Swimming technique programs

I am a runner who is getting into triathlons and have been swimming for
about 2 months but with no real guidance. Someone told me about a book
called Total Immersion and I was hoping to get some second opinions on
the quality of the instruction. I hate to start practicing form that
was incorrect. Thanks for your help!
--Will

flanskyfan27 wrote:
> I am a runner who is getting into triathlons and have been swimming for
> about 2 months but with no real guidance. Someone told me about a book
> called Total Immersion and I was hoping to get some second opinions on
> the quality of the instruction. I hate to start practicing form that
> was incorrect. Thanks for your help!
> --Will
>
I got the DVD and the triathlon based book. I never really followed
their drills, but got enough pointers (mainly from the DVD) that changed
my technique, particularly my body position in the water, to be more
efficient. I wouldn't say I am faster as a result, but I can swim a lot
further than I ever would have been able to using my old inefficient
technique, and can get out of the water feeling good. For me it was
money well spent, particularly the DVD.

jh

jh wrote:
>
> flanskyfan27 wrote:
> > I am a runner who is getting into triathlons and have been swimming for
> > about 2 months but with no real guidance. Someone told me about a book
> > called Total Immersion and I was hoping to get some second opinions on
> > the quality of the instruction. I hate to start practicing form that
> > was incorrect. Thanks for your help!
> > --Will
> >
> I got the DVD and the triathlon based book. I never really followed
> their drills, but got enough pointers (mainly from the DVD) that changed
> my technique, particularly my body position in the water, to be more
> efficient. I wouldn't say I am faster as a result, but I can swim a lot
> further than I ever would have been able to using my old inefficient
> technique, and can get out of the water feeling good. For me it was
> money well spent, particularly the DVD.
>
> jh

I have the book and I recommend it to everyone. It really explains how
to feel balanced in the water, so that your arms don't have to push you
up. It particularly made it easier for me to breathe when swimming. I
was already doing the drills with a coach, but the book carried all the
explanations behind it, and suddenly it all made sense.

Tam

I looked at it in the book store and it looked a little too scientific for
me. I had to take a second look and make sure I was not reading a math text
book.

"Tamyka Bell" <t.bell@uq.edu.au> wrote in message
news:43FE52EF.1EFE944B@uq.edu.au...
> jh wrote:
>>
>> flanskyfan27 wrote:
>> > I am a runner who is getting into triathlons and have been swimming for
>> > about 2 months but with no real guidance. Someone told me about a book
>> > called Total Immersion and I was hoping to get some second opinions on
>> > the quality of the instruction. I hate to start practicing form that
>> > was incorrect. Thanks for your help!
>> > --Will
>> >
>> I got the DVD and the triathlon based book. I never really followed
>> their drills, but got enough pointers (mainly from the DVD) that changed
>> my technique, particularly my body position in the water, to be more
>> efficient. I wouldn't say I am faster as a result, but I can swim a lot
>> further than I ever would have been able to using my old inefficient
>> technique, and can get out of the water feeling good. For me it was
>> money well spent, particularly the DVD.
>>
>> jh
>
> I have the book and I recommend it to everyone. It really explains how
> to feel balanced in the water, so that your arms don't have to push you
> up. It particularly made it easier for me to breathe when swimming. I
> was already doing the drills with a coach, but the book carried all the
> explanations behind it, and suddenly it all made sense.
>
> Tam

Harold Buck wrote:
>
> In article <gwyLf.498$fL3.212@fed1read01>,
> "Tony" <calfmaster2000m> wrote:
>
> > I looked at it in the book store and it looked a little too scientific for
> > me. I had to take a second look and make sure I was not reading a math text
> > book.
>
> You've got to be kidding me. Sure, he explains a little of the science
> behind it, but not very technically, and that doesn't come into play
> when he's explaining how to do it.
>
> When I read it, I just kept thinking, "Yeah, I get it, there are
> scientific reasons that it works. I understand, and I'm convinced! Now
> just tell me how to swim faster!"
>
> --Harold Buck
>
> "Hubris always wins in the end. The Greeks taught us that."
>
> -Homer J. Simpson

I actually can't remember seeing a single equation in there...

