Past Clinic: Explosive Performance: Starts and Turns

Jenison HS Aquatic Center
2140 Bauer Road, Jenison, MI 49428

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

Upcoming Swim Clinics and Camps

Within 250 miles of Jenison, MI.

Starting Apr 06, 2024

Waterford Kettering High School

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Starting Apr 06, 2024

Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School

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Starting Apr 13, 2024

Saline High School

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Starting Apr 13, 2024

Copley High School's Simmons Natatorium

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Lyons Township HS - North/South

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New Berlin Eisenhower Middle-High School

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Starting Apr 13, 2024

Windsor International Aquatic and Training Centre

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Starting Apr 27, 2024

Dexter Community Pool

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Crawfordsville Aquatic Center

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Starting May 04, 2024

New Albany High School - OH

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Starting May 18, 2024

Highland Park High School Aquatic Center

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Starting May 18, 2024

Liberty Township/Powell YMCA

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Starting May 18, 2024

Carmel High School Natatorium

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Starting May 04, 2024

New Palestine High School

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Starting Apr 20, 2024

Mt. Vernon Middle School

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Starting Apr 13, 2024

L'Anse Creuse High School - North

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Starting Jun 15, 2024

Arlington Ridge Center

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Past Clinic

Introduction

Two-Day Swim Camp - Sign up for one or BOTH days!

Did you know the fastest parts of every race are the start and turns? At this high performance swim camp, participants will work on starts on Saturday and turns on Sunday. A special emphasis will be put on powerful underwater dolphin kicking and explosive breakouts in both sessions.

Your clinicians for this camp with be two-time Olympian and coach to Olympians Brett Hawke. Also leading each session will be University of Michigan star and National Team member Gabby DeLoof. Your swimmer has so much they can learn from these two elite clinicians! 

Each day there are sessions for swimmers ages 11 & under and another for those ages 12 and up. Scroll down to sign up and for more details on the curriculum.

Suggested Participants

SAVE: Sign up early - before prices increase or sessions fill up. These sessions are for competitive swimmers only. Swimmers younger than 9 years old are not encouraged to sign up for sessions 1 & 3 without a recommendation by their swim coach.

Curriculum

SESSION 1 & 2: STARTS, UNDERWATER DOLPHIN KICKING, AND BREAKOUTS

The start is your opportunity to cover as much ground as possible in a very short period of time, with great efficiency and momentum heading into your underwater kicking and breakout. There are countless intricacies to performing a start and you only get better with practice. Olympian Brett Hawke will share his experience on how he found time to practice and improve his start both in and out of the water and Gabby DeLoof will teach your swimmer some of her most effective strategies to execute this explosive and athletic movement.

  • DIVES: How you set up on the block including proper hand and foot placement can allow your swimmer to explode forward with a lot of explosive power. Brett and Gabby will work with each swimmer to find their best position on the block as well as how to launch their body forward explosively into a tight streamline and enter through a small hole.
  • UNDERWATER DOLPHIN KICKING: The not-so-secret weapon of elite level swimmers is their underwater dolphin kick. Gabby DeLoof is known as one of the best underwater dolphin kickers in the world and she specializes in teaching swimmers how to unlock their potential in this important skill.
  • BREAKOUTS: Practice techniques to help your swim improve how they carry momentum from start, into the underwater dolphin kicks, and then to the breakout by timing the first stroke and staying streamlined. Your swimmer will practice keeping their head down and core engaged and it'll make a big difference in their breakout!
  • (12 & Older Only) BACKSTROKE STARTS: Getting into the right ready position with a straight back, hips high on the surface of the water, and feet positioned to get maximum power is extremely important to being able to execute a fast and clean backstroke start. Brett and Gabby will work with swimmers at this session to achieve a beautiful back arch over the water so that they can have an advantage in every backstroke race!

SESSIONS 3 & 4: FLIP TURNS, OPEN TURNS, UNDERWATER DOLPHIN KICKING, AND BREAKOUTS

Races are often won and lost because of the quality of turns and underwater dolphin kicking of the competitors. Many people don't realize this, but the push-off and streamline from the wall after a turn SHOULD BE the fastest a swimmer will go while in the water other than the streamline after a dive. Even elite level, swimmers often add in extra movements on their turns that slow them down and even cause them to lose races that they could have won. At these sessions, elite clinicians Brett Hawke and Gabby DeLoof will work with each participant to maintain their momentum at these key points in a race.

  • FLIP TURNS: Your swimmer will learn how to carry their momentum through the turn to get in and out of every wall faster. Swimmers will practice accelerating into the wall with long strokes and then using their core and arms to get through the turn. They'll practice planting their feet on the wall for a powerful pushoff in the perfect streamline. Brett and Gabby will give the swimmers drills and exercises to help them master this athletic skill now as well as in the future!
  • OPEN TURNS: Think about the open turn differently! You should not be making an open to turn around and swim the next lap. If you're doing this - you're actually stopping and then trying to regain speed again. An expertly executed open turn involves spinning backwards. This enables you to carry momentum into the pushoff. We're going to teach you how to cut a lot of time on this turn... helping you in all of your breaststroke and butterfly races!
  • UNDERWATER DOLPHIN KICKING: Many swimmer's don't know this, but you shouldn't begin dolphin kicking as soon as possible after the start or turn. Swimmers should push off in a tight streamline, then begin dolphin kicking after maximizing the speed of the pushoff. As a swimmer begins to kick, they should start bigger and slower, then become smaller and faster as they go. Brett and Gabby will work with the participants at this session to not only have the proper technique, but also the proper strategy to get the most out of their underwater dolphin kicking!
  • BREAKOUTS: The breakout after a turn is a bit harder to master than the breakout after the start, but many of the same concepts apply. At this session Brett and Gabby will work with swimmers to accelerate through their dolphin kick and then explode into their breakout off of every turn

ASK QUESTIONS

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

WATCH THE CLINICIAN

Observe Gabby 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 one of the best swimmers in the world! They'll work on holding onto their form while challenging themselves.

Take a photo while wearing Brett and Gabby's medals, get autographs, and a gift from TYR Sport!

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

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