Mermaids,
Regardless of the fact that a triathlete will never need to do a flip turn in the middle of a triathlon, I believe the skill of being able to successfully incorporate flip turns into your workout sets helps you become a better swimmer.
It may be awkward to learn and difficult to do all the time, but as this article from Beginner Triathlete details, there are definitely benefits.
I encourage you to learn how to do better flip turns by watching the video demonstration.
happy swimming,
coach Lisa
