Free Total Immersion Book Offer

[CoachSuzanne]

Originally Posted by sclim

A personally interesting photo for me appeared on the first page of Chapter 1. I have always been struck by how low I float under the water surface due to high density (from video that was shot of me), and I have always ascribed my difficulties breathing and slowness to this unavoidable fact. Your swimmer in this photo swims almost as low under the surface as I usually swim, and he doesn't look in any trouble at all. If your photo model can do ok despite high density, then my alibi is gone; I just have to get back to the book again, and figure out what drill I have to work on next!

I belieeve that's our very own Mat Hudson

[sclim]

Originally Posted by CoachSuzanne

I belieeve that's our very own Mat Hudson

Really?! If so, that is wonderfully synchronic nudge from the Cosmos! He recently wrote two very thoughtful posts on "Help for Sinkers" in his blog that I have read with great appreciation.

[CoachSuzanne]

Originally Posted by sclim

Really?! If so, that is wonderfully synchronic nudge from the Cosmos! He recently wrote two very thoughtful posts on "Help for Sinkers" in his blog that I have read with great appreciation.

How do you think he knows his stuff so well?

[sclim]

Originally Posted by CoachSuzanne

How do you think he knows his stuff so well?

I don't "know" at all if he knows his stuff well. However, he claims not to know everything about sinkers, and intends to keep on learning as he finds the particular problem intriguing -- that is always much more encouraging than someone who knows it all. And his analysis appears thoughtful and integrated to my non-expert position. Nothing earth shattering or contrary to TI dogma, as far as I could see, but some specific points of emphasis that seem to be usable for the struggling self-coached beginner.

Have you read the posts I am referring to? Perhaps I am misreading your comment, but do you take issue with some of his points? I would be glad to hear your opinion, in the context of your respected expertise.

[tomoy]

Just finished the book. Interesting to see that posture and tummy tuck have moved up in priority. Also fascinating to see the brief video of Terry. Clearly see a shift to grabbing a big ball of water - which we've seen in videos elsewhere. As an IT pro, I half expected to see a TI version list with changes since previous versions. What are we at? TI v6.30.001? :-D

I felt the first third is more for non-TI devotee (probably not most on this forum) so it sounds a little like a work of convincing the audience. But the following content is as good as I can imagine a book describing a complex activity. It cuts to the simple and important aspects and doesn't get bogged down in the minutiae

I too noticed a handful of typo's. Let me know to whom these should go - though I expect most have been reported already. Overall, bravo. Can't wait to see new videos/DVD's, and I suspect that is partly the goal of the book. It's great to see evolution right before our eyes.

[sclim]

Originally Posted by tomoy

Just finished the book. Interesting to see that posture and tummy tuck have moved up in priority. Also fascinating to see the brief video of Terry. Clearly see a shift to grabbing a big ball of water - which we've seen in videos elsewhere. As an IT pro, I half expected to see a TI version list with changes since previous versions. What are we at? TI v6.30.001? :-D

I felt the first third is more for non-TI devotee (probably not most on this forum) so it sounds a little like a work of convincing the audience. But the following content is as good as I can imagine a book describing a complex activity. It cuts to the simple and important aspects and doesn't get bogged down in the minutiae

I too noticed a handful of typo's. Let me know to whom these should go - though I expect most have been reported already. Overall, bravo. Can't wait to see new videos/DVD's, and I suspect that is partly the goal of the book. It's great to see evolution right before our eyes.

Just hit the end of a concentrated rapid read too. Fully agree with Tomoy! What a brilliant book, that demonstrates a further evolution and distillation of the TI philosophy than I was aware existed prior.to reading this book. I know that this forum is a pre selected audience that already has bought in to the concept. But I really believe any thoughtful reader who has struggled with swimming who gives this book a thoughtful and committed trial cannot fail to be overwhelmed with insight at the logic of the problem analysis and solutions presented.

[novaswimmer]

Originally Posted by sclim

Just hit the end of a concentrated rapid read too. Fully agree with Tomoy! What a brilliant book, that demonstrates a further evolution and distillation of the TI philosophy than I was aware existed prior.to reading this book. I know that this forum is a pre selected audience that already has bought in to the concept. But I really believe any thoughtful reader who has struggled with swimming who gives this book a thoughtful and committed trial cannot fail to be overwhelmed with insight at the logic of the problem analysis and solutions presented.

I never got a chance to download, but I'm curious about the new book. How much, if any, space does it devote to working breathing into the full stroke?

[terry]

Originally Posted by sclim

[The]book, demonstrates a further evolution and distillation of the TI philosophy than I was aware existed prior.to reading this book. I know that this forum is a pre selected audience that already has bought in to the concept. But I really believe any thoughtful reader who has struggled with swimming who gives this book a thoughtful and committed trial cannot fail to be overwhelmed with insight at the logic of the problem analysis and solutions presented.