Tam

Tim Lines wrote:
>
> Tamyka Bell wrote:
> > Harold Buck wrote:
> >
> >>In article <gwyLf.498$fL3.212@fed1read01>,
> >> "Tony" <calfmaster2000m> wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>>I looked at it in the book store and it looked a little too scientific for
> >>>me. I had to take a second look and make sure I was not reading a math text
> >>>book.
> >>
> >>You've got to be kidding me. Sure, he explains a little of the science
> >>behind it, but not very technically, and that doesn't come into play
> >>when he's explaining how to do it.
> >>
> >>When I read it, I just kept thinking, "Yeah, I get it, there are
> >>scientific reasons that it works. I understand, and I'm convinced! Now
> >>just tell me how to swim faster!"
> >>
> >>--Harold Buck
> >>
> >>"Hubris always wins in the end. The Greeks taught us that."
> >>
> >> -Homer J. Simpson
> >
> >
> > I actually can't remember seeing a single equation in there...
> >
>
> I've got the book in front of me. There is one paragraph in Chapter 2
> where he says V = SL x SR. (V=Velocity, SL=stroke length, SR=stroke rate).
>
> Doesn't intimidate _me_ but then 6th grade math never did.

Maybe they could change it to apples and oranges, to make it more
acceptable to a wider audience? ;-)

Tam

Couldn't be any easier to follow this book. Even being an "advanced"
swimmer I've tweaked my stroke quite a bit using this book (bought the
DVD too but didn't find it that helpful, they refunded me no problem).
Definitely worth the few bucks, wish I'd had this when I started
swimming years ago! Key is, you actually have to do what it says and
practice it often to get any benefit, duh!

Ok, ok, ok,

I broke down and bought the book tonight. I hope it is as good as you guys
say.

<batesrt@m> wrote in message
news:1141669972.311725.258700@u72g2000cwu. o...
> Couldn't be any easier to follow this book. Even being an "advanced"
> swimmer I've tweaked my stroke quite a bit using this book (bought the
> DVD too but didn't find it that helpful, they refunded me no problem).
> Definitely worth the few bucks, wish I'd had this when I started
> swimming years ago! Key is, you actually have to do what it says and
> practice it often to get any benefit, duh!
>

Harold Buck wrote:
> In article <0B6Pf.4817$p43.240@fed1read05>,
> "Tony" <calfmaster2000m> wrote:
>
>
>>Ok, ok, ok,
>>
>>I broke down and bought the book tonight. I hope it is as good as you guys
>>say.
>
>
>
> Ha ha! We suckered another one into buying it!
>
> Just kidding; it's good.

I just bought the triathlon book and dvd. They are more helpful then the
first Total Immersion book that I read only parts of.

I was able to get all the drills down very easily, except the last
drill where I start to swim with real strokes. I also sink a lot when I
do the zipper drill. I like the "zen" method of the triathlon book.

I will have to try those two drills out again. *crosses fingers*.

The methods given in the tri book and dvd are a bit different (it is
nice to compare the two), but really simple, fun, and interesting feeling.

Bryan Woodruff wrote:
> Something to consider -- I learned TI to correct my technique and
> develop "front-quadrant" timing for my stroke. As I've been
> progressing, I have learned to shorten the time between the completion
> of the pull to the recovery and re-entry. TI teaches a longer delay
> between the completion of the pull to the recovery but this can slow the
> stroke speeed.
>
> Some of the other coaches that I have met have encouraged a faster
> recovery but same front-quadrant approach which helps in the turnover
> for the stroke rate.
>
> All in all, I have found TI to be very successful in improving my
> swimming technique (and continues to be a part of my regiment)... for my
> long distance swimming, it has improved my times to the order of 20
> seconds/100 yards since last year.

That's pretty good. I haven't timed myself for a while, but I had slowed
down since last year, the last that I checked.

TI does teach a longer delay, so that the stroke is effortless. Does
this make the swim much slower unless you speed up your stroke speed?