Past Clinic: 2022 Explosive Performance & High Performance Swim Camp

SUNY Potsdam - Maxcy Hall Pool
4 Tupper Lake Dr, Potsdam, NY 13662

A description of what was covered at this past clinic is below the upcoming clinics.

Upcoming Swim Clinics and Camps

Within 250 miles of Potsdam, NY.

Starting Apr 20, 2024

Marywood University

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The Longfellow Health Club - Natick

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Youth Development and Aquatic Center

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Youth Development and Aquatic Center

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Starting Apr 27, 2024

The Longfellow Health Club - Natick

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Starting May 10, 2024

Victor Aquatics Center

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Victor Aquatics Center

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Kaplan Recreation Center at Mt. St. Mary's College

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Starting Jun 01, 2024

Kaplan Recreation Center at Mt. St. Mary's College

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Past Clinic

Introduction

Fitter & Faster is returning to Potsdam, NY for a 2-day swim camp! This camp consists of 4 sessions – all for competitive swimmers Ages 10 & older. SAVE when you purchase the 4-session “Bundle” or sign up for individual sessions!

EXPLOSIVE & HIGH PERFORMANCE CAMP - April 30th & May 1st, 2022
     -> Session 1 (Saturday): Explosive Starts, Underwaters & Breakouts
     -> Session 2 (Saturday): High Performance Freestyle Technique
     -> Session 3 (Sunday): Fast Flip Turns, Open Turns & Finishes
     -> Session 4 (Sunday): High Performance Backstroke Technique

Scroll down for more details on the curriculum! Session sizes are limited to no more than 24 participants to ensure the highest level learning experience!

START TIMES for both days:
Sessions 1 & 3: Check in 8:45 AM, Clinic 9-11:30 AM
Sessions 2 & 4: Check in 12 PM, Clinic 12:15-2:45 PM

Suggested Participants

This camp is 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 10 years old are not invited without submitting their times or swimming history to Fitter and Faster.

Curriculum

Session 1: EXPLOSIVE STARTS, UNDERWATERS & BREAKOUTS (April 30)

The better a swimmer’s technique is off the starting block, the more speed they will carry into the water. Day 1 of this swim camp will help your swimmer improve their start, underwater dolphin kicking and breakouts! This sequence is not only the fastest part of every race, but it is also the part of the race in which elite swimmers cover the most ground with the most efficiency.

  • BLOCK STARTS: To ensure an explosive start, a swimmer needs to set themselves up properly on the block. The elite clinicians will work with participants on the optimal positioning of your swimmer’s entire body to allow for a quick reaction time and optimal speed.
  • STREAMLINE: The streamline - if done properly - will be the fastest a swimmer travels while in the water. Proper streamlines are even faster than underwater dolphin kicking. Even the most elite swimmers in the world are constantly working on improving their streamline. Your swimmer will get tips to improve their streamline and a better appreciation of what they need to do on every single wall in practice and in races.
  • INITIATING UNDERWATER DOLPHIN KICKING: Elite swimmers want to maximize their streamline on every single lap. So, they don’t want to start their underwater dolphin kicking while they’re still achieving maximum speed in their streamline. They also don’t want to start the underwater dolphin kicking after their streamline has begun to slow. Your swimmer is going to learn how to time when to begin their underwater dolphin kicking.
  • POWERFUL UNDERWATER DOLPHIN KICKING: There are a few different techniques that swimmers use when underwater dolphin kicking. The common theme of these techniques is that the best swimmers kick up and down with equal power. We will show your swimmer the different techniques that elite swimmers use and teach them how to implement.
  • NUMBER OF UNDERWATER DOLPHIN KICKS: Figuring out the optimal number of kicks off each wall, for each race, is essential to fast swimming. Elite swimmers want to spend only the absolute necessary amount of time underwater to establish speed with each length. They want to avoid losing their breath and taking weak kicks.
  • BREAKOUTS: Many swimmers add movement within their breakout that creates drag and destroys all of the speed created during their underwaters. Participants will work on timing their breakouts to explode into each lap.

Session 2: HIGH PERFORMANCE FREESTYLE TECHNIQUE (April 30)

Cultivating good habits to swim freestyle at a high level begins as soon as you learn the stroke. Even if your swimmer is already in high school - it’s never too late to begin practicing techniques that will drastically improve their efficiency, power and times. Today, your swimmer will work on techniques to strengthen their bodyline, catch, kick, pull, and breathing pattern.

