Past Clinic: 2022 Houston Swim Camp
Houston Swim Club - Sharpstown
8307 Augustine Dr,
Houston,
TX 77036
A description of what was covered at this past clinic is below the upcoming clinics.
Upcoming Swim Clinics and Camps
Within 250 miles of Houston, TX.
Past Clinic
Introduction
Fitter & Faster is producing two, 3-day swim camps at the Houston Swim Club - Sharpstown on December 27-29, 2022! Each age group will focus on different curriculums that are specifically designed for them!
Elite Speed & Power and Race Strategy & Execution: 100's (Ages 12 & over)
Sprinting & Fast 50's and Race Strategy & Execution: 100's (Ages 9 to 11)
Click the "Curriculum menu" below for more details on each camp:
-> Session sizes are limited to no more than 24 participants to ensure the highest level learning experience!
-> SAVE when you sign up for the "Full Camp Bundle" for your swimmers' age group!
Select a curriculum below
Elite Speed & Power Camp and Race Strategy: 100's (12 & Over) - DECEMBER 27-29, 2022
Due to the advanced concepts covered in this camp, this camp is exclusively for swimmers ages 12 & older. Swimming fast requires good technique, efficiency, power, and a hard working athlete. Elite swimmers are always working on this. At the Elite Speed and Power Camp, participants will advance their skills that apply to fast swimming in every stroke. This camp will be led by elite clinician: Brett Pinfold!
- DAY 1: GENERATING POWER! (Dec 27): 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, using resistance training and dynamic warm-ups to their advantage.
- Gear to Bring with You: Please bring a t-shirt to swim in, your snorkel, paddles, fins and a pair of gym sneakers to this camp!
- Dynamic Warm-up: In order to go fast, you need to be warm! The clinicians will take participants through a combination of light cardio exercises and dynamic stretches to get the blood flowing to the muscles and loosen joints in preparation to SWIM FAST! Remember: Bring your Gym Shoes!
- Establishing Your Catch to Maximize Power in Your Stroke: The only way to generate maximum power in your stroke is by “holding” as much water as possible. That process begins with “your catch” at the top of every stroke. At this camp your clinicians will work with you to ensure you are grabbing onto and holding water throughout your stroke.
- Resistance Training: Resistance is an excellent method of building power - especially in the water. It also helps to expose areas within your technique that can be strengthened. The clinicians will take your swimmer through resistance training methods! Properly swimming with hand paddles and a T-shirt will add resistance and develop power! Remember: Bring a t-shirt to swim in and your hand paddles!
- DAY 2 - CREATING & MAINTAINING SPEED (Dec 28): Your swimmer is going to learn how to swim at top speeds while continuing to leverage the powerful stroke that we worked on the day before! On Day 1, participants swam slower than they normally swim because of the resistance we added to establish a “powerful stroke”. Today is about swimming FASTER than you normally swim with assistance from fins and paddles.
- Gear to Bring with You: Please bring a t-shirt to swim in, your snorkel, paddles, fins and a pair of gym sneakers to this camp!
- "Overspeed Training": Practice how to swim with good technique at speeds faster than you’ll ever go in a race with the assistance of fins and paddles. We will utilize overspeed drills in and out of turns, in their breakouts and finishes. Remember: Bring your fins and hand paddles!
- Tempo: One way to increase efficiency is to take fewer strokes. Improving technique to decrease the number of strokes your swimmer takes will enable them to go further faster - that’s when times DROP!
- Maintaining Technique Through Fatigue: When swimmers get tired, their technique can break down. We are going to work with participants on how to handle fatigue. Competitive swimmers who focus on technique through fatigue in practice and in races reap the rewards of faster times.
- Speed Set: At the end of this session your swimmer will do a short and fast swim set to practice everything they have learned over the past two days.
- DAY 3: RACE STRATEGY & EXECUTION: 100's (Dec 29): “How should I swim this race?” How many times have you heard this? Swimmers of all ages and abilities have the same question. There are many different ways to swim a fast 100 in every stroke. The name of the game is understanding all the different ways to execute the race and seeing what works for you!
