Easy Freestyle Swimming By Terry Laughlin (DVD, 2008)

MY DAUGHTER IS FIVE YEARS OLD AND STARTED LEARNING SWIMMING SINCE THIS SUMMER. AFTER SHE FINISHED HER SWIMMING CLASS IN FITNESS EIGHT TIME SHE FOLLOWED SOME LIFEGARDER TO TAKE PRIVATE LESSONS. SHE SPENT TIME TO LEARN,BUT STILL HAS PROBLEM TO CHANG HER BREATH AND USING UPPER EXTREMITY. THIS DVD HELPS MY A LOT TO CHANG HER ARM POSITION AND MOVING, ESPECIALLY, THE WAY HOW TO CHANG THE BREATH WHEN IN THE WATER, THE WAY TO TURN THE FACE SIDEWAY FOR CHANGING BREATH IS SO IMPRESSED. THIS IS THE BEST TEACHING VIDIO MY DAUGHTER HAS.

According to the video, I've been trying to swim all wrong! Mr. Laughlin makes swimming look effortless, and gives you sound tips at each stage of learning. He shows what happens when you have the right form, and what happens when you do not! It gives me hope that this fraidy cat can actually learn to swim!

"Easy Freestyle" by Total Immersion guru Terry Laughlin introduces us to a new philosophy of swimming. The concepts are fascinating; I found myself eager to extend my workouts once I began Laughlin's drills. The drills seem, at first, to be a little odd, and certainly different than what I was coached to do years ago, but they are designed to imprint new sensations and skills into your muscles and your brain. The drills are better than swimming with training toys, because they really increase your feel for the water.
TI isn't for Michael Phelps. It's for swimmers who feel like they thrash a bit too much, who tire too quickly in distance swims, who have technique issues that they can't solve, and who just plain grunt too much in the pool.
I'm stoked, I don't want to get out of the pool, I'm having the best open water swims of my life these days...and I've only spent three weeks with this DVD.

Watching this educational DVD again and again. Still not an expert but hoping top get there with help. Super three way visual to make his point clear.

BACKGROUND: A buddy of mine told me I had to get a swim coach to become a competent and comfortable triathlon swimmer. Looking for an alternative to a possible expensive endeavor, I came upon a recommendation on a well known tri-blog about the total immersion program (this DVD is part of this series by Laughlin).

INITIAL IMPRESSION: I just finished watching the dvd for the first time. The content makes sense. Through the series of lessons, the instructor is building your stroke to become the most efficient it can be. From head direction, to body turning, to hip drive, etc. (too many points to mention), I found myself realizing that I had a lot of wasteful movement in my stroke and that there is hope for comfort, power, stamina, and consistency.

SWIMMING LEVEL: You do need to know how to swim to use this product. This is a tool for those who have been "taught" freestyle (at a place like your local pool) but want to become more efficient and train for greater swimming accomplishments.

LAST WORD:
1) Will update this review when I have put the lessons into practice (will take some time as I need to make these tips habitual - consistency and repeatability are key.
2) A good piece of advice about swimming - Its a lot to do with form and consistency over power. You can be super powerful but if you are dragging water all the time it negates this asset (i.e., driving a Ferrari with flat tires and the hood open).