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317 of 320 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Better Technique = Better Swimming, September 29, 2008
This review is from: Total Immersion: The Revolutionary Way To Swim Better, Faster, and Easier (Paperback)
I'm not a big swimmer, but I heard so much about this book that I had to check it out- and I'm glad I did. This book will save a lot of people who are trying to learn to swim better a lot of time. Here's why:
-the book concentrates on swimming technique, correct position, and how you're suppose to feel in the water
-the book gives you drills to reinforce the most efficient way to swim
-the book is very scientific and the info is based on hydrodynamics
The book covers a lot of ground, but the authors writing style makes is go by quickly (at least it did for me). The pictures were good and I thought the explanations of the techniques and the "why" behind them was very understandable. Not sure about the rotator cuff routine in Chapter 16 though- it's kinda long and I'm not sure if some of the exercises like the reverse biceps curl is really necessary (rec. Treat Your Own Rotator Cuff for swimmers who have shoulder issues).
In conclusion, I found the book very enlightening and recommend it to anyone (young OR old) who wants to learn how to swim more efficiently by learning the correct swimming techniques. The author obviously loves swimming and has brought all his years of experience and research into one handy resource.
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162 of 172 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This method of swimming does wonders, May 30, 2000
Terry Laughlin uses basic principles of hydrodynamics to show the correct way to swim "like a fish". Fish-like swimming is perhaps a misnomer, but he does detail how it's possible to reconfigure one's body in the water, to be like a yacht, not like a barge. There's a whole long section on hydrodynamics for the technically inclined, and for the Olympic watchers there's a bit about how elite swimmers have used these techniques to win. The prose tends toward the purple at times, but it's good background for what's to come: a whole series of lessons and drills that tell you what you're supposed to feel in the water. Until I heard the phrase "swimming downhill," I'd never really thought about what it should feel like to swim, gliding effortless through the water instead of being dragged by it. But with these and other catchphrases, Laughlin can get any swimmer attuned to what should be happening. The book itself is choppily arranged. The skill-building practice swims are located in the back of the book, with the actual descriptions of the skills somewhere towards the middle. Even the sections on weight, one for total body and one insanely long regimen for the rotator cuffs, are stuck in their own little sections far apart in the book. More logical organization would make this a much easier book to flip through, but the results are undeniable. My crawl stroke has improved dramatically, and I can't wait to see what tricks Laughlin has up his sleeve for the other three strokes. This belongs in every swimmer's bedside table, dog-eared and highlighted and worm.
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59 of 60 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
As a swimming instructor for over 5 years..., December 10, 2001
I have been teaching swimming for over 5 years, and when I picked up this book, I was really excited! It now sits on my bookshelf as a reference guide, and I recommend it to anyone I know who is learning to swim for racing or fitness, and also to people who teach swimming. I have been swimming all my life, and have 2 seasons of triathlon under my belt. This book taught me many new and innovative ways to teach kids 'how to feel the water' to improve their stroke. After I read some of the points in the book, I went to test it out in the pool during one of my swimming sessions. The principles all worked, and put everything I have learned since I was 2 into perspective! I now know how to swim faster and smoother! I was very impressed that a book could do this, compared to the many years of swim instruction. As for some of the negative comments made about this book, I will address a few: *diagrams... if you read the introduction, it mentions how to best use the book, and how it is laid out. The book actually has a very easy layout: the intorduction for the concept (with 'proof' of why this concept works), a section (33 pages!) with diagrams to be used as the reference section for the drills in the next secions, sections on how to use the pace clock and equipment... among other things. *"wordy"... I found this book to be great for teaching many people. The 'words' are there to illustrate and explain key concepts of swimming. I often had a hard time explaining concepts of "why" you wanted to swim this way (which adults always want to know) and what a proper technique should feel like. Knowing these things not only helped me become a better swimmer, it also taught me how to explain the concepts better to my sutdnets. THe neatest thing is, it taught me how to teach myself how to swim. I say, keep the words, they are excellent. *the logistics... one person commented that the book focused on the aspect of body position way too much. From teaching every age from 3 months to 60+ years old, I can tell you that EVERYONE starts at the same place: learning PROPER body position. This book takes you back to the first part, as the vast majority of the population has not learned proper body position to begin with. The individual differences in people will determine how much their legs sink or float, but if you use the principles in this book, it will help you swim to your potential. Proper balance in the water is essential. I have spent countless hours watching the public swim laps and comparing their techinique to how the olympic swimmers swim at the pool I work at, and what this book teaches can be recognized in the elite athletes. I have also received coaching from various national level coaches, and they also teach these same prinicples. They train the olympians, so who is to argue? This book is an EXCELLENT value for those who can't get to, or afford the author's workshops. If I had the money and the time to go, I would definitely go!
...I highly reccommend this book to those who want to swim faster and feel more confident and comfortable in the water.
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