Past Clinic: High Performance Technique for Faster Racing
Muscatine Community YMCA
1823 Logan St,
Muscatine,
IA 52761
A description of what was covered at this past clinic is below the upcoming clinics.
Upcoming Swim Clinics and Camps
Within 250 miles of Muscatine, IA.
Past Clinic
Introduction
JULY 20-22, 2021
High Performance Technique for Faster Racing –Sign up for individual sessions or SAVE when you purchase a Bundle!
During six sessions over three days, swimmers will focus on refining their technique for faster and more efficient racing in all four strokes in addition to practicing starts and turns with explosive power.
Tuesday, July 20
Session 1: Race Strategy: 100's
Session 2: Freestyle
Wednesday, July 21
Session 3: Backstroke
Session 4: Breaststroke
Thursday, July 22
Session 5: Butterfly
Session 6: Turns & Finishes
Session sizes are limited to no more than 24 participants to ensure the highest level learning experience!
This camp will be led by Robyn Clevenger who swam at the highest level, and Joao Delucca, a two time Olympian, who are exceptional teachers with talent for explaining and demonstrating the technique required for fast racing! Scroll down for more details on the curriculum!
Session Times (All Days):
AM Sessions: Check in 9 AM, Clinic 9:15-11:30 AM
PM Sessions: Check in 12 PM, Clinic 12:15-2:30 PM
Suggested Participants
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
SESSION 1: RACE STRATEGY: 100s
Swimming 100 yard races requires unique strategy and planning for fast racing. Technique is tweaked to provide more power for the event, and taking advantage of the start and streamline off each wall has a larger impact. Trying to find the balance between underwaters, breathing pattern, and sprinting are key to having a fast 100! Robyn and Joao will work with participants to find this balance and how they can apply it to race faster!
- SPRINTING: Sprinting is all about swimming with “controlled aggression!” Swimmers will observe and practice how to tweak their stroke to make them quick yet efficient - increasing tempo, shortening the breath, and a strong connected kick will lead to an explosive race!
- PACING: Pacing for races 100 yards or meters can be broken up many ways. Robyn and Joao will present different strategies on how to swim 100s: Experimenting and learning new techniques will allow swimmers to improve their 100 speed!
- UNDERWATERS: The fastest swimmers know how to weaponize their underwater. It's the fastest way to move through the water! Understanding the importance of streamlined underwater speed is vital for every level of swimmer.
SESSION 2: HIGH PERFORMANCE FREESTYLE TECHNIQUE
Creating and cultivating good habits will not only make swimmers faster but will also reduce the risk for injuries in the long term. Elite Clinicians Robyn Clevenger and Joao Delucca will be in the water and on deck leading participants through a progression of freestyle drills. These skills 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: Swimmer’s freestyle 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 freestyle.
- 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 vertical forearm to put immediate pressure back on the water. Robyn and Joao will work with swimmers on how to get the maximum extension and a powerful finish to the stroke!
- BREATH: Timing is everything! The clinicians will work with the participants on how to make each breath more efficient for faster freestyle racing no matter what distance.
SESSION 3: HIGH PERFORMANCE BACKSTROKE TECHNIQUE
Begin to master the subtle skills that will help swimmers compete at a higher Backstroke level. Participants will practice using their core to create rotation as well as a stable and 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 Robyn and Joao 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 rotation to create more power and increase their tempo. Discover how to finesse when to rotate and how to use it for maximum speed and power.
- KICK: If a swimmer is kicking from their knees it is less efficient than kicking from the hip. Robyn and Joao will help swimmers maintain maximum propulsion with the proper kicking technique.
- 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. Participants will work on timing their catch for the greatest amount of pull possible.
SESSION 4: HIGH PERFORMANCE BREASTSTROKE TECHNIQUE
More than any other stroke, breaststroke is the most varied. Out of the eight finalists at the Olympic Games you might see eight different styles of strokes! A swimmer's timing and ability to eliminate resistance are both hallmarks of an efficient and powerful breaststroker. Participants have the foundation, now they will work with our clinicians on how to utilize core and hip drive to create a fluid and more forward driving stroke.
- BODY POSITION: The best swimmers in the world learn at a young age about the importance of being patient with their stroke and trusting their "glide position". Many swimmers rush their stroke, create "drag" and exhaust themselves. Robyn and Joao will work with participants to maintain a better body position for a more efficient breaststroke.
- KICK: The kick is about 80% of the power in breaststroke. The clinicians will work with participants to polish up their kick resulting in the ultimate propulsion forward!
- PULL: Participants in this session will learn drills to encourage them to keep their hands and elbows high on the water throughout the entire pull, thereby minimizing resistance and maintaining speed.
- TIMING: A fast breaststroke is all about the rhythm! The proper timing will make your stroke fast, smooth and less taxing on the body. Learn how Robyn and Joao time their breaststroke for ultimate efficiency.
SESSION 5: HIGH PERFORMANCE BUTTERFLY TECHNIQUE
Participants will work with our clinicians to improve on the nuances 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. Swimmers will work to make these habits their own!
- 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 Robyn and Joao on establishing and maintaining a proper butterfly body position.
- KICK: Each butterfly stroke has two equally strong and well-timed kicks. Attendees will work on how and when to kick in fly for maximum speed.
- PULL: Long and smooth strokes will allow swimmers to have a more efficient butterfly. Robyn and Joao will help participants get an early catch on the water for more power in each stroke.
- BREATH: A common mistake swimmers run into is mistiming their 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.
SESSION 6: 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. Robyn and Joao will lead participants through a series of drills to have compact, fast turns in any race!
- FLIP TURNS: Swimmers will identify and 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 their clinicians 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.
ASK QUESTIONS
Swimmers and parents are invited to ask the clinicians questions during a Q&A session. Gain insight into their training regimen, diet and nutrition, and recovery tactics.
WATCH THE 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 and coaches in the world! They'll work on holding onto their form while challenging themselves.
Take a photo with your clinicians, get autographs, and ALL PARTICIPANTS receive a FREE Fitter and Faster swim cap!
Inquisitive, Educated Swimmers are Faster Swimmers! Sign up today!
Search all of our clinics...or request a clinic in your area
