Discover the essence of speed in racing! Across two days, immerse yourself in the intricacies of the Individual Medley (IM). Guided by elite clinicians, master high-performance techniques vital for competitive success. Day 1 hones IM transitions, Underwaters, and Breaststroke pullouts for a competitive edge. Day 2 unveils strategic insights and pacing tactics, equipping swimmers to dominate IM events.

• Day 1 (Saturday, December 11): FAST STARTS & BREAKOUTS: In this session, swimmers will work on executing fast starts and carrying momentum through their breakouts. The skill of generating explosive power at the start while effortlessly integrating the skills developed during session 1 will give swimmers a distinct competitive edge!
• Block Starts: To ensure an explosive start, a swimmer needs to set themselves up properly on the block. The elite clinicians will work with participants on the optimal positioning of your swimmer’s entire body to allow for a quick reaction time and optimal speed.
• Backstroke Starts: During this session, swimmers will work closely with elite clinicians to actively learn and practice high-performance backstroke starts. Participants will refine their foot, arm, and body positions, focusing on the technique of powering off the wall with an arched form to seamlessly slice through the water with maximum efficiency.
• Water Entry: Starting the race with a smooth entry into the water will boost your swimmer's speed and carry the momentum generated off the block or wall. Becoming skilled at the water entry is crucial for any start and significantly contributes to your swimmers' overall race!
• Underwaters & Breakout Reinforcement: Since fast underwaters are crucial for every start and turn, our clinicians will work with your swimmer on reinforcing the key skills learned during session 1!
• Relay Exchanges: In relays, reaction time is crucial! At this camp your swimmer will learn skills that the best swimmers in the world use to time the “exchange” just right! If we react too quickly, we’ll start before the other swimmer finishes - and we’ll get disqualified. If we start too slow, we can lose our positioning in a race! Learning the proper technique for a well-timed start and an explosive relay dive will make your swimmer a valuable teammate.
• Day 2 (Sunday, December 12): THE FIFTH STROKE - UNDERWATER DOLPHIN KICKING: In the first session, our Elite Clinicians will work with participants to enhance the fastest sequence for each race lap: streamlines, underwater dolphin kicks & breakouts. Finessing these techniques not only reduces drag and enhances efficiency but also contributes significantly to overall speed and performance in the water!
• Initiating Underwater Dolphin Kicking: Top age group and elite swimmers maximize their streamline on every single lap. They don’t start their underwater dolphin kicking while they’re still achieving maximum speed in their streamline! They also don’t want to start the underwater dolphin kicking after their streamline has begun to slow. Your swimmer is going to learn how to time when to begin their underwater dolphin kicking.
• 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.
• Streamline: The streamline - when done properly - is the fastest a swimmer travels while in the water. Proper streamlines are even faster than underwater dolphin kicking. Even the most elite swimmers in the world are constantly working on improving their streamline. Your swimmer will get tips to improve their streamline and a better appreciation of what they need to do on every single wall in practice and in races.
• Number of Underwater Dolphin Kicks: Figuring out the optimal number of kicks off each wall, for each race, is essential to fast swimming. Elite swimmers want to spend only the absolute necessary amount of time underwater to establish speed with each length. They want to avoid losing their breath and taking weak kicks.
• Day 3 (Saturday, December 11): ESSENTIAL IM SKILLS: Being successful in Individual Medley (IM) events takes more than just being good at each stroke. Great IM’ers know how to connect the pieces—using transitions, turns, and strategy to gain momentum and separate from the competition. At this camp, your swimmer will work on building IM races that are greater than the sum of their parts.
• STROKE TRANSITIONS: Each stroke uses different muscle groups and movement patterns, so switching from one to the next isn’t as simple as it seems. Transitions take practice, awareness, and good technique. Our clinicians will work with your swimmer on drills and technical tips that help them move more smoothly and efficiently between strokes—saving time and energy every time they race.
• IM TURNS: Turns in IM races are their own skill set. They can be tricky—especially the back-to-breast turn, which is completely different from other transitions. We’ll break down each IM transition turn and give swimmers the coaching they need to feel confident and consistent.
• OVERCOMING A WEAK STROKE: Almost every swimmer has a stroke that lags behind the others—but top athletes find ways to minimize its impact. Whether it’s adjusting technique or maximizing strengths like underwater pullouts, our clinicians will give your swimmer tools to be more effective in their least comfortable stroke.
• IM Strategy: Racing IM well means having a plan for how to pace and distribute effort across all four strokes. That plan looks different for every swimmer. Our experienced clinicians will help your swimmer understand how to manage energy, play to their strengths, and adjust strategy as needed. Sometimes that even means holding back a bit on a strong stroke to save energy for a weaker one. Your swimmer will leave with a greater understanding of how to approach their IM races.
• Day 4 (Sunday, December 12):OVER TURNS: The back to breast cross-over turn is an expected skill for all swimmers going to college and is essential to racing IMs successfully at the highest level. Crossover turns are also the least practiced and the most disqualified skill for athletes of all levels. Swimmers will work with our Elite Clinicians to refine this critical technique, ensuring a quick pivotal turn and minimizing the risk of disqualification during competitions.
• TURNING WITH EITHER ARM: Even elite swimmers typically have a weak turning side that they are working to improve. Participants in this session will learn, refine, and practice their cross-over turn to give them a leg up on the competition.
• THE APPROACH: Most DQ’s happen due to mistimed approaches and loss of momentum into the wall. Participants will learn to maintain their speed into the touch (with both hands) and how to properly position their head to avoid disqualification.
• TURNING: Participants will learn the proper mechanics of rotation and foot placement to execute this maneuver with speed and agility.
• PULLOUT: Many swimmers choose to sacrifice the quality of their Breaststroke underwater pullout when executing the cross-over turning, losing most of the advantage gained. Participants will learn how to maximize the strength of their push-off and underwater pullout. --