  • BODYLINE: A freestyle race is going to be fastest with the proper bodyline. Even the slightest adjustment of the chin, neck, and/or back can make a huge difference. As swimmers mature in the sport and grow physically, their body position shifts and often bad habits are created. Participants will learn and practice proper posture and engagement of their core to have a strong foundation for better technique - creating a full-body connection for more hydrodynamic and efficient strokes.
  • ROTATION: Freestyle is fastest and most efficient when a swimmer’s body is “rotating” around their spine with each stroke. This part of swimming freestyle has a big effect on maintaining a proper bodyline. Participants will practice activating their core muscles to form a powerful connection from head to toe with every stroke - resulting in faster freestyle.
  • KICKING: A swimmer’s kick is the motor behind their freestyle! There are obviously proper and improper ways to kick which we will review at the camp. Just as important, however, is practicing the complexities of how and when to “shift gears” in their legs to become stronger and faster racers.
  • PULL: The pull in freestyle keeps a swimmer balanced and accelerating forward. Essentially the best swimmers are creating a paddle with every stroke. The clinicians will work with participants to establish an early vertical forearm “the catch”, enabling the swimmer to put immediate pressure back on the water. Properly completing the stroke keeps the swimmer moving forward efficiently and fast.
  • GENERATING POWER!: Developing power will help your swimmer be more efficient and stronger in the water! To strengthen swimming specific movements, the elite clinicians will work with participants on improving power in their strokes.

Session 3: FASTER FLIP TURNS, OPEN TURNS & FINISHES (May 1)

Quick, powerful turns and finishes are crucial to fast times and winning close races. The top age group and elite swimmers aren't using walls just for turning around - they are used to generate speed and momentum going into the next lap. Elite swimmers are constantly working their turns and looking for areas to improve them. Today, we're going to work with your swimmer on taking this crucial part of every race (and practice) to the next level!

  • MOMENTUM: At the elite level of swimming, walls aren’t just used for turning around - they are used to generate speed and momentum going into the next lap. Outside of the elite ranks, most swimmers stop or slow down while going into the wall, which kills their momentum! We will work with participants on the intricacies of approaching every wall at top speed and seamlessly initiating their “turn”.
  • FLIP TURNS: Flip turns are an opportunity for your swimmers to increase momentum in the middle of a race! Flip turns in which the athletes slow down or have “mechanical” movements negatively impact the speed at which a swimmer comes off the wall. We will work with your swimmer to produce fast flip turns so that they can explode off the walls at maximum speed.
  • OPEN TURNS: Elite butterflyers and breaststrokers utilize speed from their last lap to create momentum and even more speed at the beginning of the next lap. Their open turns are actually not “turns”, but more like high-speed pivots. Participants in this session will work on these techniques to have much faster open turns!
  • STREAMLINE, UNDERWATER DOLPHIN KICKING, BREAKOUT PROGRESSION: At this session participants will continue to work on the progression covered on Day 1.
  • FINISHES: Setting yourself up for a fast finish is very similar to setting yourself up for a strong turn in any race. Races are won and lost by hundredths-of-a-second at every swim meet. Many races come down to the last few strokes. At this camp, your swimmer will learn techniques to set themselves up for a well-timed finish when they are still about 10 yards from the wall.
  • RECOVERY: While training is important for swimming faster and gaining strength, recovery is just as essential to continue training at a high level. While you can buy expensive products to help you recover, Our Clinicians will walk through some of the most important things to get your body ready for the next session.

Session 4: High Performance Backstroke Technique (May 1)

Cultivating good habits to swim high level Backstroke begins as soon as you learn the stroke. Even if your swimmer is already in high school - it’s never too late to begin practicing techniques that will drastically improve their efficiency, power and times. Today, your swimmer will work on techniques to strengthen their bodyline, catch, kick, and pull - resulting in faster backstroke races.

  • BODY LINE: A competitive swimmer’s bodyline is the key to fast swimming. The name of the game is to eliminate all extra movement of the body including even the slightest bobbing, wiggling. Participants will learn and practice proper posture and engagement of their core to have a strong foundation for better technique - creating a full-body connection for more hydrodynamic and efficient backstroke.
  • ROTATION: Backstroke is fastest and most efficient when a swimmer’s body is “rotating” around their spine with each stroke. This part of swimming Backstroke has a big effect on maintaining a proper bodyline. Participants will practice activating their core muscles to form a powerful connection from head to toe with every stroke - resulting in faster backstroke!
  • KICK: A swimmer’s kick is the motor behind their Backstroke! There are obviously proper and improper ways to kick which we will review at the camp. Just as important, however, is practicing the complexities of how and when swimmers need to “shift gears” in their legs to become stronger and faster racers.
  • PULL: Just like in freestyle, the pull in backstroke keeps a swimmer balanced and accelerating forward. Essentially the best swimmers are creating a paddle with every stroke. The clinicians will work with participants to establish an early vertical forearm “the catch”, enabling the swimmer to put immediate pressure back on the water. Properly completing the stroke keeps the swimmer moving forward efficiently and fast.
  • GENERATING POWER!: Developing power will help your swimmer be more efficient and stronger in the water! To strengthen swimming specific movements, the elite clinicians will work with participants on improving power in their strokes.

ASK QUESTIONS

Swimmers and parents are invited to ask the clinicians questions during a Q&A session. Gain insight into their training regimen, diet and nutrition, and recovery tactics.

WATCH THE CLINICIANS

Observe clinicians 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 your 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 GIFT!

Inquisitive, Educated Swimmers are Faster Swimmers! Sign up today!

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