Total Immersion - Does it work?

That's why I said "virtually." Most of the TI teachings, however, are contrary to what sprinters should focus on. I like TI. For sprinting, it's not a total package (strength training, kick power...), but the ideas about posture, drag reduction, and grip are solid. I like to use a TI-esque freestyle drill progression when teaching. Effectiveness of TI just depends on skill level. If someone has not spent time as a competitive swimmer, they probably need to figure out how to hold a line, which is very difficult at first. I used to spend a lot of time watching bad swimmers, when I was in the hot tub after my workouts. They all swim the same way: sagging hips, dropped elbows, wide flailing kick, too much head motion/elevation. Here's a video of some dudes who probably think they are extremely "fit" and "intense" doing the same stuff you can see in any public lap swim session: www.youtube.com/watch

That's why I said "virtually." Most of the TI teachings, however, are contrary to what sprinters should focus on. I like TI. For sprinting, it's not a total package (strength training, kick power...), but the ideas about posture, drag reduction, and grip are solid. I like to use a TI-esque freestyle drill progression when teaching. Effectiveness of TI just depends on skill level. If someone has not spent time as a competitive swimmer, they probably need to figure out how to hold a line, which is very difficult at first. I used to spend a lot of time watching bad swimmers, when I was in the hot tub after my workouts. They all swim the same way: sagging hips, dropped elbows, wide flailing kick, too much head motion/elevation. Here's a video of some dudes who probably think they are extremely "fit" and "intense" doing the same stuff you can see in any public lap swim session: www.youtube.com/watch