New Science of Swimming, The (2nd Edition) [Paperback]

James E. Counsilman (Author), Brian E. Counsilman (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0130998885 | ISBN-13: 978-0130998880 | Publication Date: April 14, 1994 | Edition: 2nd

Basic book and reference on the science of swimming by the "father" of modern competitive swimming.

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Benjamin Cummings; 2nd edition (April 14, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0130998885
• ISBN-13: 978-0130998880
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,325,071 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best, January 6, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: New Science of Swimming, The (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

Doc Counsilman was lightyears ahead of anyone in the sport and is still far ahead of most world class coaches in his understanding of swimming physics and mechanics. His discovery of propulsive forces generated by elite swimmers ranks as one of the greatest discoveries of sports biomechanics in the 20th century. The physiology and psychology parts of this book can be learned from other sources.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Knows how to coach!, May 1, 2003

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: New Science of Swimming, The (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

As someone who swam for the great Doc Councilman (What's up Doc? Elbows!) I can't sing his phrases enough. He was (and in many ways still is) a man on the cutting edge of coaching. An Olympic coach for the greatest - Mark Spitz, Jim Halliburton and many, many more! He studied the technique that brought out the sheer speed in a swimmer and applied it to the stroke and taught it so people could learn. In one summer I took 8 seconds off my 100 meter butterfly! Buy the book if you want to learn how to make a swimmer into a winner!

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Book about the Physics of Swimming Available, February 11, 2011

By 

J. L. Kinney "The Saunterer" (Sicily) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: New Science of Swimming, The (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

Recommended by my daughter's age-group coach, a British National Champ back in the early 70s. According to him, it is the best book about the physics of swimming available. I have found it extremely clear and invaluable in understanding teaching swimming correctly. This excerpt from the first chapter outlines Doc Cousilman's philosophy on teaching correct stroke mechanics and, in my humble opinion, should be required reading for all age-group coaches:

"By understanding the physical laws that govern propulsion and resistance in water, errors in stroke mechanic recommendations can be avoided...Coaches can ignore these forces and counterforces when dealing with extremely talented athletes--mistaken advice about stroke mechanics has little effect on them--but the effect can be disastrous for marginal swimmers. Gifted swimmers make necessary adjustments despite misinformation; the less talented do not. Even so, there have been cases of good swimmers whose careers were permanently derailed by well-meant, but mistaken, advice about stroke."

"On the other hand, there are coaches who believe there is nothing to good-versus-bad stroke mechanics. This attitude reinforces our opinion that uninformed coaching is worse than no coaching at all. Unquestionably, swimmers develop better stroke mechanics if left alone, than if taught incorrectly. It behooves coaches of swimming to learn enough about the laws of physics which govern movement in the water to avoid fundamental mistakes. Informed guidance, early in the swimmers career, is very important. This is the major reason for our conviction that the technical education at the grass-roots coaches is more critical than that of collegiate coaches in terms of the ultimate effect on performance over the swimmer's career." ~ James "Doc" Cousilman, The New Science of Swimming (1994), pp. 3-4.