- Strategies: At this camp your swimmer will learn various strategies that elite swimmers have executed with top results. Before your camp you will be emailed links to several elite level races of 100 yards or meters across all strokes, along with a brief summary of each. At the camp we will discuss and practice those strategies.
- "Easy Speed": Establishing stroke length with the proper tempo after the breakout is essential to setting up a strong 100 in any stroke. Going as fast as we can with ease is the key to “easy speed”. We don’t want to kick or pull too hard the first 25, this will cause early fatigue. Swimmers will work on techniques to swim as fast as they can in all strokes with “ease”.
- Control: Your elite clinician will teach participants how to manipulate their speed and energy at different points in a race.
- Front-End Speed & Back-End Speed: The first 50 (front-end) and second 50 (back-end) of the 100 can be broken up to ensure an effective plan. Some swimmers go out really fast and hang on, while others control the first 50 and try to back-end the race at full speed. Testing new strategies at this camp will give your swimmer confidence in their next race.
- Underwater Kick Count: Figuring out the optimal number of kicks off each wall is essential to a fast 100. A swimmer wants to spend only the absolute necessary amount of time underwater to establish speed with each length. We want to avoid losing our breath and/or taking weak kicks.
- Breathing Pattern: Establishing a breathing pattern will help your swimmer stay focused and relaxed on their own swim. It will also help them finish the race with enough oxygen to close the race at full speed.
- Establishing a Plan: A racer should have a plan for the race before it is swum! What’s your plan for front-end and back-end speed? How much time will you spend underwater before your first breath? How often will you breath each length?
- Test the Plan in Practice: Now we test it! Swimmers will do a complete short set at the end of the session to practice racing the plan and stroke under race conditions. We’ll get off the blocks and practice some front end swims, push some back end swims, and race some straight 100’s.
- Confidence: One of the essential elements to dropping time and swimming fast is being willing to try new strategies when swimming a race. It’s ok to feel nervous and a little bit uncomfortable before your race! Entering a race with a strategy will help your swimmer with their confidence… and that confidence will help propel them to the results they aim to achieve.
Sprinting Fast 50’s and Race Strategy: 100's (11 & Under) - DECEMBER 27-29, 2022
Swimmers ages 11 & under are fortunate to still have 50's to race in every stroke at just about every swim meet! Now is the time for young swimmers to establish and cultivate habits to swim their shorter races as fast as possible with good technique that will position them for success as they mature. This camp will be led by elite clinician: Brett Pinfold!
- DAY 1: ESTABLISHING SPEED (Dec 27): At this session your swimmer will practice the essential components to high performance sprinting.
- Body Position: A competitive swimmer’s body position is the key to fast swimming. Most swimmers are NOT hydrodynamic in the water - and that has a big effect on how fast they “allow” themselves to swim - especially as they get older. Let’s find the right body position for your swimmer.
- Length of Stroke: Lengthening their stroke will enable your swimmer to “catch” and hold onto more water to propel them as they swim. Whereas a short stroke is inefficient and not sustainable for very long. The clinicians will work with participants on this important skill for fast swimming.
- Tempo: When sprinting short races young swimmers often tend to take too many strokes (“spin their wheels”) and not “hold onto the water”. At this camp we will find the appropriate tempo to maximize their own personal speed.
- DAY 2: RACING SKILLS (Dec 28): On Day 2, your swimmer will apply the skills that we practiced on the first day of this camp to important segments of every sprint race, including the moment your swimmer pushes off the wall; breakouts; finishes and all out sprinting!
- Breakouts: Many swimmers add movement within their breakout that creates drag and destroys all of the power created during their underwaters. Participants will work on timing their breakouts to accelerate to explode into each lap.
- Sprinting: On Day 1 your swimmer worked on body position, tempo and length of stroke. Today we are going to apply those skills to swimming “all out” on top of the water with efficiency and power.
- Walls, Walls, Walls!: Approaching the wall at top speed in preparation for the fastest turn is vital. Swimmers will work on techniques to get in and out of every wall faster!
