Total Immersion book- which one?

I am a "newbie" myself to triathlons this year.  I couldn't swim a lick when I got into it and started reading TI: The Revolutionary way...  I read about half of it and decided to buy the accompanying dvd, Freestyle made easy.  If I were to buy just one, I think it would be the dvd.  "A picture is worth a thousand words."  So a video must be worth more than that.  I'm not the fastest swimmer on earth, not even in my own little town I live, but I can swim all day long and not get tired whereas before I swam to the end of the pool and had to rest 5 minutes.  I highly recommend the dvd.  It's even that much better with the book because the book goes into more detail on the mechanics of swimming.

PS. He does touch a little on open water swimming in the dvd.  Not a lot, but enough to get you started.

Good luck!

X2 the video helps way more than the book in my opinion.

PS. He does touch a little on open water swimming in the dvd.  Not a lot, but enough to get you started.

Good luck!"

Thanks all. I will probably buy both, was leaning for the book but after your feedback, the video is looking better and better.

I am assuming that just by buying them I will swim faster, even before reading them, right? Put them under my pillow and enjoy the benefits?

Ok...I will do the work. uess no short cuts allowed

I also was having difficulty swimming and found the book at the library.  It was old, copyright 1996, and the program had changed. So I just ended up getting the DVD.  I couldn't be happier.  The video is really well done.  It is in sections, with each section building upon the last.  Each section has a ton of drills which also build on the drill of the last.

But I will say, that the book helped me get the info on how the process was started and why the past ways of learning to swim were not as fruitful.  But you could watch this on a series of vidoes on youtube as well.  Just go there and search: total immersion perpetual motion freestyle part 1.  I think there are 5 or 6 parts.  It shows the reasoning behind TI and that has helped me understand the overall concept as I practice.  

I haven't even watched the whole vid yet.  I'm just at lesson 5, though still need to hone lesson 4 a bit more.

My tip, is to take notes on each drill as you watch the vid.  The TI drills are really easily explained and shown over and over, so you can really get a good idea what is needed.  Then, transfer the notes over to a notecard to take the the pool.  I put my cards in ziplocs, but then got them laminated since I didn't trust the baggies. 

I am entirely self taught.  The only lessons that I ever had were about 20 years ago when I was 8 years old and it was an 8 week session.

You have to be very patient.  That was the hardest part for me.  With the first couple of lessons I didn't notice any difference in my swimming.  It wasn't until probably the 3rd week that I started noticing advances in my swimming.  They aren't huge changes but each time I went to the pool something would click and I would understand what he was talking about.  It was really a cool transformation to be able to go from a 5 minute rest after one 25 yard length to doing 1500 yards and leaving without breathing hard.  Patience and time.  You have to put the time in the pool.  When I first started going to the pool back in July I remember seeing people swimming non stop and it just did not make sense how they could do it without stopping to rest.  I still see those same people at the pool and I can now swim longer than a lot of them.  The TI dvd teaches you to swim very efficiently (meaning not using a lot of energy to propel yourself forward.  Those same people I swim with, most of them use very old techniques of swimming and they expend a lot more energy than I do.

My wife just started the dvd about 3 weeks ago and she is starting to notice those same changes little by little.  It has been fun to watch her get better each time we go to the pool.  We make it a family thing and take our kids (2 & 6 years old).  Our six year old is getting better too.

Like I said I'm not fast and I still have a lot to learn and I continue doing drills, but the dvd taught me the technique to swim correctly and efficiently.  Now that I have the technique down (at least to where I swim comfortably) I am looking into books that have drills to increase strength, speed, and endurance in the water.

Well, had to hijack the post a bit cause I'm about like you.  Had lessons when young, thought I could swim, started back swimming in July and 25 yards was a task.  Couldn't figure out how people could swim so long, yet look so violent in the water as well as being two times older than me and in far worse physical shape (at least, by looking at their body mass compared to mine).  I'm halfway through and seeing progress, but still can't wait until the day I can say I have been able to swim as much as you with just as little of effort.  Thanks for the success story and motivation.  I'm off to the pool!