Butterfly and breaststroke are powerful short-axis strokes that demand rhythm, precision, and smart racing skills. At this comprehensive camp, participants will refine every detail - from starts, breakouts, and turns to the unique elements that set these strokes apart: the dolphin kick in butterfly and the pullout in breaststroke. Swimmers will leave equipped with everything they need to race faster and with greater confidence in both strokes.

• Session 1 (Saturday, December 27): STARTS, UNDERWATERS & BREAKOUTS: The better a swimmer’s technique is off the starting block, the more speed they will carry into the water. Session 1 of this swim camp will help your swimmer improve their start, underwater dolphin kicking and butterfly breakouts! We will also work on getting the most out of the single allowable dolphin kick for breaststroke. 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.
• 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: 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 for both butterfly and that single dolphin kick in breaststroke.
• 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.
• SINGLE DOLPHIN KICK FOR BREASTSTROKE: Breaststrokers get just one dolphin kick during the pullout and most take it at the very beginning. Your swimmer will work on specific strategy for getting the absolute most out of that single kick.
• BREAKOUTS: Many swimmers unintentionally add movements in their breakouts that reduce speed by creating drag. In this camp, participants will focus on perfecting their butterfly breakout timing to maintain momentum and power into each lap.
• Session 2 (Saturday, December 27): BUTTERFLY TECHNIQUE : 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!
• Session 3 (Sunday, December 28): BREASTSTROKE TECHNIQUE: Breaststroke is unique—no two swimmers look the same at the elite level. It’s all about reducing resistance, perfecting timing, and finding what works for each individual. We’ll build a foundation and then help each swimmer refine their style for maximum speed and efficiency. No matter your swimmer’s level, this session will strengthen their technique and lead to faster and more efficient breaststroke races… and faster IM’s!
• Bodyline: With the most drag of any stroke, breaststroke demands constant attention to body position. We’ll work on keeping the head, hips, and spine aligned and moving forward at every point in the stroke—especially during the crucial first strokes off each wall.
• Kick: A strong, powerful kick is key in breaststroke. In every breaststroke kick, the ankles should stay outside the knee. The optimal size of the kick varies by each swimmer and is highly dependent on knee and ankle flexibility. Swimmers who view themselves as “bad” at breaststroke kick often only need to focus on decreasing the size of their kick and they can unlock unknown potential.
• Pull: To have a great breaststroke pull, swimmers need to keep their elbows near the surface of the water and out in front of their shoulders at all times. Once the hands turn in and begin the “recovery” phase they need to move quickly to full extension in front of the body to reestablish bodyline. The pull pattern varies based on a swimmer’s kick. We’ll help swimmers match their pull width and tempo to their natural kick style—maximizing propulsion and efficiency.
• Timing: Elite breaststrokers are constantly tweaking their timing to achieve the ideal combination of power and efficiency. Our clinicians will introduce key drills that help connect the pull, kick, breath, and glide into a smooth, powerful cycle.
• Session 4 (Sunday, December 28): OPEN TURNS, BREASTSTROKE PULLOUTS & FINISHES: Open turns are key in butterfly and breaststroke, and even small tweaks can make a big difference. Since they’re usually learned early, they can be clunky without continued improvement. This camp will focus on making turns smoother and faster, plus we’ll work on breaststroke pullouts, breakouts, and timing the finish—skills that often get overlooked but can help win close races.
• 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!
• MOMENTUM: 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! This is especially true in fly and breaststroke where strokes are naturally longer and both arms move together. We will work with participants on the intricacies of approaching every wall at top speed and seamlessly initiating their “turn”.
• BREASTSTROKE UNDERWATER PULLOUT: The breaststroke pullout is an important and unique part of every breaststroke race. We will work with participants on minimizing resistance in their pull-outs and establishing maximum speed. The pullout can be used strategically, depending on the distance of the race, to cover more ground before breaking out.
• BREASTSTROKE BREAKOUTS: Breaststroke breakouts are also a unique and important skill. After the pullout, swimmers need to keep their momentum going, time their rise to the surface just right, and keep their head moving forward—not up—to help bring their hips to the surface and stay in a good line.
• BUTTERFLY & BREASTSTROKE FINISHES: Setting up for a fast finish is a lot like preparing for a strong turn—it all comes down to timing and positioning. In butterfly and breaststroke, where both arms move forward simultaneously, that timing can be especially challenging. At this camp, your swimmer will learn specific techniques to make adjustments and consistently set up for a well-timed, confident finish.