- Finishes: Dropping time and even winning or moving up a few spots in the results can all come down to the last stroke! A well-timed finish at full speed, with full-arm extension and head down can make a difference of up to a full second in a race! Your swimmer is going to learn how to take advantage of the finish to drop time!
- Sprinting Application: Swimmers at this session will work on applying their newly developed skills during racing scenarios. As with all the other segments of this camp, the clinicians will provide feedback for your swimmer to take home and apply at upcoming practices and meets.
- DAY 3: RACE STRATEGY & EXECUTION: 100's (Dec 29): “How should I swim this race?” How many times have you heard this? Swimmers of all ages and abilities have the same question. There are many different ways to swim a fast 100 in every stroke. The name of the game is understanding all the different ways to execute the race and seeing what works for you!
- Strategies: At this camp your swimmer will learn various strategies that elite swimmers have executed with top results. Before your camp you will be emailed links to several elite level races of 100 yards or meters across all strokes, along with a brief summary of each. At the camp we will discuss and practice those strategies.
- "Easy Speed": Establishing stroke length with the proper tempo after the breakout is essential to setting up a strong 100 in any stroke. Going as fast as we can with ease is the key to “easy speed”. We don’t want to kick or pull too hard the first 25, this will cause early fatigue. Swimmers will work on techniques to swim as fast as they can in all strokes with “ease”.
- Control: Your elite clinician will teach participants how to manipulate their speed and energy at different points in a race.
- Front-End Speed & Back-End Speed: The first 50 (front-end) and second 50 (back-end) of the 100 can be broken up to ensure an effective plan. Some swimmers go out really fast and hang on, while others control the first 50 and try to back-end the race at full speed. Testing new strategies at this camp will give your swimmer confidence in their next race.
- Underwater Kick Count: Figuring out the optimal number of kicks off each wall is essential to a fast 100. A swimmer wants to spend only the absolute necessary amount of time underwater to establish speed with each length. We want to avoid losing our breath and/or taking weak kicks.
- Breathing Pattern: Establishing a breathing pattern will help your swimmer stay focused and relaxed on their own swim. It will also help them finish the race with enough oxygen to close the race at full speed.
- Establishing a Plan: A racer should have a plan for the race before it is swum! What’s your plan for front-end and back-end speed? How much time will you spend underwater before your first breath? How often will you breath each length?
- Test the Plan in Practice: Now we test it! Swimmers will do a complete short set at the end of the session to practice racing the plan and stroke under race conditions. We’ll get off the blocks and practice some front end swims, push some back end swims, and race some straight 100’s.
- Confidence: One of the essential elements to dropping time and swimming fast is being willing to try new strategies when swimming a race. It’s ok to feel nervous and a little bit uncomfortable before your race! Entering a race with a strategy will help your swimmer with their confidence… and that confidence will help propel them to the results they aim to achieve.
Session Times for all 3 days: Ages 9 to 11 : Check in 8:15 AM, Camp 8:30-11 AM Ages 12 & Over: Check in 11:45 AM, Camp 12-3 PM Suggested Participants: Our top priority is to provide a world-class learning experience for all participants at all of our camps. This camp has sessions for swimmers ages 9 to 11 and 12 & older. Participants will range from one-year of competitive swimming experience to AAAA times and faster. If you are the parent of a child under the age of 9 and would like for your child to be considered for the younger sessions of this camp, please complete this questionnaire.
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!
Brett Pinfold
As a clinician, Brett says, "The sport gave me so much, and I want the next generation to have just as I have much or more from the sport!". Brett knows not only the mechanics and technical skills of swimming but understands the mental side as well. He understands the grind, how to build confidence, have fun and compete and will transfer that knowledge to the swimmers he coaches! Sign up for a camp with Brett!
Piankhi Gibson
Participant reviews for camps led by Piankhi Gibson are exceptional. He is an articulate and thoughtful teacher of competitive swimming technique and strategy for all levels. He has formulated methods to enhance technique and strength in swimming. Sign up for a swim clinic with Piankhi to share in his wealth of knowledge on how to get faster!
Inquisitive, Educated Swimmers are Faster Swimmers! Sign up today!
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