Past Clinic: Comprehensive Freestyle and Race Strategy

Manitowoc-Two Rivers YMCA
205 Maritime Dr, Manitowoc, WI 54220

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

Upcoming Swim Clinics and Camps

Within 250 miles of Manitowoc, WI.

Starting Apr 06, 2024

Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School

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Past Clinic

Introduction

Freestyle technique has many mechanical components that when perfected, can redefine efficiency. Learning comprehensive freestyle technique outside of practice time can take your swimming to the next level. Combine that with learning advanced race strategy, and you have a recipe to drop time in your best events. This camp will be led by Olympic Gold Medalist Joao de Lucca who is not only an experienced swimmer but also an exceptional teacher.

For swimmers 12 & Over swimmers there will be 3 sessions offered:

September 24: High Performance Freestyle Technique (Check in 4 PM, Clinic 4:15-7:15 PM)
September 25: Applying speed to Freestyle Technique (Check in 11:45 AM, Clinic 12-3 PM)
September 26: How to swim a fast 50  (Check in 11:45 AM, Clinic 12-3 PM)

For swimmers 11 & Under there will be 2 sessions offered:

September 24: High Performance Freestyle Technique  (Check in 8:45 AM, Clinic 9-11:30 AM)
September 25: How to swim a fast 50 (Check in 8:45 AM, Clinic 9-11:30 AM)

Sign up for individual sessions or SAVE when you purchase a Bundle. Scroll down to read more about the curriculum!

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 9 years old are not invited without submitting their times or swimming history to Fitter and Faster.

Curriculum

September 24: High Performance Freestyle Technique (12 & Over)

Though the most common stroke, Freestyle is far from simple and requires incredible attention to detail. From hand placement and catch, to a strong kick motion; proper Freestyle technique is all about a balancing effort of efficiency. Joao de Lucca will lead swimmers through a series of drills that focus on comprehensive elements of Freestyle stroke and take them through a series of progressions.

  • BODYLINE: Swimmer’s freestyle will never be fast without a strong bodyline. Participants will reinforce good posture and engage their core to have a strong foundation for a faster freestyle.
  • ROTATION: Participants will learn to utilize their rotation to form more connection and power out of every pull and kick.
  • KICK: A fast kick is the motor behind a swimmer's stroke! Participants will polish up their kicking to become stronger and faster through learning about both the technique and timing of each kick.
  • PULL: The best swimmers in the world utilize an early vertical forearm to put immediate pressure back on the water. Joao will work with swimmers on how to get the maximum extension and a powerful finish to the stroke!
  • BREATH: Timing is everything! The clinicians will work with the participants on how to make each breath more efficient for faster freestyle racing- no matter what distance.

September 25: Freestyle Applied Speed (12 & Over)

The technique for swimming a fast freestyle race changes, depending on the distance. Learning how to prioritize tempo vs. length and speed vs. efficiency can make a big difference in maximizing speed in shorter races, or increasing endurance in longer races. The session will also include a training set designed to challenge swimmers and complement the technical foundation developed on day one.

  • DISTANCE PER STROKE: Depending on a swimmer's race, their distance per stroke might change. Longer distances require extended, efficient strokes to save energy. Shorter events might need to have to increase the number of strokes taken to go faster. Participants will work with our clinicians to discover the proper stroke counts for different event lengths.
  • TEMPO: A Swimmer’s tempo is how fast or slow they complete each stroke. Slower tempos allow swimmers to conserve energy by taking fewer strokes. Faster tempos are tiring but much faster. Changing tempo based on event distance and fatigue level will help participants swim as fast as possible.
  • PACING: At this session, our clinician will help participants refine their stroke count and tempo to limit fatigue and increase efficiency to race faster in any distance!
  • TRAINING FREESTYLE: Also included in this session is an elite workout designed by your clinicians and the Fitter and Faster Coaching Team. This workout is specifically designed to challenge your swimmer’s freestyle and help identify strengths and weaknesses in their training, which will ultimately transfer into becoming a better racer!

September 25: High Performance Freestyle Technique (11 & Under)

Creating and cultivating good habits will not only make swimmers faster but will also reduce the risk for injuries in the long term. Joao will be in the water and on deck leading participants through a progression of freestyle drills. These skills will allow them to deepen their understanding of each part of the stroke and help create good habits for fast and efficient freestyle technique.

  • BODYLINE: Swimmer’s freestyle will never be fast without a strong bodyline. Participants will reinforce good posture and engage their core to have a strong foundation for a faster freestyle.
  • ROTATION: Participants will learn to utilize their rotation to form more connection and power out of every pull and kick.
  • KICK: A fast kick is the motor behind a swimmer's stroke! Participants will polish up their kicking to become stronger and faster through learning about both the technique and timing of each kick.
  • PULL: The best swimmers in the world utilize an early vertical forearm to put immediate pressure back on the water. The clinicians will work with swimmers on how to get the maximum extension and a powerful finish to the stroke!
  • BREATH: Timing is everything! The clinicians will work with the participants on how to make each breath more efficient for faster freestyle racing no matter what distance.

September 26: Swimming a fast 50 (12 & Over, 11 & Under)

The splash and dash! Swimming the 50 is all about perfectly executing the details of the race and swimming with explosive power. In this session, swimmers will work with our elite clinicians to find ways to be more explosive in their stroke technique and sprint faster in their short Freestyle races.

  • SPRINTING: Sprinting is all about swimming with “controlled aggression.” Our clinicians will demonstrate how to swim with power, while also being relaxed - having too much tension will make your swimmer slip in the water and slow down. Swimmers will observe how to tweak their stroke to make them more proficient.
  • UNDERWATER DOLPHIN KICKING: The best swimmers know how to weaponize their dolphin kicking. It is undeniably the fastest way to move through the water! Whether a swimmer dolphin kicks on their stomach, side, or back, understanding the importance of streamlined, underwater speed is vital for every swimmer!

ASK QUESTIONS

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

WATCH THE CLINICIANS

Observe the 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 clincians, get autographs, and ALL PARTICIPANTS receive a FREE Fitter and Faster swim cap!

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

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