Past Clinic: High Performance Freestyle and Backstroke Racing
Mexico High School
3338 Main Street,
Mexico,
NY 13114
A description of what was covered at this past clinic is below the upcoming clinics.
Upcoming Swim Clinics and Camps
Within 250 miles of Mexico, NY.
Past Clinic
Introduction
Swimmers ages 10 & Over have four opportunities over 2 days to work on exclusive skills that will launch them ahead of their competition! This camp will be led by Elite Clinician and Olympian Clay Youngquist.
Saturday, October 2:
Session 1: Starts, Underwater & Breakouts (Check in 7:45 AM, Clinic 8 AM- 10:30 AM)
Session 2: High Performance Freestyle technique (Check in 11 AM, Clinic 11:15 AM-2:15 PM)
Sunday, October 3:
Session 3: Flip Turns, Open Turns & Finishes (Check in 7:30 AM, Clinic 7:45 AM- 10:15 AM)
Session 4: High Performance Backstroke Technique (Check in 10:45 AM, Clinic 11 AM-2 PM)
Sign up for individual sessions or SAVE when you create your own Bundle. Scroll down to read more about the curriculum!
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 10 years old are not invited without submitting their times or swimming history to Fitter and Faster.
Curriculum
October 2, Session 1: STARTS, UNDERWATERS & BREAKOUTS
The start sets up a swimmers race. The more power off the block, the better! There are countless intricacies to performing an explosive start, followed by an efficient and dominating underwater. {{ The clinicians }} have spent countless hours practicing starts and underwater dolphin kicking and will work with swimmers on being explosive and efficient with each movement.
- STARTS: Clay Youngquist will work with swimmers to find their best position on the block as well as how to powerfully launch off into a tight streamline. Swimmers will also discover their optimal reaction time to get off the blocks fast and ahead of their competition.
- UNDERWATER DOLPHIN KICKING: The fastest swimmers know how to weaponize their underwater. It's the quickest way to move through the water! Understanding the importance of streamlined underwater speed is vital for every level of swimmer.
- BREAKOUTS: Many swimmers add movement within their breakout that creates drag and destroys all of the power created during their underwaters. Participants will work on timing their breakouts to accelerate to explode into the lap.
October 2, Session 2: HIGH PERFORMANCE FREESTYLE TECHNIQUE
As you know, freestyle is the stroke swam more than any other in races and practices. Creating and cultivating good habits will not only make your swimmer faster but will also reduce the risk for injuries in the long term. Clay Youngquist will be in the water leading participants through a progression of freestyle drills. These 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: 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. Clay 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 the length and timing are also important! Clay Youngquist will show your swimmer how to make each breath more efficient for faster freestyle racing no matter what distance.
October 3, Session 3: FLIP TURNS, OPEN TURNS & FINISHES
Focusing on having faster turns is an easy way to drop time and win close races. Elite swimmers maintain their momentum through a quick turn and powerfully push off every wall. Clay Youngquist will lead participants through a series of drills to have compact, fast turns in any race.
- FLIP TURNS: Swimmers will work on what techniques carry their momentum through the turn to get in and out of every wall faster. Participants will also 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.
- OPEN TURNS: Swimmers should not just go through the motions of an open turn; if they’re doing this, they are actually stopping and then trying to regain speed. An expertly executed open turn involves carrying momentum from one lap into the next. Swimmers will work with Clay Youngquist to nail an efficient and quick open turn.
- FINISHES: Races can be won or lost by hundredths of a second, and many races come down to the last few strokes. Swimmers will reinforce their kick to accelerate into the wall, time their stroke for a perfect arm extension, and keep their head down to out touch the competition.
October 3, Session 4: HIGH PERFORMANCE BACKSTROKE TECHNIQUE
Your swimmer understands the core components of backstroke, now begin to master the subtle skills that will help your swimmer compete at a higher level. Participants will practice using their core to create rotation and a balanced stroke, build a powerful pull with a strategic use of stroke rate, and use their kick as a dominant propulsive force.
- BODY POSITION: Participants will work with clinicians to feel and understand how to maintain a neutral spine and head position for less drag and better full body connection in backstroke.
- ROTATION: The fastest backstrokers in the world use a powerful body rotation to create more power and increase their tempo. Your swimmer will learn how much to rotate, when to rotate, and how to use it for maximum speed and power.
- KICK: Have you ever noticed how many swimmers’ knees break the surface when they kick in backstroke? This means that the swimmer is kicking with their knees which is less efficient than kicking from their hip. Maintaining maximum propulsion and proper kicking technique will greatly improve your swimmer’s backstroke.
- PULL: It is very important for swimmers to bend their elbow very early in the pull so that they can get an early catch for an immediate and powerful press back into the water.
ASK QUESTIONS
Swimmers and parents are invited to ask clinicians questions during a Q&A session. Gain insight into his training regimen, diet and nutrition, and recovery tactics.
WATCH THE CLINICIAN
Observe 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 one of the best swimmers and coaches in the world! They'll work on holding onto their form while challenging themselves.
Take a photo with clinicians, 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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