In this 2-day swim camp led by our world-class clinicians, your swimmers will build competitive skills through focused, hands-on training. On Day 1, they’ll concentrate on backstroke starts and IM transitions, working on maximizing momentum in and out of turns, with focused refinement of both open and crossover back-to-breast techniques. Day 2 shifts to the essentials of sprinting and pacing, equipping your swimmers with strategies to control their speed, maintain strong technique, and race with efficiency across all strokes. This camp provides the ideal foundation for them to elevate their race-day performance.

DAY 1 (Friday, January 3): BACKSTROKE STARTS & IM TRANSITIONS

Backstroke starts and back-to-breast turns are specialized skills that often receive less dedicated practice time. However, swimmers who master these techniques gain a significant competitive edge. Our expert clinicians will guide your swimmer in perfecting their backstroke start and two approaches to the back-to-breast turn: the open turn and the crossover turn. With this comprehensive training, your swimmer will be fully prepared for race day.

• BACKSTROKE STARTS: The fastest part of every single race is the start - that’s no different for backstroke! We will start by establishing a body position on the wall that allows your swimmer to push hard against the wall at the right angle, and without fear of slipping. We’re also going to work on a “clean”, fast water entry in which the athlete carries the momentum from the start into their streamline, underwater dolphin kicking, and breakout.
• BACK-TO-BREAST OPEN TURN: Elite backstrokers and breaststrokers harness the momentum from their final strokes to set up a seamless, powerful transition between strokes. Their back-to-breast turns aren’t simply "turns", but dynamic, quick pivots that maximize speed into the next lap. In this session, participants will focus on refining these techniques for faster, more efficient back-to-breast transitions!
• CROSSOVER TURNS: The crossover turn is the fastest and most efficient way to transition from backstroke to breaststroke in IM races. It is also the least practiced and most disqualified skill in swimming. Our elite clinicians will work closely with swimmers to fine-tune this technique, focusing on the details that make a crossover turn smooth and fast. Participants will learn how to properly time their rotation, position their arms, and maintain momentum through the turn to minimize resistance and carry maximum speed into the breaststroke leg. By honing their crossover turns, swimmers will be better prepared to execute this transition quickly and legally, giving them a significant edge in competition.
• PULLOUTS: Many swimmers sacrifice the quality of their breaststroke underwater pullouts when executing back-to-breast turns. Participants will learn how to maximize the strength of their push-off and underwater pullout off of either type of turn.

DAY 2 (Saturday, January 4): THE ESSENTIALS OF SPRINTING & PACING

Swimming fast requires good technique, efficiency, power, and a hardworking athlete. Participants in this session will advance their skills that apply to fast swimming in every stroke. Now is the time for swimmers to establish and cultivate habits to swim their shorter races as fast as possible, with good technique that will position them for success as they mature.

• BODY POSITION: A competitive swimmer’s body position is the key to fast swimming. Most swimmers are NOT hydrodynamic in the water - and that has a big effect on how fast they “allow” themselves to swim - especially as they get older. Let’s find the right body position for your swimmer.
• STROKE LENGTH: Lengthening their stroke will enable your swimmer to “catch” and hold onto more water to propel them as they swim, whereas a short stroke is inefficient and not sustainable for very long. The clinicians will work with participants on this important skill for fast swimming.
• TEMPO: When sprinting short races, young swimmers often tend to take too many strokes (“spin their wheels”) and not “hold onto the water”. At this session, we will find the appropriate tempo to maximize their own personal speed.
• 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 each lap.
• WALLS!: Approaching the wall at top speed in preparation for the fastest turn is vital. Swimmers will work on techniques to get in and out of every wall faster!
• FINISHES: Races are won and lost by hundredths-of-a-second at every swim meet. Many races come down to the last few strokes. At this session, your swimmer will learn techniques to set themselves up for a well-timed finish about 10 yards from the wall. A well-timed finish is also a valuable attribute for swimmers competing on relays so that the next person can time their start with precision.
• SPRINTING: Earlier in the session, your swimmer worked on body position, tempo, and stroke length. Now, we are going to apply those skills to swimming “all out” on top of the water with efficiency and power.
• SPRINTING & PACING APPLICATION: Swimmers at this session will work on applying their newly developed skills during racing scenarios. As with all the other sessions of this camp, the clinicians will provide feedback for your swimmer to take home and apply at upcoming practices and meets.