Sclim (and others) thank you for that generous review. These let me know I hit the mark I was aiming for as I wrote it.

Tomoy notes correctly that the opening chapters seem to be making the case for TI--a case not necessarily needing to be made for regulars on this Forum. I did this consciously for a couple of reasons:
1) We strongly hope that the vast majority of those who end up reading this book will be people for whom it will serve as their first in-depth introduction to TI. By explaining the painstaking, thoughtful, and very practical process by which we tested countless techniques (discarding or changing many along the way) in developing the methodologies we teach today, they will (i) recognize how different TI is from nearly all non-TI approaches (virtually all of which are 'belief-based' not evidence-based) and (ii) find what follows all the more convincing and credible.

Indeed, we plan to excerpt a lot of the material in the early chapters to offer free samples to people who need more convincing to order.

2) But for TI followers as well, I expect some information and perspectives -- for instance that a strong case can be made that our freestyle technique constitutes a historic departure and the first significant innovation on 'overarm crawl' in almost a century -- will come as new.

We've received quite a few emails--and posts on the TI Facebook page--with alerts to various typos or suggestions where a phrase could be rendered more clearly. Those you noted may have already been corrected, but feel free to submit them here.

Finally, as to the fish aren't dolphins controversy, if someone could suggest an equally pithy and resonant--and yes, elegant -- descriptor for our technique as 'fishlike' I'd love to hear it.

Those who object to it have seemingly not taken note of the fact that at several points in the book I describe humans as 'terrestrial mammals' and say that we use 'fish and aquatic mammals' as our exemplars for how to move through the water.

[machelett]

Originally Posted by terry

Finally, as to the fish aren't dolphins controversy, if someone could suggest an equally pithy and resonant--and yes, elegant -- descriptor for our technique as 'fishlike' I'd love to hear it.

Honestly, I don't think there's an elegant way of calling dolphins fish. What's wrong with studying fish for fishlike swimming?

Originally Posted by terry

Those who object to it have seemingly not taken note of the fact that at several points in the book I describe humans as 'terrestrial mammals' and say that we use 'fish and aquatic mammals' as our exemplars for how to move through the water.

I have taken note of that. I just don't think it's wise to start the book with an ambiguous statement that--especially with your analytical target audience--will be a burden for the remaining chapters.

---------------

Here are a few things I noticed that you might want to take a second look at; I'm referring to the PDF file:

• "Bookmark links" for the PDF variant would be nice so that the TOC remains accessible at any point in the book when reading in Acrobat.
  
• The hyperlinks that represent cross-references don't work.
  Example: "ibooks:/#chapterguid(218F3372-F773-4D87-9794-E18BA87BA8B3)".
  
• Page 47: "How T.I. Technique Evolved" vs "TI", which is predominantly used
  
• Page 58: "To bring your head into alignment with your spine, don’t it down."
  A word is missing.
  
• Photos 6b and 6f are identical.
  
• Page 79: "Every key skill of TI Technique requires us to resist primal instincts—E.G. Using your arms and legs to minimize drag before maximizing propulsion."
  The "instincts-E.G. Using" part looks like auto capitalization ran amok.
  
• Page 80: "Use your high hip to push your extending hand forward (I.E. Don’t focus on pulling the other hand back.)"
  Probably auto capitalization again.
  
• Page 89: "Your extending arm ‘separates molecules like the tapered head of the dolphin."
  Superfluous character.
  
• In chapter 5, Torpedo, Superman and Skate are announced but never explained as such.
  Then in chapter 8, those non-existent explanations are cross-referenced.
  
• Page 105: "Right foot drives left hand forward, and right foot drives left hand."
  "left foot drives right hand"?

---------------

One final comment: Sun Yang is mentioned too often throughout the book. Don't glorify a doper.

[sclim]

I echo machelett's stylistic sensibilities completely.

Except, in sympathy to TI's dilemma,

"Honestly, I don't think there's an elegant way of calling dolphins fish. What's wrong with studying fish for fishlike swimming?"

the "swim like a dolphin" idea has become a central theme of the TI image, even the trademark, and it would seem a shame to have to ditch it because of a problematic taxonomy issue. The problem is only with phraseology, and admittedly it's going to be just a little awkward keeping the common movements of all aquatic creatures in the same mindset as you develop your theme; it just doesn't have to be an insurmountable problem. Just find some phraseology that is not too complicated. If you can't make it pithy, it doesn't have to be your main selling feature, it's just part of the careful explanation how you got there.

Once you've got past how "fish-like" led to consideration of other aquatic creatures, maybe in subsequent references you can just use "dolphin-like" and stick to "dolphin-like" for the motor memory that you want your learners to aspire to. It's a nice image, and maybe more mammal friendly than "fish-like".