This swim clinic emphasizes refining technique to enhance both freestyle and breaststroke, regardless of the swimmer's current skill level. For freestyle, we'll focus on building good habits and improving bodyline, catch, kick, pull, and breathing pattern to increase efficiency, power, and speed. In breaststroke, the emphasis will be on timing and reducing resistance, leading to a more powerful and efficient stroke, faster races, and improved IM times. No matter where you are in your swimming journey, this session offers valuable techniques to help you reach your full potential in the pool.

Session 1: FREESTYLE TECHNIQUE

Cultivating good habits for efficient freestyle is crucial from the moment swimmers learn the stroke. Whether you're newer to swimming or a seasoned athlete, there's always room to improve. During session 1, we'll focus on techniques that enhance your bodyline, catch, kick, pull, and breathing pattern, empowering you to swim faster and more efficiently.

• BODYLINE: Maintaining proper bodyline is crucial for achieving maximum speed in freestyle. Even the smallest adjustments in chin, neck, or back position can have a significant impact. As swimmers mature, their body position can shift, sometimes leading to less efficient habits. In this session, we'll focus on proper posture and core engagement, building a strong foundation for improved technique. You'll learn to create a full-body connection that promotes a more hydrodynamic and efficient stroke, regardless of your current skill level or age.
• ROTATION: Freestyle is fastest and most efficient when a swimmer’s body is “rotating” around their spine with each stroke. This part of swimming freestyle has a big effect on maintaining a proper bodyline. Participants will practice activating their core muscles to form a powerful connection from head to toe with every stroke.
• KICKING: A swimmer’s kick is the motor behind their freestyle! There are obviously proper and improper ways to kick which we will review at the camp. Just as important, however, is practicing the complexities of how and when swimmers need to “shift gears” in their legs to become stronger and faster racers.
• PULL: The pull in freestyle keeps a swimmer balanced and accelerating forward. This is a skill that needs cultivation throughout all swimmers’ careers. Having an early vertical forearm “catch” enables a swimmer to put immediate pressure back on the water. Properly completing the stroke keeps the swimmer moving forward efficiently. The later the “catch” or not “finishing” the stroke has a negative impact on a swimmer’s bodyline and speed.

Session 2: BREASTSTROKE TECHNIQUE

Out of the eight finalists at the Olympic Games, you might see eight different styles of breaststroke! A swimmer's timing and ability to eliminate resistance are hallmarks of an efficient and powerful breaststroker. No matter their level, this session will strengthen swimmers' technique and lead to faster and more efficient breaststroke races… and faster IM’s!  

• BODYLINE: A breaststroke 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. Elite breaststrokers focus on minimizing drag by “catching water” on their hands and feet as quickly as possible, so they can shoot back into a “straight bodyline” where they can glide at top speed.
• KICK: The kick creates a lot of the power in breaststroke. Swimmers need to keep their knees high in the water and snap their feet quickly around and back to create a powerful kick. Our clinicians will work with participants to strengthen their kick for the ultimate propulsion forward!
• PULL: The name of the game in breaststroke is to create as much propulsion as possible in the pull while minimizing resistance… and then quickly getting back into a straight bodyline to establish a high speed glide. Participants at this session will focus on setting up a proper "catch" and keeping their hands and elbows high on the water throughout the entire pull. The techniques your swimmer will practice will minimize resistance and enable them to maintain forward momentum for the fastest breaststroke.
• TIMING: Fast, flowing breaststroke is the result of proper timing between a swimmer's hands and feet. Establishing proper timing in breaststroke will allow for more fluidity, power and speed. Participants in this session will learn how elite swimmers time their breaststroke for ultimate efficiency and the fastest races.