Total Immersion: A Revolutionary Way To Swim Better And Faster: Amazon.ca: Books

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Masters swimmer and acclaimed coach Terry Laughlin has taught thousands to swim more efficiently in the workshops he has given across the United States. In his book Laughlin details simple, step-by-step drills emphasizing the importance of technique and an innovative workout regimen.

Ingram

Demonstrates the techniques perfected by the author while working with Olympic athletes, offering step-by-step drills that cover stroke improvement, drag elimination, burning fat, and dry-land exercises. 15,000 first printing.

Inside This Book (Learn More)

First Sentence
It's no mystery why people have trouble swimming as fast or as far or as smoothly as they'd like-most of them are doing it backward. Read the first page

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Customer Reviews

46 Reviews

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

Average Customer Review

4.4 out of 5 stars (46 customer reviews)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What a swimmer with some A times, but nothing better, thinks, Aug 19 2002

By

David Benjamin (Chevy Chase, MD United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Total Immersion: A Revolutionary Way To Swim Better And Faster (Paperback)

Maybe the book deserves five stars, but I shall be stingy. I am a 16-year old age group swimmer. I specialize in long-distance freestyle and am close to my first AA times in a few events. This book is one of the most important advances in my swimming career. By religiously following every drill in Laughlin's program (including one resembling dead-man's float which was hard on my pride to do in public), I have been able to convert my flat, brute-force freestyle into a more graceful and efficient stroke.
I began to see results after about two weeks, but so far my sprints have been fairly resistant to change, although I am confident that I can slowly increase the speed where I can use my new stroke. Since I bought this book during the summer, I have had no meets to get new times, but I have noticed that in practice I have swum faster with dramatically less effort. My biceps, triceps, and shoulders are no longer bearing all the burden of swimming and I have learned how to make freestyle swimming's power and rhythm come from the core of the body.
I can't say how helpful the book would be for more advanced swimmers, but I will recommend it to swimmers with A and AA times who hope to get AA and AAA times, especially to those who have poor rotation in freestyle. Backstrokers may also benefit somewhat if they need to cure poor rotation.
Finally, I am an assistant coach for my neighborhood's swim team during the summer and I have successfully used the principles of the book to quickly correct many stroke flaws of younger swimmers.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This method of swimming does wonders, May 30 2000

By

David Tepper - See all my reviews

This review is from: Total Immersion: A Revolutionary Way To Swim Better And Faster (Paperback)

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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5.0 out of 5 stars This Works!, Jan 16 2012

By

I. Gorner "booker" (C.B.S,) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

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

I have found this extremely helpful in improving my swimming as I prepare for an upcomming triathlon. Study it carefully and put some practice time in at the pool. Just look up you-tube to see how some TI masters pull off this effortless method.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely informative!
This book taught gave me the confidence and the knowledge to learn how to swim better. I went from no technique to at least an idea of what I was trying to do! Read more

Published on Dec 16 2009 by Jennfier Freymond

5.0 out of 5 stars 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. Read more

Published on Oct 2 2008 by a reviewer

1.0 out of 5 stars the book and its drills are obsolete
The total immersion website explains why. There is also a review dated May 12, 2003 which indicates the same. Don't buy this book.
There is a new book (it has new drills).

Published on July 10 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars This method made me a competent, confident swimmer in 1 week
SHORT VERSION

-This method is incredible and works.
-Don't buy this book. Instead buy the updated version "Swimming made easy. Read more

Published on Jun 4 2004

3.0 out of 5 stars Midwest triathlete
While I am a big fan of the Total Immersion technique, the improvements that Laughlin has made in later books renders this version very obsolete. Read more

Published on Oct 29 2003

4.0 out of 5 stars Bad technique = frustrated swimmer
What a useful book! I was a swimmer in the 70's and decided to start swimming again to rehab my broken ankles. Read more

Published on Oct 12 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome
This book will help any level of swimmer, from beginner to advanced. Laughlin explains why swimming lap after lap will get you nowhere if you want to improve. Read more

Published on Sep 4 2003

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't buy the book
Hi:

I bought this book with a lot of hope and was disappointed. The author has repeatedly said in the book that one has to swim like fish but unfortunately I am not a fish! Read more

Published on Jun 10 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars I learned to swim with lessons by following this book
This book explains a swimming technique based on science and years of observation of top swimmers by a very gifted professional coach. Read more

Published on May 20 2003 by Kurt Stephens

3.0 out of 5 stars the drills from this book are obsolete
I highly recommend this technique, however, I recently participated in a total immersion workshop and the drills have changed! They no longer teach the drills from this book. Read more

Published on May 12 2003