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Book Review of Total Immersion : The Revolutionary Way To Swim Better, Faster, and Easier

Total Immersion : The Revolutionary Way To Swim Better, Faster, and Easier
reviewed on + 625 more book reviews


I am a self-taught swimmer who swims outdoors a mile a day or more at a lake or the ocean every day the weather works for swimming. I do mainly breast stroke and had struggled to master the crawl. This book had nothing in it for me, and I do mean not one useful sentence.

It is only for pool swimmers who want to swim fast.

I thought I would discover some useful metaphors, guidelines or reminders that would enable me to have a more natural crawl. Turns out that the mantra I discovered myself - let the water hold you up, don't try - helped me more than anything in this book.

If you didn't grow up being coached in swimming, you'll also find the book meaningless to you.

This book was recommended as a counterpart to Chi Running, but there is nothing spiritual or even anything inner in it at all.