Past Clinic: High Performance Stroke Technique & Explosive Performance
North High School
4200 Cheyenne Blvd.,
Sioux City,
IA 51104
A description of what was covered at this past clinic is below the upcoming clinics.
Upcoming Swim Clinics and Camps
Within 250 miles of Sioux City, IA.
Past Clinic
Introduction
Two-Day High Performance Stroke Technique & Explosive Performance Swim Camp - Sign up for one or SAVE by signing up for all four sessions!
Your swimmer is going to improve at this intimate high performance four session camp. Each session has a distinct curriculum designed to improve participants’ performance over all strokes, as well as starts and turns.
Session 1: High Performance Freestyle and Backstroke
Session 2: Fast Flip Turns and Open Turns
Session 3: High Performance Butterfly and Breaststroke
Session 4: Starts, Relay Exchanges, and Underwaters
Leading this camp is Elite Clinician and Olympic gold medalist Nick Thoman! Nick is one of Fitter and Faster’s most experienced and effective clinicians. Scroll down for more details on the curriculum.
Session Times (Both Days)
AM Session: Check in 9:00 AM, Clinic 9:30 AM-11:30 AM
PM Session: Check in 12:30 PM, Clinic 1:00 PM-3:00 PM
Suggested Participants
SAVE: Sign up before prices rise or the sessions fill up!
Nick will lead four sessions for competitive swimmers ages 8 and older. Sign up for one or SAVE by signing up for all four sessions!
Curriculum
SESSION 1 (SATURDAY AM): FREESTYLE AND 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! Olympic gold medalist Nick Thoman 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. Nick 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, your swimmer will learn skills that will allow them to drop time in every freestyle race.
- BACKSTROKE: Engaging your core not only allows swimmers to swim stronger, but it also allows them to hold the proper body position. Nick 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!
SESSION 2 (SATURDAY AM): FLIP TURNS AND OPEN TURNS
Focusing on having faster turns and powerful underwaters 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. Nick Thoman 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. Swimmers 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.
SESSION 3 (SUNDAY AM): BUTTERFLY AND 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. Nick will help your swimmer 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. Your swimmer 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.
SESSION 4 (SUNDAY PM): STARTS, RELAY EXCHANGES, & UNDERWATERS
Whether in an individual event or a relay, the start is your swimmer’s opportunity to cover as much ground as possible in a very short period of time. There are countless intricacies to performing a start and your swimmer will only get better with practice. Nick Thoman will break down these important movements that begin each race. Starts get even more exciting when done as part of a relay! Learn how relay exchanges differ from flat starts to give your team an advantage in every relay.
- STARTS: Your swimmer’s proper hand and foot placement on the block can allow them to drive forward with a lot of explosive power. Nick 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.
- RELAY EXCHANGES: Both the swimmer finishing and the swimmer starting have a job to do when executing a proper relay exchange. Learning the proper technique for a well timed finish and an explosive relay dive is important in ensuring a legal but small reaction time and a fast exchange.
- 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!
ASK QUESTIONS
Swimmers and parents are invited to ask Nick questions during a Q&A session. Gain insight into his training regimen, diet and nutrition, and recovery tactics.
WATCH THE CLINICIAN
Observe Nick 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 one of the best swimmers in the world! They'll work on holding onto their form while challenging themselves.
Take a photo with Nick, 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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