Over 2 Days, we will be working with your swimmer to establish faster and more efficient butterfly and explore different strategies for 100 yards races of ALL strokes! This camp will be led by Elite Clinician & Paralympic Champion Tucker Dupree!

DAY 1: HIGH PERFORMANCE BUTTERFLY TECHNIQUE (Nov 12)

We want your swimmer to establish a rhythmic butterfly. Today we will practice various drills and skills that will enable your swimmer to have flowing hips and a long, more powerful butterfly stroke.

• BODYLINE: A butterfly race is going to be fastest with a 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 bad habits can emerge. 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 butterfly strokes.
• KICK: Each butterfly stroke has two kicks to propel the swimmer towards the other end of the pool! If the kicks are properly timed and equally strong, they can positively impact your swimmer’s efficiency and stroke timing! Your swimmer will work on how and when to kick in butterfly for maximum speed.
• PULL: Long and smooth strokes allow swimmers to have a more efficient and fluid butterfly. The pull in butterfly keeps a swimmer accelerating forward. Your clinicians will work with participants to establish an early vertical forearm, “the catch”, enabling the swimmers to put immediate pressure back on the water. Properly completing the stroke keeps the swimmer moving forward efficiently and fast.
• BREATH: The timing of the breath in butterfly has a direct relationship on a swimmer’s body position, pull, kick and TIMES! At this camp, we will work with participants on breathing with their chin low to the water... and WHEN to breathe in their stroke cycle so that they develop the most efficient stroke possible!

Race Strategy and Execution: 100's (Nov 13)

“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.