It’s amazing to me that it took thousands of years before we humans really began to understand how best to swim, and how best to teach swimming. Terry Laughlin is perhaps the nation’s best swimming coach. Over his lifetime in pools he has figured out the best ways for teaching all kinds of people how to swim. His teaching is all about lowering your resistance in the water, rather than increasing your strength or force. He teaches every kind of swimmer, from beginners to Olympic athletes, how to be more like fish and less like the humans we are. The advent of underwater viewing and particularly video taping and slow motion helped Terry make breakthroughs in understanding the basis of efficient swimming. Terry’s methods still suffer the slings and arrows that any breakthrough idea that dares to challenge conventional thinking endures, but the truth and usefulness of his ideas are winning out.<\/p>\n
I love when a book or DVD can teach me physical things. (I’ve also experienced this with kayaking, particularly learning to roll, but that’s another story.) I had a mortifying experience in my first triathlon. I can run and bike pretty well and thought I could swim. But out there in the ocean I exhibited the grace of a wounded wildebeest. I had to flop over on my back and gasp the whole way, arms flailing. I was close to panic from it all. I swore I’d either give up this nonsense or learn how to swim well. When I found Laughlin’s DVDs and books, I felt they had been created just for me. Through him I discovered for myself the benefit of lining up my head and using my core body to move. There’s no pulling at the water and hardly any kicking. I could try to describe it more fully but Terry does it so much better in his DVDs and books.<\/p>\n
— Steve Leveen<\/p>\n
I’d start by watching the DVD and then go on to the book for supporting details.<\/p>\n
— KK<\/p>\n