Total Immersion - opinions?

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2007-01-04 10:39 PM

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Subject: Total Immersion - opinions?
Hey everyone... just got into this whole triathlon thing. i am a complete nubie at pretty much everything, but especially the swim. i NEVER learned how to swim! i've also been successful at not swimming for over 2 decades. anyway i really need to learn how to swim. i was told to check out total immersion. the program seems expensive, so i was wondering if there were some opinons on it. how is the program? is it worthwhile, especially for triathletes? any other avenues i can check out. i hear swimming is very technique oriented so i dont want to just jump in a pool and start logging in miles of splashing. anything on this would be great! thanks in advance


2007-01-04 10:49 PM
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Subject: RE: Total Immersion - opinions?
Andy,

If you do a quick search on the forums here, you will find ALOT of TI info. I just recently started working out, getting ready for TRIs. I am really comfortable in the water and spend a lot of time in lakes and such through out the year...But, I quickly found out that this doesn't mean I can swim. After searching this site and talking to others, I bought the DVD and the book (Freestyle made easy). I have not made through all the drills yet, but I can tell you when I am really focusing keeping the form, I can tell a difference. I am still very slow, but I am making progress.

From my experience so far (very limited, as I mentioned) it was well worth the money. You just have to take the time to work through the drills and practice. I am sure others will chime in shortly.

HTH

Kenny
2007-01-04 10:58 PM
in reply to: #642967

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Subject: RE: Total Immersion - opinions?
I started using the TI DVD (freestyle made easy) as well. It does focus on technique extensively and it has many drills to eventually develop your full swim stroke. More than anything, it does get you feeling more comfortable in the water - especially breathing which is my weak point. I purchased the DVD here on BT for $39 I believe, so it is really inexpensive, relatively speaking. Good luck.
2007-01-04 11:24 PM
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Subject: RE: Total Immersion - opinions?
FentressJET - 2007-01-04 8:58 PM

I started using the TI DVD (freestyle made easy) as well. It does focus on technique extensively and it has many drills to eventually develop your full swim stroke. More than anything, it does get you feeling more comfortable in the water - especially breathing which is my weak point. I purchased the DVD here on BT for $39 I believe, so it is really inexpensive, relatively speaking. Good luck.


Good deal for getting your swim time down!
2007-01-04 11:44 PM
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Subject: RE: Total Immersion - opinions?
I can only comment on the book.  I didn't find it all that great.  It got me pumped up to swim like a fish, but then just gave me poor illustrations and descriptions of some drills to do.  There are no real structured workouts.    Personally, I like "the Triathlete's guide to swimming" better.   Can't remember the author, but you should be able to find it on Amazon. 
2007-01-05 5:04 AM
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2007-01-05 5:26 AM
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Subject: RE: Total Immersion - opinions?
I think your best bet would be swim lessons at your local swim club. I feel like the total immersion videos would be too technical for someone that still needs to learn how to swim. I used to teach swim lessons myself and we had plenty of adults and children alike who wanted to learn.

Good luck! I know you can do it!
2007-01-05 6:53 AM
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Subject: RE: Total Immersion - opinions?
Earlier this summer I was at the same spot you are now. I got the idea to do triathlons but couldn't swim. Sure, I could get in and splash around like an idiot, but actual swimming was a whole 'nother ball game.

Before evening signing up at the YMCA this summer (for the pool), I was poking around the TI website and found a couple coaches in my area. I contacted one and got started with a few lessons. It was kind of spendy, but well worth it in my opinion. I also bought the book and DVD a couple months later to supplement.
2007-01-05 7:42 AM
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Subject: RE: Total Immersion - opinions?
I have the Freestyle Made Easy DVD and Triathlon Swimming Made Easy book. It is on the Total Immersion website for $49.95. I got it as a Christmas present (I love my wife). I think that the book and DVD go well together. I'm only about half way through the drills, but I would give it an A+. The book goes into more detail of why this theory of swimming is very good for triathletes.

