Past Clinic: Explosive Performance: Starts & Turns Swim & Dryland Camp
Lionville Community YMCA
100 Devon Dr.,
Exton,
PA 19341
A description of what was covered at this past clinic is below the upcoming clinics.
Upcoming Swim Clinics and Camps
Within 250 miles of Exton, PA.
Past Clinic
Introduction
EXPLOSIVE PERFORMANCE SWIM CAMP! - December 28-30, 2021
The momentum generated from an explosive start and turns are the fastest that elite swimmers are moving in a race! The more efficient, powerful and hydrodynamic your swimmer is, directly impacts their speed and distance they travel in the water before taking their first stroke!
DAY 1: Starts & Underwaters, w/ Mobilization & Explosive Dryland Training
DAY 2: Turns & Finishes w/ Mobilization, Core & Swimmer Focused Yoga
BONUS DAY 3: NEWLY ADDED for swimmers 9 & over on 12/30: Starts &, Undewaters w/ Mobilization & Explosive Dryland Training
*Please bring appropriate attire for dryland training (sneakers, shorts/pants, t-shirt, etc.) in addition to your pool attire!
Click the “Curriculum Menu” below for details on this camp. Session sizes are limited to no more than 24 participants to ensure the highest level learning experience! One of the world's best swimmer-specific Strength Coaches Atiba Wade, will be working with your swimmers.
Select a curriculum below
EXPLOSIVE STARTS, UNDERWATERS & BREAKOUTS (Dec 28 & Dec 30)
The better a swimmer’s technique is off the starting block, the more speed they will carry into the water. Day 1 of this swim camp will help your swimmer improve their start, underwater dolphin kicking and breakouts! 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.
- STREAMLINE: The streamline - if done properly - will be 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: Elite swimmers want to maximize their streamline on every single lap. So, they don’t want to 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.
- MOBILIZATION & EXPLOSIVE DRYLAND (45-60 MINS): Swimmers at this session will focus on joint mobility to help safely sustain & optimize kick & pull athletically focused, work on swimmer specific strength & conditioning exercises to promote core strength/stability and coordination. They will also work with Atiba on explosive strength training, specifically for starts and underwater kicks!
FASTER FLIP TURNS, OPEN TURNS & FINISHES (Dec 29)
Quick, powerful turns and finishes 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. 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: Flip turns are an opportunity for your swimmers to increase momentum in the middle of a race! Flip turns in which the athletes slow down or have “mechanical” movements negatively impact the speed at which a swimmer comes off the wall. We will work with your swimmer to produce fast flip turns so that they can explode off the walls at maximum speed.
- 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!
- 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.
- MOBILIZATION, CORE & YOGA DRYLAND (45-60 MINS): Swimmers on day 2 will work with elite strength coach Atiba Wade on joint mobility to help safely sustain & optimize kick & pull as well as core focused strength & endurance to help promote optimal body position in the water! Swimmers will also be led through restorative swimmer specific yoga to help both mind & body recovery.
Session Times (Both Days): 12 & Under: Check in 12 PM, Clinic 12:15 PM- 2:45 PM 13 & Over: Check in 3:30 PM, Clinic 3:45 PM- 6:45 PM NEWLY ADDED: 10 & Over (BONUS DAY): Check in 11:45 AM, Clinic 12-2:30 PM SAVE when you purchase a 2 day "Bundle" for your swimmer's age group! Suggested Participants: These camps are 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 to the 12 & Under sessions without submitting their times or swimming history to Fitter and Faster.
ASK QUESTIONS
Swimmers and parents are invited to ask their clinicians questions during a Q&A session. Gain insight into their training regimen, diet and nutrition, and recovery tactics.
WATCH THE CLINICIANS
Observe your 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 clinicians, get autographs, and ALL PARTICIPANTS receive a FREE Fitter and Faster Swim Cap!
Atiba Wade
Atiba Wade is a strength and conditioning coach who creates programs designed for swimmer specific and athletically focused exercises that meet the demands of a competitive aquatic environment. Atiba was also a 2x Olympic Trials Qualifier and a University of Georgia All American Swimmer! Sign up for a clinic with Atiba and improve your fitness and swimming technique while challenging yourself and having fun!
Inquisitive, Educated Swimmers are Faster Swimmers! Sign up today!
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