Past Clinic: Comprehensive Starts Camp
Shimon and Sara Birnbaum JCC
775 Talamini Rd,
Bridgewater Township,
NJ 08807
A description of what was covered at this past clinic is below the upcoming clinics.
Upcoming Swim Clinics and Camps
Within 250 miles of Bridgewater Township, NJ.
Past Clinic
Introduction
Explosive Starts Camp – This two-day swim camp will allow participants to refine and perfect their technique on their starts, underwaters, and breakouts on the first day. Then the second day is all about backstroke starts and relay exchanges.
Scroll down for more details on the curriculum!
Session sizes are limited to no more than 20 participants.
Session Times:
Group A: 8:30 AM Check-in, Clinic 8:45-11:15am
Group B: 11:45 AM Check-in, Clinic 12-2:30pm
Group C: : 3:15 PM Check-in, Clinic 3:30-5:30pm
Suggested Participants
May Comprehensive Starts Camp:
– Group A: Ages 13 & up
– Group B: Ages 11 & 12
– Group C: Ages 10 & under
These camps are designed for swimmers with a minimum of one-year of competitive swimming experience all the way up to AAAA times and faster. Swimmers younger than 9 years old are not invited without submitting their times or swimming history to Fitter and Faster.
Curriculum
This swim camp will help swimmers maximize their speed during the fastest part of every race: the start. Saturday will focus on starts from the block and well as how to maintain that speed with underwater dolphin kicking and an explosive breakout. Sunday will cover backstroke starts and relay exchanges. This clinic will be led by Olympian Christopher Reid! Christopher will share the same drills and tips he used to become one of the fastest swimmers in the world.
MAY 15: STARTS & UNDERWATERS
The start is your swimmer’s opportunity to cover as much ground as possible in a very short period of time with great efficiency and momentum heading into the streamline and breakout. There are countless intricacies to performing a start, and it will only improve with practice. Olympian Christopher Reid has spent countless hours practicing starts and underwater dolphin kicking and will show your swimmer how to be explosive and efficient with each movement.
- STARTS: Your swimmer’s proper hand and foot placement on the block can allow them to drive forward with a lot of explosive power. Christopher will work with your swimmer to find the best position on the block as well as how to launch their body forward efficiently into a tight streamline and enter the water through a small hole.
- UNDERWATER DOLPHIN KICKING: The fastest swimmers know how to weaponize their dolphin kicking. It is absolutely, undeniably, the fastest way to move through the water! Whether you dolphin kick on your stomach, side, or back, understanding the importance of streamlined, underwater speed is vital for every swimmer!
- BREAKOUTS: Many swimmers add movements in their breakout that create drag and destroy all of the momentum created during their underwater dolphin kicks. Your swimmer will work on staying streamlined and keeping their head down on the first stroke to accelerate into the first few strokes.
MAY 16: BACKSTROKE STARTS & RELAY EXCHANGES
Swimmers will build on the concepts learned on day one to further refine their starts specifically in backstroke and relay events. Backstroke starts can be difficult to master, but by focusing on correct hand and foot placement, a strong push off, and clean entry, participants will practice exploding off every start. Relays are some of the most fun events to swim and learning proper technique for relay exchanges will help your whole team!
- BACKSTROKE STARTS: Getting into the right ready position utilizing the backstroke ledge with a straight back, hips high on the surface of the water, and feet positioned to get maximum power is extremely important to being able to execute a fast and clean backstroke start. Christopher Reid will work with swimmers at this session to achieve a beautiful back arch over the water so that they can have an advantage in every backstroke race!
- RELAY EXCHANGES: Both the swimmer finishing and the swimmer starting have a job to do when executing a proper relay exchange. Learning the proper technique for a well timed finish and an explosive relay dive is important in ensuring a legal but small reaction time and a fast exchange.
ASK QUESTIONS
At each session of this swim camp series, swimmers and parents are invited to ask the Elite Clinicians questions during a Q&A session. Gain insight into their training regimen, diet and nutrition, and recovery tactics.
WATCH THE CLINICIANS
Observe the clinicians at each session swim at full speed and demonstrate a progression of perfectly executed drills to achieve powerful, efficient and fast swimming.
PUT YOUR SKILLS TO THE TEST
Swimmers will get to practice what they've learned by taking their stroke to top speed with some of the best swimmers and coaches in the world! They'll work on holding onto their form while challenging themselves.
Take a photo with the clinicians, get autographs, and ALL PARTICIPANTS receive a FREE Fitter and Faster Collector’s Bag Tag for each day they are at the camp. Collect all 37 and trade with your friends!
Inquisitive, Educated Swimmers are Faster Swimmers! Sign up today!
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