Past Clinic: Comprehensive Freestyle Racing Camp

William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center
4601 Walnut Ave., Irvine, CA 92604

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

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Past Clinic

Introduction

Two-Day High Performance Swim Camp - This camp will focus on racing faster in every freestyle race.  Sign up for one or SAVE by signing up for both days!

Each age group will have two sessions: on Saturday, participants will focus on the mechanics of a smooth and powerful freestyle to become faster and more efficient swimmers.  Then on Sunday, participants will work on developing speed, focusing on distance per stroke vs tempo, flip turns, breakouts, and finishes.

This clinic will be led by 10-time Olympic Medalist Gary Hall Jr and Olympic medalist Kim Vandenberg!  Gary and Kim will share their passion for swimming and provide world-class instruction for each swimmer in a fun learning environment.  Scroll down to read more about the curriculum.

Session Times (Both Days):
11 & Under: Check in 9:00 AM, Clinic 9:15 AM-11:45 AM
12 & Over: Check in 12:45 PM, Clinic 1:00 PM-4:00 PM

Suggested Participants

Gary and Kim will lead two sessions for each age group. This camp is recommended for swimmers with at least one year of competitive swimming experience. Swimmers younger than 8 years old are not recommended without their coach's approval.

Curriculum

DAY 1 (SATURDAY): FREESTYLE TECHNIQUE & DRILLS

Freestyle is the stroke swam more than any other in races and practices. Creating and cultivating good habits now will not only make your swimmer faster but will also reduce the risk for injuries in the long term. Olympians Gary Hall Jr. and Kim Vandenberg will lead participants through a progression of drills that will allow them to deepen their understanding of each part of the freestyle stroke and help create good habits for fast and efficient freestyle technique.

  • BODYLINE: Your swimmer's freestyle will never be fast without a strong bodyline. Your swimmer 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: Your swimmer will become a stronger and faster kicker 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. Gary and Kim will also teach swimmers how to get maximum extension and a powerful finish to the stroke! Learn new drills and exercises to get more power from every stroke.
  • BREATH: All swimmers know to keep one goggle in and one goggle out of the water when they take a breath, but do they know when and how long to breathe? Gary and Kim will show your swimmer how to make each breath more efficient for faster freestyle racing no matter what distance.

DAY 2 (SUNDAY): APPLIED SPEED, FLIP TURNS, BREAKOUTS, & FINISHES

Mastering the details of a race makes the difference between a good swim and a great one. The fastest your swimmer will be moving is after the start and turn, so maximizing this momentum is a critical way to drop time. Practicing a compact flip turn, explosive breakout, and a well-timed finish will help your swimmer drop time in any freestyle event. Swimmers will learn how to balance tempo with distance per stroke to be able to practice different strategies in any freestyle race!

  • TEMPO: Your swimmer’s tempo is how fast or slow they complete each stroke. Having a slower tempo allows swimmers to conserve energy by taking fewer strokes, while a faster tempo is more tiring but much faster. Changing tempo based on event distance and fatigue level will help your swimmer swim as fast as possible.
  • DISTANCE PER STROKE: One way to increase efficiency is to take fewer strokes. Counting the number of strokes and improving technique to decrease that number will save energy. On the other side, it may be faster to take more strokes per length, especially in shorter events.
  • FLIP TURNS: Your swimmer will learn to carry their momentum through the turn to get in and out of every wall faster. Swimmers will practice accelerating into the wall, using their core and arms to get through the turn, and planting the feet on the wall for a powerful push off in the perfect streamline. Swimmers will learn drills and exercises to help them master this athletic skill!
  • BREAKOUTS: Many swimmers add movements in their breakout that create drag and destroy all of the momentum created during their underwater dolphin kicks. Your swimmer will work on staying streamlined and keeping their head down on the first stoke to accelerate into the first few strokes.
  • FINISHES: Races can be won or lost by hundredths of a second, and many races come down to the last few strokes. Your swimmer will learn how to use their kick to accelerate into the wall, time their stroke for a perfect arm extension, and keep their head down so they don’t waste any time or strokes as they approach the wall.

ASK QUESTIONS

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

WATCH THE CLINICIAN

Observe Gary and Kim 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 top speed with two of the best swimmers in the world! They'll work on holding onto their form while challenging themselves.

Take a photo with Gary and Kim, get autographs, and ALL PARTICIPANTS receive a FREE Fitter and Faster Collector’s Bag Tag for each day they are at the camp. Collect all 37 and trade with your friends!

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

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