What do you think of total immersion?

I joined a local LMSC at age 45 when I started swimming 10 years ago and struggled for three months before I found Total Immersion. Since then I've been to the Stanford Masters camp, Walnut Creek Camp, the USOTC to swim in the flume, etc., and a few other camps. My reality is that in my short 10 years' swimming TI (which has many similarities to Stanford and the USOTC camps' curriculum) I'm one of those people in my age group who have gotten better. There are a lot of people out there who swim slower and slower every year, and now sometimes I beat them. So here's my conclusion: TI taught me how to swim. TI teaches me how to continue improving every year with new drills, new thoughts, new approaches. I'm a happy swimmer. I'm in great shape. I gota tell you, I just don't see a downside here. I didn't swim when I was in high school/college. Gay kids weren't welcome in sports in the 60s-70s. So I never swam 10,000 yards a day with kick boards and paddles and pool buoys and the other toys. Kick boards make my neck hurt, pool buoys do what I think I ought to be able to do for myself, and I've never figured out what the paddles, or the 10,000 yards, are for. So I don't have a history of 30-year-old technique that I have to swim around in order to enjoy TI. I like TI. It's simple. It's logical. It emphasizes the positive. It explains the why in swimming. And it is constantly changing. I've never left a TI workout frustrated, never swam a race poorly when I stuck to the TI principles. TI is all about Terry Laughlin. And I guess if you don't like him, you won't like TI, or vice versa. My experience is that he is an easy-going guy who answers his email, remembers who you are, is excited about, and really thinks seriously about swimming day and night. He's the first to test new techniques, and the first to share them. It's easy to see why so many people are disciples. I haven't been on these boards since the big gay discussion a few years ago, but when I read them tonight I was amazed that this guy, who I would guess sells more swimming books than anybody, is responsible for improving the times and attitudes of, I guess, thousands of swimmers, is being beat up over I'm not sure what. His success? His ability to market his company and himself? Like all good coaches, he changes people's lives for the better. A few coaches may be lucky enough and smart enough to train an Olympian or two, and earn the respect of thousands of spectators. Terry and his coaches, however, have been lucky enough and smart enough to train thousands of swimmers, and earn their respect in the process. So while I guess a lot of coaches dream about the former, only a few are able to create reality from the latter.

Originally posted by gull80 In the past six months I lowered my 500 time by 11 seconds, my 200 by 5 seconds... I can personally attest to gull's improvement and I'M NOT REAL HAPPY ABOUT IT.

I will freely admit I had no real opinion of TI prior to this discussion. However, after reading the completely defensive and aggressive comments of the TI Tao guru, I now have some opinions. As long as he brings up marketing 101, I will bring up another marketing 101 slogan - a fool and his money are soon parted. If anyone tells you they have the "ONLY, ONLY, ONLY" way of doing anything, they are selling snake oil and you are best served saving your money.

Terry: I promote an even-handed discussion of the issues in this forum- your dismissal of 'only' as perhaps excessive was not; indeed, it was downright rude.

Gull, Let me ask you a question. Why do you think that TI wouldn't be good enough for someone to try to make the USMS Top Ten? You said it was your opinion but what do you base your opinion on? Have you made an honest attempt at training with TI mind set? I ask because you seem adamant that TI is not the way to go for success of good masters swimmers. What is the way to go then? Please understand, this is not a personal attack, just would like clarification on your view points. Thanks.

I read a lot (Swimming Fastest, Swim Coaching Bible, Championship Swim Training, among others). I talk to coaches and other swimmers. And I know what does and doesn't work for me. Admittedly I do not have any top ten times. But I have seen my times improve over the past year to the extent that I am swimming faster at 48 than I was at 46. When I joined USMS three years ago, like others I wanted to believe that I could swim fast by swimming "smarter." In other words, I wouldn't have to train with the same intensity as I did twenty five years ago, instead relying on technique. I experimented with TI, lower yardage workouts, etc. What I discovered is that there aren't any shortcuts. In the past six months I lowered my 500 time by 11 seconds, my 200 by 5 seconds, both NQTs. How did this happen? I credit my training partner and my coach. We train with a lot of intensity, primarily En2 and En3, negative splitting, descending, especially 200s. It is not painless, nor is it effortless. But it is not mindless--we focus on technique at race pace, not just drill pace. That is what I base my opinion on.

Originally posted by Swimmr2001 I joined a local LMSC at age 45 when I started swimming 10 years ago and struggled for three months before I found Total Immersion... I didn't swim when I was in high school/college... TI is all about Terry Laughlin. And I guess if you don't like him, you won't like TI, or vice versa. Have you actually read the entire thread? In the first place, I have never said I didn't like Mr. Laughlin. I've never met him. I have nothing against him personally. And I don't fault him for marketing his product and taking care of his employees. What I was doing was voicing my opinion of TI from the perspective of a Masters swimmer. This is a discussion forum, correct? If you had read my posts, you would know that I think TI is appropriate for novices, lap swimmers, and triathletes. Mr. Laughlin admitted that this is his target audience. But will you achieve a top ten time in USMS through a TI program? I don't believe so. If that is not one of your goals, then what's your problem? Why take offense at these posts?

Terry - Not too many here have very high goals. They want to be ranked in the top 10 masters. I never had that goal and as you know if your goal is to be ranked top ten you will will never get there. You have to set your goals hi. One of the gang here finished 23rd in a masters meet with a time that would rank him around 2000th place and he (not gull) is one who remarks and trys to debate on this subject. OH OH hope I didn't do it this time??? If the Doctor OKs it, I guess I better get out of town for a while this forum is getting too hot. Mexico here I come.

Personally, I'm very grateful to the swimmer at my pool who recommended TI to me (an elite swimmer, the same girl who recruited me for Masters). Her comment was "People will tell you it's bad, but it's not. Give it a try." Since I had never heard of TI until then, I wondered why she said that. Now it's becoming clearer. :rolleyes:

gull, Thank You for response. I appreciate it and it helps to understand one person's opinion better. John