Customer Reviews

Freestyle: Made Easy

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The book (Total Immersion: The Revolutionary Way To Swim Better, Faster, and Easier) and DVD aren't completely aligned, but do supplement each other well. Actually, I probably wouldn't recommend the DVD without the book.

There are two extremes of swimmers that would likely be interested in this swim method: complete beginners looking to start swimming and experienced swimmers looking to examine this method. Like most, I was somewhere in the middle (after being told by a swim coach that I looked like I was being electrocuted in the water, I thought that this relaxed style of swimming would be a good remedy).

Beginners will instantly see the value; it starts at the very beginning with active floating. Experienced swimmers will need to be prepared to start at the very beginning as well, as Terry Laughlin (correctly) sees a need to break down established patterns of movement in order to build new muscle memory.

My freestyle has become significantly more relaxed. Of course, I still have a long way to go to becoming a proficient distance swimmer (practice, practice, practice), but this video has helped eliminate a lot of bad habits so that the practice is actually beneficial.

One criticism (aside from the somewhat cheesy production): proper flutter kick is nearly ignored. Although it's not the primary source of propulsion for efficient swimmers (e.g., Terry only kicks once per stroke), it's still a significant supplement when wanting to swim fast. It would have been nice to see it addressed more in the video.

...Too much money for too little product. This overpriced DVD comes in short (about 30 minutes) and cheap. (You're not going to believe the shoddy production values). While it is useful to see good to great swimmers executing Mr. Laughlin's techniques, there is no info on correcting common problems for the rest of us. C'mon Terry, you've been teaching for over 20 years. What about a "5 most common mistakes" section that could help the rest of us along? Also, while it shows the recommended drills, there is surprisingly little on linking the drills to actual swimming. Most of the demonstrations don't show the swimmers even breathing but rather holding their breath as they execute the drills. (Yeah, I know, Sweet Spot - but that hardly shows how to link strokes, particularly for alternate side breathing). Also, unless my DVD player has developed hiccups, the disc itself has got problems - There were a number of stutters and "freezes".

After reading the TI book and not getting too far, I thought that I'd try the video so I could actually see how the drills should be done. When I unpacked the video I was fairly shocked to see that my not-very-cheap DVD came in an el-cheapo paper slip cover. After loading the DVD I was equally surprised by the cheesy music and videography.

Overall, I think that the content of the video was excellent, but I definitely expected a higher quality production based on the relatively high price tag.

I bought this dvd because I wanted to increase my swimming stamina. This dvd is awesome. I got it only about 2 weeks ago and have already noticed a considerable difference in my perceived effort--I'm swimming with much less effort and have been able to increase my lap swims considerably. Even though the dvd is only about 30 min. long I think it is definitely worth buying especially if you are thinking of getting personal swimming coaches. I highly recommend buying this dvd first to see if you still need one on one swim instructors.

If you're just looking for tips on how to swim a little better, this DVD is not for you. The method of swimming taught here is just way too different from the way most of us were taught as children to swim (if you could call it teaching) that they needed to start at the beginning. If you are will to put in the time to learn how to swim for real, in a hydrodynamic and relaxed manner, then this DVD is definitely the way to go.

I always had good freestyle swimming "looks", as my mom called it, but I never went anywhere very fast and always felt as if I was drowning. I got hooked on this after it was recommended to me from my brother-in-law as an aid to help me train for triathlons. This method is very well known in triathlon circles as being a great way to get an efficient, good stroke.

They start you at the beginning, so you do have to be willing to spend the time learning. But after completing the program (as someone who otherwise felt pretty good in the water (besides my freestyle) it only took a few months), I felt confident in my stroke, no longer felt like I was drowning (yes, they wait until the end to incorporate breathing, but if you don't understand why, you missed the point), and felt ready to take it to open water.

If you want to learn to go faster, this isn't for you. If you want to start with the basics and learn a good, efficient freestyle stroke, buy this DVD! You can learn to go faster later. :)

The Freestyle: Made Easy video is excellent and easy to follow. However, to really learn the techniques covered, you really need a coach who knows the technique. The video suggests that you use another person as a coach, but unless your coach knows the technique it's difficult to master.

$30 for this and no case?! I can't believe that for $30, this is delivered in a sleeve that doesn't even close.

Also, having read the book, I thought the disk would expand on the material in the book. Instead, it only goes very quickly through the drills. Perhaps this would be sufficient for an experienced swimmer, but for a novice, it is really lacking in content.

First, yes, I echo what the other positive reviews have said. Music is cheesy, production is cheap-ish, examples are very clear and immediately useful, provides the clarity that the Total Immersion book doesn't.

But really, I should not have had to get 1/3 of the way through the book before finding that I needed a $40 DVD (or, alternatively, a $500 weekend seminar) to really make use of its techniques. C'mon guys, raise the price of the book by $5 or whatever and include the DVD with it!

I have been swimming for many years (I'm 51). I got started with Total Immersion in the last month or so. I was swimming 4,000 yards twice per week and my shoulders started to bother me in the last 3 months. This method of swimming is a lot easier on your shoulders and I already notice the difference. I am swimming with a swimming team that has a swimming coach that believes in TI. Having the DVD helps understand the drills better and I highly recommend it.

The DVD is like a novel where the plot is going along and then the author just seem to run out of pages without a satisfactory conclusion. The DVD gives the student all the drills but never tells you how to put it together in a freestyle stroke. Perhaps later editions will go the extra chapter.