Howdy.
I'm returning to the pool after many years away.
Since I don't have a coach, I'm attempting to get back into it on my own.
Anyone care to recommend must-have books?
Of course, I'm not going to try to collect a library or anything. So the question is, if you had to do it on your own, which books would you consider essential?
Right now I'm looking at 3 quite seriously:
Mastering Swimming
Complete Conditioning for Swimming
Breakthrough Swimming
Parents
Former Member
As these stroke are highly technical, so unless your gifted I strongly suggest finding a good coach that has an eye for stroke.
As it turns out, I am gifted. My coach, who was also Steve Lundquist's coach, predicted I'd make it to the Olympics, but life hands you what it hands you, and I left swimming in my teens to go to work to help support my family.
Another coach offered to take me to Florida to train (when the team disbanded he took a position with a university there) but my mother refused. I can understand why, and honestly, I probably wouldn't have been happy.
I don't regret my decision. But now that life is a bit more stable for me, I want to get back in the pool.
The only stroke I wasn't competitive in was butterfly, and dammit, I still can't swim that stroke worth a lick! Very frustrating. I might need to find a coach to get me on the right track with butterfly.
My books now sit silent and gathering dust...
Well, I have mine now, and I'm devouring them. I've taken a stroke off my pool length in freestyle right off the bat, and I'm adjusting my strength training routine. More to come!
As these stroke are highly technical, so unless your gifted I strongly suggest finding a good coach that has an eye for stroke.
As it turns out, I am gifted. My coach, who was also Steve Lundquist's coach, predicted I'd make it to the Olympics, but life hands you what it hands you, and I left swimming in my teens to go to work to help support my family.
Another coach offered to take me to Florida to train (when the team disbanded he took a position with a university there) but my mother refused. I can understand why, and honestly, I probably wouldn't have been happy.
I don't regret my decision. But now that life is a bit more stable for me, I want to get back in the pool.
The only stroke I wasn't competitive in was butterfly, and dammit, I still can't swim that stroke worth a lick! Very frustrating. I might need to find a coach to get me on the right track with butterfly.
My books now sit silent and gathering dust...
Well, I have mine now, and I'm devouring them. I've taken a stroke off my pool length in freestyle right off the bat, and I'm adjusting my strength training routine. More to come!
