Past Clinic: High Performance Stroke Technique Camp

Reedley High School (Outdoor)
740 W North Ave, Reedley, CA 93654

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

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Within 250 miles of Reedley, CA.

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Past Clinic

Introduction

JULY 10-11, 2021

High Performance Stroke Technique Camp -Sign up for individual sessions or SAVE when you purchase a Bundle! 

Swimmers will improve at this intimate high performance stroke technique camp.  Participants will focus on developing efficient technique across all four strokes. Saturday will cover butterfly and breaststroke. Sunday will focus on freestyle and backstroke.

Session sizes are limited to no more than 24 participants to ensure the highest level learning experience!

This camp will be led by Giles Smith who swam at the highest level and is an exceptional teacher with talent for explaining and demonstrating the technique required for fast racing! Scroll down for more details on the curriculum!

Session Times (Both Days):
11 & Under: Check in 8 AM, Clinic 8:15-10:45 AM
12 & Over: Check in 11:30 AM, Clinic 11:45-2:45 PM

Suggested Participants

Giles Smith will lead two sessions for each age group. This camp is 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

DAY ONE (SATURDAY): HIGH PERFORMANCE BUTTERFLY & BREASTSTROKE

Butterfly and breaststroke are called the “short axis” strokes because swimmers undulate at their hips, giving the strokes their distinct up and down motion. These strokes share many other technical attributes, and can be challenging strokes to master due to the importance of rhythm and timing. Working on these two strokes together will deepen a swimmer’s understanding of the technique required to swim with more efficiency and speed.

  • BUTTERFLY: Perfect the complexities of balancing power and fluid rhythm in one of the most dynamic athletic strokes. Elite butterfliers maintain forward momentum by setting an immediate high catch with a perfectly timed kick. They are committed to a breathing pattern, perfecting their distance per stroke, and maintaining a horizontal body position. Giles will help swimmers become committed to these same skills to create better habits every time they swim butterfly!
  • BREASTSTROKE: Learn to utilize the same technique and strategies as world-class breaststrokers. Participants will continue the process of reducing drag in this rhythmic stroke. We will focus on the timing of the kick and pull; swimming in a horizontal plane with a small powerful kick; keeping the hips high throughout the whole stroke; and generating forward power in their recovery.

DAY TWO (SUNDAY): HIGH PERFORMANCE FREESTYLE & BACKSTROKE

Freestyle and backstroke are called the “long axis” strokes because swimmers rotate their hips and torso from side to side. Freestyle and backstroke utilize the same kick, body position, posture, rotation, and an early catch; improve these complex skills to become a faster and more powerful swimmer! Elite Clinicians will cover drills and skills to break down these strokes into easy-to-understand movements that will come together for a faster, stronger, and more efficient stroke technique.

  • FREESTYLE: Participants will reinforce holding a straight and solid body line so that they can cut through the water with less drag. Practice keeping a still and low head position (especially during the breath!) while driving a strong flutter kick. The clinicians will also teach participants how to get an early and powerful press backwards on the water in the arm pull to get more out of every stroke. From the 50 to the mile, swimmers will learn skills that will allow them to drop time in every freestyle race.
  • BACKSTROKE: Engaging the core not only allows swimmers to swim stronger, but it also allows them to hold the proper body position. Giles Smith will help participants learn the importance of rotation and how to use it to their advantage for more power in each stroke. The arm pull in backstroke should press the water all the way through using the whole arm to achieve maximum propulsion. Backstrokers are often the fastest kickers on their teams, find out why and learn to have a stronger kick!

ASK QUESTIONS

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

WATCH THE CLINICIANS

Observe Giles 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 some of the best swimmers & coaches in the world! They'll work on holding onto their form while challenging themselves.

Take a photo with Giles, get autographs, and ALL PARTICIPANTS receive a FREE Fitter and Faster swim cap for the camp.

Inquisitive, Educated Swimmers are Faster Swimmers! Sign up today!

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