Past Clinic: Comprehensive Butterfly Racing Swim Camp (Ages 12 & Over)
Madison Area YMCA
111 Kings Rd,
Madison,
NJ 07940
A description of what was covered at this past clinic is below the upcoming clinics.
Upcoming Swim Clinics and Camps
Within 250 miles of Madison, NJ.
Past Clinic
Introduction
Fitter & Faster is producing a 2-day swim camp for competitive swimmers ages 12 & Over at the Madison Area YMCA in Madison, New Jersey on August 30 & 31, 2025! Click here for the swim camp page for ages 9 to 11.
COMPREHENSIVE BUTTERFLY RACING SWIM CAMP (Ages 12 & Over)
DAY 1 (Saturday, August 30): Butterfly Technique
DAY 2 (Sunday, August 31): Butterfly Racing & Training Skills
Scroll down for details on the curriculum!
-> Availability in each session is limited to 24 participants to ensure the highest level learning experience.
-> SAVE when you purchase the “Entire Camp Bundle” for your swimmer.
SESSION START TIMES FOR BOTH DAYS: Check in 12:30 PM, Camp 12:45-3:45 PM
Suggested Participants
Our top priority is to provide a world-class learning experience for all participants at all of our camps. This camp has sessions for swimmers ages 12 & Over. Participants will range from one-year of competitive swimming experience to AAAA times and faster. If you are the parent of a swimmer under the age of 12, click here!
Curriculum
At the highest level of swimming, butterfly is the second fastest stroke and beautiful to watch because of its rhythmic and powerful strokes. There are some complexities to establishing a smooth, rhythmic fly, but with practice and attention to detail your swimmer can master the stroke and begin swimming it for longer distances and at very fast speeds! No matter your swimmer’s level, this 2-day camp will strengthen their butterfly technique, racing and training skills that will lead to faster and more efficient butterfly races!
DAY 1 (Saturday, August 30): BUTTERFLY TECHNIQUE
At the highest level of swimming, butterfly is the second fastest stroke and beautiful to watch because of its rhythmic and powerful strokes. There are some complexities to establishing a smooth, rhythmic fly, but with practice and attention to detail your swimmer can master the stroke and begin swimming it for longer distances and at very fast speeds!
- BODYLINE: A butterfly race is going to be fastest with a proper bodyline. Even the slightest adjustment of the chin, neck, and/or back can make a huge difference. As swimmers mature in the sport and grow physically, their body position shifts and bad habits can emerge. Participants will learn and practice proper posture and engagement of their core to have a strong foundation for better technique - creating a full-body connection for more hydrodynamic and efficient butterfly strokes.
- KICK: Each butterfly stroke has two kicks to propel the swimmer towards the other end of the pool! If the kicks are properly timed and equally strong, they can positively impact your swimmer’s efficiency and stroke timing! Your swimmer will work on how and when to kick in butterfly for maximum speed.
- PULL: Long and smooth strokes allow swimmers to have a more efficient and fluid butterfly. The pull in butterfly keeps a swimmer accelerating forward. Your clinicians will work with participants to establish an early vertical forearm, “the catch”, enabling the swimmers to put immediate pressure back on the water. Properly completing the stroke keeps the swimmer moving forward efficiently and fast.
- BREATH: The timing of the breath in butterfly has a direct relationship on a swimmer’s body position, pull, kick and TIMES! At this camp, we will work with participants on breathing with their chin low to the water... and WHEN to breathe in their stroke cycle so that they develop the most efficient stroke possible!
DAY 2 (Sunday, August 31): BUTTERFLY RACING AND TRAINING SKILLS
On the first day of this camp swimmers worked on techniques to implement an efficient butterfly stroke. On Day 2 we will work on applying speed to their butterfly! Our objective is to get your swimmer to maintain their technique with distance per stroke, tempo, and flowing speed.
- LENGTH OF STROKE: Lengthening your swimmer’s butterfly stroke will enable them to “catch” and hold onto more water to propel them as they swim. In butterfly, it is particularly important to establish a “rhythmic flow”. We will teach participants how to stay long and avoid a short butterfly stroke that is inefficient and not sustainable for very long. The clinicians will work with participants on this important skill for swimming fast butterfly.
- TEMPO: Tempo in butterfly is the rate at which a swimmer is moving their arms and hips. When swimming butterfly races many athletes tend to take too many short strokes (“spin their wheels”) and not “hold onto the water”. At this camp we will explore different tempos that are sustainable for any distance your swimmer is racing.
- POWERFUL UNDERWATER DOLPHIN KICKING: There are a few different techniques that swimmers use when underwater dolphin kicking. The common theme of these techniques is that the best swimmers kick up and down with equal power. We will show your swimmer the different techniques that elite swimmers use and teach them how to implement.
- SPEED SET: At the end of this session your swimmer will do a short and fast swim set to practice everything they have learned over the past two days.
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 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
Throughout the camp, swimmers will practice what they've learned with some of the world's most elite Swimmer Clinicians and coaches!
Take a photo, get autographs, and chat with your clinicians!
Inquisitive, Educated Swimmers are Faster Swimmers! Sign up today!
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