Disclaimer:
I am very new to this sport, have never swam much, and love to read about how to do things and then figure it out on my own. The TI training seems to fit my personallity very well. If you prefer to have a knowledgable coach, and a lot of people learning with you for support, I don't think it would be for you. Unless you can afford to go to a seminar.
2007-01-05 8:11 AM
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Philadelphia, south of New York and north of DC
Subject: RE: Total Immersion - opinions?

TROGDOR - I have the Freestyle Made Easy DVD and Triathlon Swimming Made Easy book.

That's the combination I've used to self coach.

TI will teach you to swim in a relaxed and efficient way.  It won't teach you to swim fast, at least not in my case.

But if you're new to swimming, I'd recommend it. 

2007-01-05 8:23 AM
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Subject: RE: Total Immersion - opinions?

I used the book to learn the basics and get to where I could complete the swim leg of a Sprint, which I built up to HIM distance. Not fast and not at all efficient, but I could do it.

Last year I took 2 lessons from a TI coach and learned the drills properly, but didn't really practice them. In the past couple months I've been doing the drills regularly and my times have dropped dramatically. I've also had the benefit of a few swim workouts with friend who's a very good swimmer who's given me some great feedback and instruction.

Bottom line: the book was good for getting started, but it's been through direct instruction from someone who knows what they're doing that I've started to progress in swimming.

2007-01-05 9:19 AM
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Subject: RE: Total Immersion - opinions?
I am not a strong swimmer either, and I bought the book last summer to try to learn the drills. The book made a lot of sense to me intellectually, and the author sold me on his ideas but I really had trouble figuring out how to actually perform the drills. I don't think 2 dimensional pictures in a book were enough.

Now I've joined a Masters swim club and have gotten a lot of help on the drills so they are making more sense to me. I'm also considering buying the dvd b/c a picture is worth a thousand words right? How much is a moving picture? 2000?

Let us know how it works out if you buy the dvd, I'd be interested myself!
2007-01-05 9:31 AM
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Subject: RE: Total Immersion - opinions?

Also a non-swimmer up until 2005, where I learned from scratch.  When I incorporated Total Immersion I made the biggest gains.  T.I. makes a lot of sense.

 

2007-01-05 12:14 PM
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Subject: RE: Total Immersion - opinions?
I used the TI book and DVD together and LOVED it.
2007-01-05 1:23 PM
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Subject: RE: Total Immersion - opinions?
For me:

The book was good--got me A LOT further than I was able to on my own

The DVD was better--and I'd recommend it over the book

The weekend workshop was da' bomb! It's one thing to read a book or watch a DVD but, unless you have someone watching/critiquing you, you really don't know if you're using the proper form.

Oh, and I agree with the, "TI will teach you to swim more efficiently but not necessarily faster." I got up to 5,000y straight, and felt great, but only at about a 2:00/100 pace. But that is just my experience.


Edited by CptnJackSparrow 2007-01-05 1:25 PM
2007-01-05 2:55 PM
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Subject: RE: Total Immersion - opinions?

The weekend was the best for me - the underwater video critique and coaching was invaluable. If I only had the book, I wouldn't be as confident in the water now. My endurance increased dramatically!

I'd suggest finding a TI coach in your area and splurging on a couple of sessions to be sure that you're on the right track with the TI drills and then keep progressing from there.

Oh yeah, I felt weird being the only one doing the TI drills during lane swim but got over it when I realized how much the techniques helped me.

2007-01-05 3:02 PM
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Subject: RE: Total Immersion - opinions?
do you use hand paddles in TI training? The coach at the Masters swim club I went to recommended that I get some.
2007-01-05 7:02 PM
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Subject: RE: Total Immersion - opinions?
TI workshop are probably the best thing you can do for swim training.The upside to being a non-swimmer is that you don't already have bad habits you need to "unlearn". Swimming is about stroke mechanics, not power or strength. Practice does not make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect. TI does not use hand paddles, pull bouys, or kickboards. TI does use the fist glove which is an outstanding aid in learning to hold onto the water.
2007-01-06 12:31 PM
in reply to: #642967

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Subject: RE: Total Immersion - opinions?
Thanks for all the input everyone! ti seems like a good starting point for me. i will look into doing a few sessions w/ a ti coach and take things from there... thanks again everyone for your 2cents!
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