Past Clinic: High Performance Technique for Faster Racing
Crawfordsville Aquatic Center
1 Athenian Dr,
Crawfordsville,
IN 47933
A description of what was covered at this past clinic is below the upcoming clinics.
Upcoming Swim Clinics and Camps
Within 250 miles of Crawfordsville, IN.
Past Clinic
Introduction
APRIL 24 & 25, 2021
Two-Day High Performance Swim Camp – In four sessions over two days, swimmers will focus on refining their technique for faster and more efficient freestyle and butterfly in addition to practicing starts and turns with explosive power.
Saturday
Session 1: Starts & Underwaters
Session 2: Freestyle Technique
Sunday
Session 3: Turns & Finishes
Session 4: Butterfly Technique
This camp will be led by Olympian Kat Simonovic! Her attention to detail and eye for perfect technique will help your participant become a faster and more efficient swimmer! Scroll down for more details on the curriculum.
Session Times:
Sessions 1 & 3: Check in 8:45 AM, Clinic 9:00 AM-11:00 AM
Sessions 2 & 4: Check in 11:30 AM, Clinic 11:45 AM-1:45 PM
Suggested Participants
Kat will lead four sessions over two days. This camp is recommended for swimmers who only swim seasonally or are new to competitive swimming (three years or less).
Curriculum
SESSION 1: 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. Olympian Kat Simonovic 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. Kat 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.
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. Kat Simonovic 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. Kat 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! Kat will show your swimmer how to make each breath more efficient for faster freestyle racing no matter what distance.
SESSION 3: 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. Olympian Kat Simonovic 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. Participants 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.
SESSION 4: HIGH PERFORMANCE BUTTERFLY TECHNIQUE
Kat Simonovic will work with participants to improve on the complexities of balancing power and fluid rhythm in one of the most dynamic athletic movements. 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 - become committed to these same skills...make them YOUR habits.
- BODY POSITION: Elite butterfliers focus on driving their momentum forward with minimal drag by keeping their heads low and hips high. Participants will work with Kat on establishing and maintaining the proper body position.
- KICK: Each butterfly stroke has two equally strong and well-timed kicks. Work on how and when to kick in fly for maximum speed.
- PULL: Long and smooth strokes will allow your swimmer to have a more efficient butterfly. Kat will teach participants to get an early catch on the water for more power in each stroke.
- BREATH: The most common mistakes that swimmers make in fly occur during the breath. Swimmers will work on low and efficient breaths as well as WHEN to breathe so that they can swim more efficiently on the breath stroke.
ASK QUESTIONS
Swimmers and parents are invited to ask Kat questions during a Q&A session. Gain insight into her training regimen, diet and nutrition, and recovery tactics.
WATCH THE CLINICIAN
Observe Kat 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 Kat, get autographs, and ALL PARTICIPANTS receive a FREE Fitter and Faster Collector’s Bag Tag for each day they are at the camp. Collect all 37 and trade with your friends!
Inquisitive, Educated Swimmers are Faster Swimmers! Sign up today!
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