Total Immersion: The Revolutionary Way To Swim Better, Faster, and Easier: Amazon.co.uk: Terry Laughlin, John Delves: Books

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40 Reviews

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4.2 out of 5 stars (40 customer reviews)

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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Superceded by another book & DVD by same author, 1 Feb 2009

By	Nicodemus (Cheltenham) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Total Immersion (Paperback)

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"

As for this book -
What all the other reviews say is true: there are a hell of a lot of pages containing relatively little information.

Chapters 1-7 are full of personal anecdotes about how 'amazed' Terry was to discover he had spent years thinking all wrong about swimming. There is some important background information, but it could be covered much more concisely. The key point is that because water is so much denser than air, the key 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. Plus some nonsense - eg dolphins only use a fraction of the energy that the laws of physics say they should. (If that was true, Einstein would have needed to explain dolphins rather than atoms etc)

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 want to be one of those guys cruising past with no effort and no splashes. (My crawl is not bad, but you know the people I mean - they are in a different league). So I am willing to accept going back to first principles, rather than just tweaking my current style.

But after I bought it I found out from the TI website that some of the techniques in this book are no longer recommended by TI! So, even by TI's own standards, this book is out of date.

So here are my conclusions -
I agree with the concept that good swimming is all about efficiency, balance, reduced drag etc. But that is not unique to TI.
I think the idea of going back to the drawing board is good. This seems to be TI's strength - it is NOT a unique way to swim (how could it be?), but a special set of drills to help you learn correct technique 'from the inside out'.
If that appeals to you, I would NOT recommend buying this book - I would suggest getting the latest TI book instead (although I have not read it).

UPDATE - I have bought the TI DVD "Easy Frestyle:21st Century Techniques" - Have watched about half & looks good. Knocks the spots off the book! BUY THE DVD INSTEAD!

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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better Technique = Better Swimming, 29 Sep 2008

By	a reviewer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Total Immersion (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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49 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I cut 4 strokes of my front crawl upon the first day, 19 April 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Total Immersion: Revolutionary Way to Swim Better and Faster (Paperback)

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.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars makes you think about your swimming style
I had been training for a few months for a triathlon, but not seeming to improve on my swimming, a magazine article suggested this book. Read more

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3.0 out of 5 stars Total immersion too much theory
Dear all,
I think total immersion is good but the author really beats his own drum like a hell. Read more

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2.0 out of 5 stars Strung out and waffly - hoping it has potential
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5.0 out of 5 stars Persist with the book please!
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1.0 out of 5 stars Very long winded
If you intend to buy this book go to the nearest bookshop and browse the pages first, it's very difficult to read and by page 92 I'd had enough. Read more

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5.0 out of 5 stars This is the most valuable "training" book I have ever read....
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	74% buy the item featured on this page: Total Immersion: The Revolutionary Way To Swim Better, Faster, and Easier 4.2 out of 5 stars (40)
	10% buy The Triathlete's Training Bible 4.9 out of 5 stars (21) �13.49
	8% buy Swimming without Stress: Lessons for Land Lovers 4.9 out of 5 stars (7) �6.29
	5% buy Chirunning: A Revolutionary Approach to Effortless, Injury-Free Running 4.3 out of 5 stars (13) �4.94


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Total Immersion: The Revolutionary Way To Swim Better, Faster, and Easier (Paperback)

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