Product Description

Even though swimming is the closest thing to a perfect exercise you can name, too few people experience its full benefits. That's because most find themselves fighting to stay afloat, struggling for air, and feeling exhausted after just a lap or two, all of which makes this perfect exercise frustrating, laborious, and complicated. For the past fifteen years, veteran swim coach Terry Laughlin has been teaching adults how to swim better - and enjoy it more - by using his simple and original techniques. Laughlin turns traditional swimming beliefs inside out as he explains that it's technique - not athletic ability - that makes a strong swimmer. Laughlin teaches 'Fishlike Swimming,' focusing on slipping through the water rather than using muscle to overpower it. The key is working with the water, not against it - learning to swim ever faster and farther without losing a sense of flow, grace, economy, and balance.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2898 in Books
• Published on: 2004-06-21
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

From the Author
Master swimming as an art before training for it as a sport.
I've been swimming (in training and competition) for 32 years, since the age of 15, and coaching for 26 years. In particular, I've spent the last 10 years intensively teaching improvement-minded adult swimmers in weekend workshops. I've distilled all those experiences into the guidance included in this book. If I had one goal in mind in writing this it was to make Total Immersion the most immediately useful how-to book available for swimmers. My promise to my readers is that I'll provide real, practical, detailed, complete and -- most of all -- clear and simple how-to information. I've been delighted to hear from so many readers that this book has been their favorite road map to achieving greater satisfaction with their swimming than they had thought possible. Happy laps, Terry Laughlin

Customer Reviews

Better Technique = Better Swimming
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.

Superceded by another book & DVD by same author
Following the advice of another Amazon reviewer, I took a look at this in my local bookshop before buying. I was intrigued enough to buy it - but have since discovered that there is a more recent book that supercedes this one. That book is called "Extraordinary Swimming for Every Body". I wish I had known before I bought this one!
There is also more than one TI DVD, likewise some more recent than others. I believe the latest is "Easy Freestyle: 21st Century Techniques"

UPDATE - since I wrote my original review I have done a TI workshop which was absolutely facntastic. I am revising some of my comments below in light of what I have learned. If possible I would also amend my rating to THREE OR FOUR STARS - but it seems I can't edit that part of the review.

Firstly, you will probably NOT be able to teach yourself the TI approach to swimming just by reading this book. What the book provides primarily is background information that is very useful as a COMPANION to the DVD. (Chapters 1-7)

The key point is that because water is so much denser than air, the secret to fast swimming is efficient swimming rather than more effort. We all know this intellectually; but only serious swimmers actually act upon it.
There are some interesting scientific facts along the way.

Chapters 9-16 are about training for races, fitness etc. Most of this was of little interest to me - I just want to learn efficient technique.

Which just leaves Chapter 8. This is a series of deceptively simple drills that are designed to teach efficient swimming starting from scratch. And this is what intrigued me enough to buy the book. I wanted to be one of those guys cruising past with no effort and no splashes. (My crawl was not bad, but you know the people I mean - they are in a different league).

However, the exercises are much easier to understand by watching the DVD.

So my recommendation is buy the book for the background concepts, and buy the DVD to see how to do the exercises.

But ideally you need hands-on tuition. The TI approach is radically different from other styles of swim coaching - so you might need help to unlearn existing habits & assumptions

I cut 4 strokes of my front crawl upon the first day
I have been training for about 2 years now, and although getting fitter, I just was not getting any faster lately. I noticed that certain people managed to swim a lot faster while putting in what appeared to be a lot less effort. This book confirmed EXACTLY what I had been doing wrong and how I should correct my stroke. It is ideal for the keen (intermediate) swimmer, who wants to develop their technique and enjoy their swimming a lot more.