Total Immersion training?

nuffer

I've checked out a few of the blog posts on the Total Immersion site. I like the idea of their approach and am curious if anyone here has tried it or embraced the technique they teach and would be willing to comment.

NoelFigart1

I think its claims are overstated, but certainly body position and stroke form are like TOTALLY important.

khhregister

I took a Total Immersion course, and had a follow-up about a year later with Terry Laughlin's daughter. I can honestly say it completely reformed my stroke. I used to be able to swim maybe 10-15 minutes at a time and then was exhausted because I was fighting the water and couldn't find a place to breathe without muscling up out of the water. Now I can swim 40 minutes to an hour, and I feel more like I do after yoga class - tired, but also energized. I can't say enough good things about it - especially since I found it right around at that point in life when my joints started REALLY complaining about some of my other fitness activities.

fishgutzy

I'm not sure I would pay for a seminar.
I got more out of a minute and a half video on youtube regarding the Catch Up drill. cut my stroke count per length from 24 to 18. And I'm faster at 18 strokes per length than I was at 24.
If I really wanted to get my time down I could seek swim and strength coaching. But since I have no interest in competing, I can't justify that expense. But there would be a nice time benefit if I could get from 55 seconds per lap down to 45. I'd be done with my 4 mile swim sooner or I could maybe get 5 miles in the same time it takes me to do 4 now.

nuffer

@fishgutzy - There are lots of videos out there -- if you could link to the one you found useful, I'd love to see it.

On a related note...
I was taught as a child to only breathe on one side. Coming off being unfit, this has meant breathing every two strokes. Now I'm at about half four strokes, half two, which is definitely faster and more efficient. I flounder terribly trying to breathe on my off side.

fishgutzy

nuffer wrote: »

@fishgutzy - There are lots of videos out there -- if you could link to the one you found useful, I'd love to see it.

On a related note...
I was taught as a child to only breathe on one side. Coming off being unfit, this has meant breathing every two strokes. Now I'm at about half four strokes, half two, which is definitely faster and more efficient. I flounder terribly trying to breathe on my off side.

I just searched Youtube on "catch up drill." There are a number of those. I found that to be quite effective in reducing stroke count.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTJPIHQzyCw
This one is a little different.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7-xnvc3ap8

AquaticQuests

I try to combine the total immersion emphasis on long strokes and body position, with the swim smooth approach of body position and stroke rate, and Taormina's emphasis on the catch and pull.

nuffer

I tried the catch-up exercise and did not do well. Need some more practice. The data from my swim watch shows me that fewer strokes equals faster times, but I'm not aware when that is happening.

I did manage to verify that more kicking slows me down considerably.