first Tri (9/1). My Tri is a Sprint, a 1/4 mile swim. For training, I don't do flip turns. BUT, I also don't stop at each end and push off. I do a sharp, swimming, u-turn. I figure that touching/pushing off after each lap is sort of a mini-rest, so I want to replicate as best I can the idea of swimming straight thru.
Good luck to both of us!

They're easy, just throw in a few minutes at the end of each workout and they'll come pretty fast. Doing flip turns keeps you going, and it's how every good swimmer ever trains, so go for it.

I am training for my first triathlon, and swimming laps in the pool. Will there be any benefit training wise to learning to do flip turns, or is it just something extra, icing on the cake? Is my time better spent focusing on stroke technique? I've tried it a handful of times and usually end up out of lane, or angling deep or snorting water. My tri will be in July in open water.

Ex competitive swimmer here. Pretty decent one at my peak I was actaully leading teh defending national champ (NAIA, about the same as NCAA division 3) in the 1000 at our league meet prelims for the first 400 or so.

Since you will be doing open water learning a flip turn is low priority, especially getting it down well.

BUT and thsi is importnat.

Many who do not do flip turns spend excessive time on the wall, even taking a breth while holding on to the wall. That will make a potentially huge different. If you are resting. Your training is including a break you will not get in the open water.

Getting a flip turn doen, more or less, sort of kind of is enough to make sure yuo do not get that break, and do not get that free breath. But just knoing should help you avoid that pitfal, and if you concentrate on not taking a break on the wall of any kind you should be OK.

Getting a flip turn doen, more or less, sort of kind of is enough to make sure yuo do not get that break, and do not get that free breath. But just knoing should help you avoid that pitfal, and if you concentrate on not taking a break on the wall of any kind you should be OK.

IMHO, doing a flip turn is harder that push-off's because you miss a breath, and it adds a bit of a mental aspect to mind-numbing laps.