Past Clinic: High Performance Stroke Technique and Start & Turns Camp

Thousand Oaks High School
2323 N Moorpark Rd, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360

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

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Past Clinic

Introduction

October 23 & 24, 2021: High Performance Stroke Technique and Start & Turns Camp  - Sign up for individual sessions or SAVE when you purchase the 4 session Bundle! 

This swim camp will cover many essential skills over two days that will benefit all competitive swimmers ages 9 & Over! Participants will work with Olympic medalist Kim Vandenburg and NCAA Champion Pavel Romanov! Session sizes are limited to no more than 24 participants to ensure the highest level learning experience!

Saturday, October 23:
-Session 1: Explosive Starts, Underwaters & Breakouts (Check in  8:45 AM, Clinic 9-11 AM)
-Session 2: Freestyle & Backstroke Technique (Check in 12 PM, Clinic 12:15-2:15) 

Sunday, October 24:
-Session 3: Flip Turns, Open Turns & Finishes (Check in  8:45 AM, Clinic 9-11 AM)
-Session 4: Butterfly & Breaststroke Technique (Check in 12 PM, Clinic 12:15-2:15) 

Scroll down for more details on 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 9 years old are not invited without submitting their times or swimming history to Fitter and Faster.

Curriculum

Saturday (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. Kim Vandenburg and Pavel Romanov have spent countless hours practicing starts and underwater dolphin kicking and will work with swimmers on being explosive and efficient with each movement.

  • STARTS: Kim and Pavel 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.

Saturday (Session 2): HIGH PERFORMANCE FREESTYLE & Backstroke TECHNIQUE

Creating and cultivating good habits will make swimmers faster and reduce the risk for injuries in the long term. Our elite clinicians will be in the water and on deck leading participants through a progression of freestyle and backstroke drills. These skills will deepen their understanding of each part of their strokes and help create good habits for fast and efficient long axis techniques.

  • BODYLINE: Swimmer’s freestyle and backstroke will never be fast without a strong bodyline. Participants will reinforce good posture and engage their core to have a strong foundation for a faster long axis strokes.
  • ROTATION: Participants will learn to utilize their rotation to form more connection and power out of every pull and kick.
  • KICK: A fast kick is the motor behind a swimmer's stroke! Participants will polish up their kicking to become stronger and faster through learning about both the technique and timing of each kick.
  • PULL: The best swimmers in the world utilize an early catch to put immediate pressure on the water in freestyle and backstroke pulls. The clinicians will work with swimmers to get the maximum extension and a powerful finish to the stroke.
  • BREATH: Timing is everything in freestyle! The clinicians will work with the participants on how to make each breath more efficient for faster freestyle racing no matter what distance.

Sunday (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. Kim Vandenburg and Pavel Romanov 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 Kim and Pavel 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.

Sunday (Session 4): HIGH PERFORMANCE BUTTERFLY & Breaststroke TECHNIQUE

Butterfly and Breaststroke movements are surprisingly similar! Participants will work with Kim and Pavel to improve the nuances of balancing power and fluid rhythm in two of the most dynamic athletic movements. Elite butterfliers and breaststrokers maintain forward momentum by setting their catch and perfectly timing their kick. During this session, Swimmers will work to make these habits their own!

  • BODY POSITION: Elite butterfliers and Breaststrokers focus on driving their momentum forward with minimal drag by keeping their heads low and hips high. Participants will work with Kim on establishing and maintaining a proper butterfly and breaststroke body position to slice through the water!
  • KICK: Each butterfly or breaststroke stroke has strong and well-timed kicks. Attendees will work on how and when to kick in their butterfly and breaststroke strokes for maximum speed.
  • PULL: Long and smooth strokes will allow swimmers to have a more efficient butterfly and breaststroke. Kim and Pavel will help participants get an early catch on the water for more power in every stroke.
  • BREATH: A common mistake swimmers run into during their butterfly and breaststroke is mistiming their breath. Swimmers will work on low and efficient breaths and WHEN to breathe during their strokes to swim more efficiently on the breath stroke.

ASK QUESTIONS

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

WATCH YOUR CLINICIANS

Observe the 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 in the world! They'll work on holding onto their form while challenging themselves.

Take a photo with your Elite 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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