At the risk of touching off another flame war...
Please let the record reflect that Adrienne Binder, a self described Total Immersion swimmer, posted the following results at NCAA Div. I Championships:
1650 Free - 15:57.64 3rd
georgiadogs.collegesports.com/.../060316F015.htm
400 IM - 4:11.83 4th
georgiadogs.collegesports.com/.../060316F008.htm
500 Free - 4:41.99 4th
georgiadogs.collegesports.com/.../060316F002.htm
Acknowledging the caveat that she is a Junior at Auburn Univ. and therefore has been swimming in their program for three years and therefore is not a "pure" TI swimmer (to the extent the results of any swimmer can be purely attributed to one coach, program or school of technique and training).
This pretty clearly demonstrates that it is possible to "succeed" at the highest levels of competition while using TI principles. This is not to say that everyone will "succeed" using TI, or that everyone can "succeed" using TI, or indeed that TI necessarily has value for everyone.
However, we ain't the ones hollering "Show me a world class TI swimmer!" Well, there you have it.
Matt
Parents
Former Member
It’s not the style of swimming that is responsible for success. I remember when Janet Evans broke American and World Records using a straight arm recovery. You could call her straight arm recover (not to be confused with a straight-arm underwater pull) a “style” of swimming. Her style didn’t make her fast but her underwater stroke mechanics most assuredly is responsible for her success. If a swimmer can make their body more streamline as they swim, it will help them become more efficient. So, like most good coaches in the world, TI promotes improved streamlining (excellent!) but that’s it!
I know Coach Marsh uses a catch-up stroke drill (A TI affirmation) but it’s very important to know that he uses the drill for the purpose of teaching swimmers how to “set-up” their strokes to get into a “high-elbow” position.
TI teaches a reduction of stroke rates by exaggerating the prone / streamline position which is provides comfort for swimmers. There are noticeable arm positions in TI freestyle swimming that pause or delay effective propulsive positions. Any pause or delay of effective propulsive inertia hinders swimming speed.
I am awed by the wonderful marketing that TI does but to use TI as a model that improves speed at world-class levels seems flawed. I keep reminding people that 16 of the 20 Gold Medals and 43 of the 60 Medals won in Athens were with a “high-elbow” or Early Vertical Forearm Stroke. If seeing is believing, simply watch the underwater videos of world-class freestylers, backstrokers, breaststrokers and flyers; EVF isn’t a style but a propulsive position that even TI swimmers must get into. TI is great and it’s wonderful because it’s making swimming easier to learn but it’s a teaching tool and it should be kept at that.
Debates about how to improve swimming speed should not be looked at as unhealthy but as wonderful examples of passions worthy of bantering. I think we’ll see that certain fundamentals of fluid mechanics cannot be avoided and must be taught, reinforced and refined for every swimmer. There are simply better ways than others to swim faster and debates like this give swimmers chances to see all sides and make their own decisions. Good Luck, Coach T.
It’s not the style of swimming that is responsible for success. I remember when Janet Evans broke American and World Records using a straight arm recovery. You could call her straight arm recover (not to be confused with a straight-arm underwater pull) a “style” of swimming. Her style didn’t make her fast but her underwater stroke mechanics most assuredly is responsible for her success. If a swimmer can make their body more streamline as they swim, it will help them become more efficient. So, like most good coaches in the world, TI promotes improved streamlining (excellent!) but that’s it!
I know Coach Marsh uses a catch-up stroke drill (A TI affirmation) but it’s very important to know that he uses the drill for the purpose of teaching swimmers how to “set-up” their strokes to get into a “high-elbow” position.
TI teaches a reduction of stroke rates by exaggerating the prone / streamline position which is provides comfort for swimmers. There are noticeable arm positions in TI freestyle swimming that pause or delay effective propulsive positions. Any pause or delay of effective propulsive inertia hinders swimming speed.
I am awed by the wonderful marketing that TI does but to use TI as a model that improves speed at world-class levels seems flawed. I keep reminding people that 16 of the 20 Gold Medals and 43 of the 60 Medals won in Athens were with a “high-elbow” or Early Vertical Forearm Stroke. If seeing is believing, simply watch the underwater videos of world-class freestylers, backstrokers, breaststrokers and flyers; EVF isn’t a style but a propulsive position that even TI swimmers must get into. TI is great and it’s wonderful because it’s making swimming easier to learn but it’s a teaching tool and it should be kept at that.
Debates about how to improve swimming speed should not be looked at as unhealthy but as wonderful examples of passions worthy of bantering. I think we’ll see that certain fundamentals of fluid mechanics cannot be avoided and must be taught, reinforced and refined for every swimmer. There are simply better ways than others to swim faster and debates like this give swimmers chances to see all sides and make their own decisions. Good Luck, Coach T.
