Past Clinic: High Performance Starts, Turns, and Speed Camp
Greenbrier Pool (Outdoor)
5103 Chesterfield Ave,
Charleston,
WV 25304
A description of what was covered at this past clinic is below the upcoming clinics.
Upcoming Swim Clinics and Camps
Within 250 miles of Charleston, WV.
Past Clinic
Introduction
JUNE 21-23, 2021
High Performance Starts, Turns, and Speed Camp –SAVE more by signing up for multiple sessions across multiple camps and/or for multiple swimmers!
Did you know that the fastest that your swimmer is ever moving through the water is after the start and after every turn? On Monday, the curriculum will focus on explosive starts and powerful underwater dolphin kicking. Tuesday will focus on developing speed and power in the strokes. Then on Wednesday, participants will work on accelerating through every flip turn and open turn into a well-timed finish.
Session sizes are limited to no more than 24 participants to ensure the highest level learning experience!
This camp will be led by Olympic Trials qualifier Bryar Long! Bryar not only swam at the highest level but is also an exceptional teacher with talent for explaining and demonstrating the technique required for fast racing! Scroll down for more details on the curriculum!
Session Time (All Days):
Check in 9 AM, Clinic 9:15 AM-12:15 PM
Suggested Participants
Bryar will lead three sessions for each age group. This camp is recommended for swimmers with at least one year of competitive swimming experience. Swimmers younger than 10 years old are not recommended without their coach's approval.
Curriculum
DAY 1 (MONDAY): STARTS & UNDERWATERS
The start is your swimmer’s opportunity to cover as much ground as possible in a very short period of time with great efficiency and momentum heading into a tight streamline. There are countless intricacies to performing a start, and it will only improve with practice. Olympic Trials qualifier Bryar Long has spent countless hours practicing starts and underwater dolphin kicking and will show your swimmer how to be explosive and efficient with each movement.
- STARTS: Your swimmer’s proper hand and foot placement on the block can allow them to drive forward with a lot of explosive power. Bryar will work with your swimmer to find the best position on the block as well as how to launch their body forward efficiently into a tight streamline and enter the water through a small hole.
- UNDERWATER DOLPHIN KICKING: The fastest swimmers know how to weaponize their dolphin kicking. It is absolutely, undeniably, the fastest way to move through the water! Whether you dolphin kick on your stomach, side, or back, understanding the importance of streamlined, underwater speed is vital for every swimmer!
- BREAKOUTS: Many swimmers add movements in their breakout that create drag and destroy all of the momentum created during their underwater dolphin kicks. Your swimmer will work on staying streamlined and keeping their head down on the first stroke to accelerate into the first few strokes.
DAY 2 (TUESDAY): HIGH PERFORMANCE SPEED & POWER
Bryar Long will help participants increase their power and speed with each stroke! Swimmers will review different strategies for training and increasing their power, while also focusing on swimming with efficiency at top speed. Swimmers can greatly change their race strategy by adjusting just two aspects of their stroke - distance per stroke and tempo. For example, it might be faster for one swimmer taking long slow strokes, while another swimmer may be better suited for more strokes at a higher rate.
- IMPROVING POWER IN STROKE TECHNIQUE: Swimmers are taught to decrease their resistance in the water for a faster stroke, but ADDING resistance causes swimmers to alter their technique and highlight any deficiencies. Removing that resistance then allows swimmers to feel those differences in technique and build power in their stroke technique.
- RESISTANCE TRAINING: One of the best ways to build power in freestyle and butterfly is to add resistance. Many swimmers use expensive equipment such as power rack to add resistance, but there are many inexpensive items like hand paddles and rubber tubing with a belt have the same effect. Even swimming with a T-shirt and shoes in the water can help add resistance and develop power!
- DISTANCE PER STROKE: One way to increase efficiency is to take fewer strokes. Counting the number of strokes and improving technique to decrease that number will save energy. On the other side, it may be faster to take more strokes per length, especially in shorter events.
- TEMPO: Your swimmer’s tempo is how fast or slow they complete each stroke. Having a slower tempo allows swimmers to conserve energy by taking fewer strokes, while a faster tempo is more tiring but much faster. Changing tempo based on event distance and fatigue level will help your swimmer swim as fast as possible.
- MAINTAINING TECHNIQUE THROUGH FATIGUE: When your swimmer gets tired, it’s the easy choice to revert to sloppy technique in order to make the interval and finish the set. Choosing to focus on technique through fatigue is the difficult decision, but more beneficial in the long run. Your swimmer will learn from Bryar how to handle fatigue in practice and races.
DAY 3 (WEDNESDAY): 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 have a powerful push off every wall. Olympic Trials qualifier Bryar Long will lead participants through a series of drills to have compact, fast turns in any race. It’s easy for swimmers to have lazy turns when they are tired, but by learning the correct technique and practicing daily, your swimmer can gain speed on each turn.
- FLIP TURNS: Your swimmer will learn to carry their momentum through the turn to get in and out of every wall faster. Swimmers will 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. Swimmers will learn drills and exercises to help them master this athletic skill!
- OPEN TURNS: Think about the open turn differently! Your swimmer should not be making an open turn to touch the wall and swim the next lap; if they’re doing this, they are actually stopping and then trying to regain speed. An expertly executed open turn involves spinning backwards, enabling your swimmer to carry momentum into the push off.
- FINISHES: Races can be won or lost by hundredths of a second, and many races come down to the last few strokes. Your swimmer will learn how to use their kick to accelerate into the wall, time their stroke for a perfect arm extension, and keep their head down so they don’t waste any time or strokes as they approach the wall.
ASK QUESTIONS
Swimmers and parents are invited to ask Bryar questions during a Q&A session. Gain insight into his training regimen, diet and nutrition, and recovery tactics.
WATCH THE CLINICIAN
Observe Bryar 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 with Bryar, 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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