Total Immersion: Are the workshops worth it?

I have improved my swimming a good amount just from the advice by other forum members. So have I! Where else can you get free advice from the best USMS swimmers in the world and country? I am so grateful to King Frog, Ande, Fortress and so many other elite swimmers who have taken the time to answer my relentless questions and video postings over the past 41/2 years since I joined USMS. :bow: Even Wookiee gave up :duel:and gave me excellent advice! :smooch:

I'd like advice on how to politely kick the walkers out of the lap lanes. Yeesh. I tried to get a swim in today and remembered why I don't bother going in the late morning. I find this an interesting discussion. Still don't know if TI is the best way for me, but it sure is fun to read everyone's opinion.:anim_coffee:

I'd like advice on how to politely kick the walkers out of the lap lanes. Yeesh. I tried to get a swim in today and remembered why I don't bother going in the late morning. I find this an interesting discussion. Still don't know if TI is the best way for me, but it sure is fun to read everyone's opinion.:anim_coffee: See if you can politely enlist the help of the lifeguards in giving them the boot. :D Lap lanes are for swimming laps, not walking laps! :bitching: Meanwhile, you have landed on a good thread with polite, diplomatic and worthwhile dialog. Everybody here has made valid points. :applaud: The only thing missing from this thread is some That Guy humor.

There are too many firms out there trying to peddle online coaching solutions. People show up at pools with their "customized" internet workout that some dude eating Cheetos has put together. The value of coaching is in person. This is why I'm a huge fan of TI. For years TI has practiced what they preached and their results are impressive. They have a dedicated following and a founder who is the real deal. There will be detractors of every program but TI does not oversell their product and they get people in the water. I also like how the TI website links to USMS. The Swimspire site shows a swimmer prominently in a USMS cap, which implies a relationship that I'm not sure actually exists. I'd also suggest that if you want a quality weekend workshop drop-in on Crazy and Demented Paul Smith at Mesa Aquatics or Mad Sprinter Leslie Livingston at Team Pittsburgh Masters Swimming.

There are too many firms out there trying to peddle online coaching solutions. People show up at pools with their "customized" internet workout that some dude eating Cheetos has put together. The value of coaching is in person. This is why I'm a huge fan of TI. For years TI has practiced what they preached and their results are impressive. They have a dedicated following and a founder who is the real deal. There will be detractors of every program but TI does not oversell their product and they get people in the water. I also like how the TI website links to USMS. The Swimspire site shows a swimmer prominently in a USMS cap, which implies a relationship that I'm not sure actually exists.I'd also suggest that if you want a quality weekend workshop drop-in on Crazy and Demented Paul Smith at Mesa Aquatics or Mad Sprinter Leslie Livingston at Team Pittsburgh Masters Swimming.Sad to see that the dialogue on this thread has suddenly become decidedly impolite and undiplomatic.

Sad to see that the dialogue on this thread has suddenly become decidedly impolite and undiplomatic. Leave it to Geek... :shakeshead:

If you would like to see Geek be impolite to someone, you should see how he talks to me. :-) That's ok, Wookiee, I saw plenty of it myself in my earlier Forum days directly from the source. :rolleyes: I will add, however, that Geek has :chillpill: lately and was the perfect gentleman when he came up to introduce himself to me at Greensboro Nationals. :applaud:

Julia, not to continue the debate, but I didn't think aquageek was questioning the legitimacy of your program, just mentioning the programs he's familiar with. Your program is as legit as any other, and having looked at your website, probably better than many. For me, I need someone standing over me because I don't know proper technique enough to look at a video and see what I'm doing wrong.

Julia, not to continue the debate, but I didn't think aquageek was questioning the legitimacy of your program, just mentioning the programs he's familiar with. Your program is as legit as any other, and having looked at your website, probably better than many. For me, I need someone standing over me because I don't know proper technique enough to look at a video and see what I'm doing wrong. Denise, this is a bit of a sidetrack, but do you have anybody who can video your swimming? If so, upload it to YouTube and post the link on the Forums on either Ande's threads ("Ask Ande" or "The Freestyle Lane") or on your own thread. There is always somebody, including Julia, who is willing to offer constructive criticism of your stroke and make great suggestions. It's an excellent way to supplement your TI training and other coaching. If you look over the Forum threads at several other video critiques, you will pick up on a lot of great tips and get to the point where you will actually be able to watch videos and spot the flaws yourself. I've posted a bunch of videos over the past four years and have gotten GREAT advice from the best swimmers here. Now, when my husband shoots another video, I don't even have to post it to know what I need to work on. I can watch a video of my breaststroke, for example, and make an educated guess as to what King Frog (Allen Stark) would say about it. I'm getting better at self-coaching through video! :agree:

Denise, this is a bit of a sidetrack, but do you have anybody who can video your swimming? If so, upload it to YouTube and post the link on the Forums on either Ande's threads ("Ask Ande" or "The Freestyle Lane") or on your own thread. There is always somebody, including Julia, who is willing to offer constructive criticism of your stroke and make great suggestions. It's an excellent way to supplement your TI training and other coaching.If you look over the Forum threads at several other video critiques, you will pick up on a lot of great tips and get to the point where you will actually be able to watch videos and spot the flaws yourself. I've posted a bunch of videos over the past four years and have gotten GREAT advice from the best swimmers here. Now, when my husband shoots another video, I don't even have to post it to know what I need to work on. I can watch a video of my breaststroke, for example, and make an educated guess as to what King Frog (Allen Stark) would say about it. I'm getting better at self-coaching through video! :agree:Elaine, I just PM'd Denise on the same topic!