Terry Laughlin, the world's #1 authority on swimming success, has made his unique approach even easier for anyone to master. Whether you're an accomplished swimmer or have always found swimming to be a struggle, Total Immersion will show you that it's mindful fluid movement -- not athletic ability -- that will turn you into an efficient swimmer. This new edition of the bestselling Total Immersion features:

A thoughtfully choreographed series of skill drills -- practiced in the mindful spirit of yoga -- that can help anyone swim more enjoyably

A holistic approach to becoming one with the water and to developing a swimming style that's always comfortable

Simple but thorough guidance on how to improve fitness and form

A complementary land-and-water program for achieving a strong and supple body at any age

Based on more than thirty years of teaching, coaching, and research, Total Immersion has dramatically improved the physical and mental experience of swimming for thousands of people of all ages and abilities.

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.


I learned to swim with lessons by following this book   May 21, 2003
 121 out of 124 found this review helpful

This book explains a swimming technique based on science and years of observation of top swimmers by a very gifted professional coach. This technique is about balance, active streamlining, gliding on your side between strokes and using your whole body to swim, not simply focusing on kicking, stroking and endless laps. It is based on proprioceptive training and learning to relax in the water, not swimming workouts. You will train your nervous system first, then you will get the strength and endurance training for free. Water is 1000 times denser than air, thus good technique will out-perform raw strength. You will not find many swim workouts in this book; you can learn at your own pace. This book is an easy and fun read and the technique is easy to learn.

I'm 34 years old and I began training for my first triathlon 6 months ago; I could not swim 25 yards. I dreaded doing the pool workouts and was a bit afraid of deep, open water. Now I'm swimming over 1600 yards a session and I can sprint 50 yards in under 48 seconds. I learned to swim without lessons by following this book. I like swimming now more than cycling, which I've been doing very often for almost 15 years.

I am a beginner swimmer, yet people at the pool and beach regularly ask me why my stroke looks so different and easy. You can explain and demonstrate the basics of this technique in 5 minutes. I'm convinced that anyone can learn it; it's common sense and fun to learn. I recommend this book to anyone who asks.

If you want to learn efficient, relaxed, fish-like swimming, using the least number of heart beats and strokes, this is the book. If you want to slap and churn water for hours like a "pool robot", kicking furiously to keep your legs from dragging or just looking a workout, don't read this book. If you've never swam freestyle before, get this book. If you are looking for a swimming coach, make sure s/he is familiar with this book.

I'm looking forward to doing a Total Immersion clinic as soon as possible!


NOTICE: NEW EDITION EXISTS -- MANY CHANGES   January 11, 2005
 62 out of 65 found this review helpful

In the revised and updated edition of 2004 the drills in chapter 8 are COMPLETELY changed. Why Amazon is not selling the new edition is a mystery to me. I bought the old one here and then discovered I had to replace it.


Excellent book to improve your freestyle stroke   November 3, 1999
 46 out of 46 found this review helpful

This book made a major impact on my freestyle stroke and basic attitudes towards traditional swim training. I highly recommend this book to anyone; however, there a few minor shortcomings. First, the beginning of the book drags on a bit about the benefits of the "Total Immersion" swim program. If you can make throught the beginning, the later chapters are the big payoff. Second, I found Terry's ideas about head position a bit contradictory. Terry talks about looking towards the end of the pool; however, most people (including a Swimming Fitness article authored by Terry) talk about looking down. Once you look up, your hips start to sink -- The big problem Terry tries to cure. Finally, the book only talks about freestyle. Even though Terry has ways to improve the other strokes (check out his Web site for his videos), he doesn't mention them in this book. Despite those three minor flaws, the book is excellent and really works.


As a swimming instructor for over 5 years...   December 10, 2001
 45 out of 46 found this review helpful

I have been teaching swimming for over 5 years, and when I picked up this book, I was really excited!
It now sits on my bookshelf as a reference guide, and I recommend it to anyone I know who is learning to swim for racing or fitness, and also to people who teach swimming.
I have been swimming all my life, and have 2 seasons of triathlon under my belt. This book taught me many new and innovative ways to teach kids 'how to feel the water' to improve their stroke. After I read some of the points in the book, I went to test it out in the pool during one of my swimming sessions. The principles all worked, and put everything I have learned since I was 2 into perspective! I now know how to swim faster and smoother! I was very impressed that a book could do this, compared to the many years of swim instruction.
As for some of the negative comments made about this book, I will address a few:
*diagrams... if you read the introduction, it mentions how to best use the book, and how it is laid out. The book actually has a very easy layout: the intorduction for the concept (with 'proof' of why this concept works), a section (33 pages!) with diagrams to be used as the reference section for the drills in the next secions, sections on how to use the pace clock and equipment... among other things.

*"wordy"... I found this book to be great for teaching many people. The 'words' are there to illustrate and explain key concepts of swimming. I often had a hard time explaining concepts of "why" you wanted to swim this way (which adults always want to know) and what a proper technique should feel like. Knowing these things not only helped me become a better swimmer, it also taught me how to explain the concepts better to my sutdnets. THe neatest thing is, it taught me how to teach myself how to swim. I say, keep the words, they are excellent.

*the logistics... one person commented that the book focused on the aspect of body position way too much. From teaching every age from 3 months to 60+ years old, I can tell you that EVERYONE starts at the same place: learning PROPER body position. This book takes you back to the first part, as the vast majority of the population has not learned proper body position to begin with. The individual differences in people will determine how much their legs sink or float, but if you use the principles in this book, it will help you swim to your potential. Proper balance in the water is essential. I have spent countless hours watching the public swim laps and comparing their techinique to how the olympic swimmers swim at the pool I work at, and what this book teaches can be recognized in the elite athletes. I have also received coaching from various national level coaches, and they also teach these same prinicples. They train the olympians, so who is to argue?

This book is an EXCELLENT value for those who can't get to, or afford the author's workshops. If I had the money and the time to go, I would definitely go!
...I highly reccommend this book to those who want to swim faster and feel more confident and comfortable in the water.