This swim camp is designed to prepare swimmers for championship season by honing the skills that can make all the difference in their race times. Explosive starts, underwaters, and turns generate the highest speeds achieved by top age-group and elite swimmers, allowing them to maximize distance and maintain momentum before taking their first stroke. The more efficient, powerful, and hydrodynamic your swimmer becomes, the better they’re set up for success in every race.

DAY 1 (Friday, February 21): FLIP TURNS, OPEN TURNS, UNDERWATERS, & BREAKOUTS

Quick, powerful turns 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. Executing a great turn doesn’t end when a swimmer pushes off the wall, we will work with your swimmer on their streamline, dolphin kicks, and breakouts. 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: The fastest swimmers use walls to generate speed and momentum going into the next lap. Outside of the elite ranks, many 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”.
• 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: The streamline - when done properly - is 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: Top age group and elite swimmers maximize their streamline on every single lap. They don’t 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.

DAY 2 (Saturday, February 22): STARTS, SPRINTING SKILLS & FINISHES

The better a swimmer’s technique is off the starting block, the more speed they will carry into the water. Day 2 of this swim camp will help your swimmer improve their start from the moment they step on the block until they breakout into their stroke. 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. At its core, the sport of swimming is about RACING! This shows up nowhere more than at the finish of a close race. We will cover techniques to set up and execute a finish that will have your swimmer get their hand on the wall first.

• 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.
• WEDGE PLACEMENT & ARM HANDLE PULL: We will work with swimmers to find their ideal wedge placement based on leg length, strength, and technique. Our clinicians will also cover the use of block handles to generate the maximum momentum off of the blocks.
• WATER ENTRY: Starting the race with a smooth entry into the water will boost your swimmer's speed and carry the momentum generated off the block or wall. Becoming skilled at the water entry is crucial for any start and significantly contributes to your swimmers' overall race!
• STREAMLINE, UNDERWATER DOLPHIN KICKING, BREAKOUT PROGRESSION: We will review the work from day 1 on streamlines, dolphin kicks, and breakouts emphasizing both the similarities to coming off of a turn, but also some of the differences. Hitting and holding streamline throughout the entry from a start is a crucial skill. Your swimmer will also learn how the difference in momentum between a turn and a start will shift the optimal time to initiate their kick and the number of dolphin kicks that they should take before breaking out.
• BODY POSITION: Establishing great body position during and immediately after the breakout is a key to speed! Swimmers must seamlessly lift their hips and feet to the surface and begin swimming.
• THE SPRINT CATCH: The “catch” is the moment a swimmer grabs the water at the start of their pull. In sprinting, having a great catch is especially important since the hand can slip easily at high speeds. A strong catch allows swimmers to maximize distance per stroke and create sustainable speed. Swimmers will learn to master the sprint catch and understand how it differs from the catch used in distance or training strokes.
• TEMPO: In sprint races, swimmers often take too many strokes or "spin their wheels," losing efficiency by not "holding onto the water." Building on the work we do with the catch, swimmers will focus on finding the ideal stroke tempo for their personal speed, learning how to maintain power and efficiency throughout the race.
• 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.