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freestyle: made easy by Terry Laughlin
A Total Immersion Instructional Manual Copyright © 2006 Total Immersion. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, printing, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Total Immersion, Inc. For information, contact Total Immersion, Inc., 246 Main Street, Suite 15A, New Paltz, NY 12561. Revised: December 16, 2003 Total Immersion, Inc.
INTRODUCTION Congratulations on purchasing Freestyle Made Easy. We are more excited about FME than any DVD we’ve produced previously because it addresses every question or challenge raised by our students over the years. While the DVD is self-explanatory, this user’s guide includes detailed tips for mastering each drill and should prove invaluable as a continued guide on the path to mastery of the TI process. For the most complete guide to swimming freestyle for any distance and in any body of water, we strongly recommend our book Triathlon Swimming Made Easy, available from www.totalimmersion.net or 800-609-7946.
THREE STEPS TO SUCCESS The most exciting insight of our experiences in teaching thousands of improvementminded swimmers has been that virtually anyone can learn to swim beautifully through intelligent and patient practice. The key to foolproof learning is in mastering three non-negotiable skills: Step 1 Increase your comfort and stop wasting energy on fighting the water by learning balance. When you master balance, you’ll also learn every other swimming skill much faster. Step 2 Learn to pierce the water. By slipping through the smallest possible “hole” in the water, you’ll need far less power, and expend far less effort at any speed. Step 3 Learn to stroke smoothly. The “Human Swimmer’s” arm-and-leg churning habit wastes huge amounts of energy on creating turbulence. Learning to propel with fluent, whole-body stroking movements provides effortless power and maximizes economy of movement.
STEP BY STEP MASTERY Whether teaching our students face to face or via video, we follow a process inspired by the mindful practice of yoga and tai chi. We begin by teaching a series of balance positions that are exceedingly simple, yet establish a profound connection with the water. By patiently mastering the basics, you’ll be prepared to advance through a whole range of more challenging skills with ease and speed. Next we teach a thoughtfully choreographed sequence (Switch drills) that leads to graceful, fluent swimming. Success at each step leads seamlessly to the next step. The synergy produced by mastering these simple moves in a logical progression is so powerful that even after the first few drills, you should feel yourself flowing through the water with more ease and less struggle than you ever thought possible.
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ABOUT OUR SWIMMING MODELS After teaching thousands of improvement-minded swimmers, we know that TI works for anyone, regardless of age, experience, skill or fitness. Beginners find our drills the fastest way to establish harmony and balance in the water, and to imprint the slippery positions that will let them move through the water with ease. Advanced swimmers find them the best way to polish their technique and increase efficiency. For this video we have chosen swimmers from a range of ages and abilities to show you how universally our drills can be learned and applied. In fact, five of our nine demonstrators only began swimming as adults. We hope you gain some insight and inspiration from each of the swimmers on our tape by observing the individual ways they express fluency and realize that your own expression of TI Swimming doesn’t have to meet a rigid ideal. Tobey DeMott and Jennifer Armstrong are novices who were introduced to Total Immersion only three months before this video was made. Kathryn Loyer, Mark Wilson and Ian Murray are all triathletes who began swimming as adults. Kathryn and Ian are now TI Teaching Professionals. Suzie Baggs is a former collegiate swimmer who had been introduced to TI drills in her Masters program only a few months before this video was made. Joe Novak swam for Terry Laughlin at the U. S. Military Academy, becoming one of the best sprinters in the U.S. He is an officer in the U.S. Army and a trained TI Coach. Fiona Laughlin was a college swimmer and is now a TI Teaching Professional. Terry Laughlin has been swimming since 1966 and is still improving his efficiency and fluency 37 years later.
EFFECTIVE PRACTICE: HOW TO MAKE A FISHLIKE STROKE PERMANENT While the old saying tells us that “practice makes perfect,” in truth, practice makes permanent. Every length you swim contributes to a habit of either fluency or struggle and muscle memory makes your old stroke resistant to change. The fastest way to become a more efficient swimmer and make that efficiency permanent is by learning a new way of swimming from the bottom up, through stroke drills, rather than piecemeal stroke corrections.
WHY DRILLS TEACH BETTER THAN ANYTHING ELSE Some swimmers, fearing a loss of fitness, are reluctant to spend precious pool time on stroke drills. But because your endurance and speed are determined far more by efficiency than fitness, an hour of concentrated skill practice can often produce more improvement than a month of hard training. Here are the ways in which TI drills perfect your stroke better than anything else you can do in the pool: Your muscles need a dose of amnesia. If you’ve been swimming for any length of time, your inefficiencies have become a deeply ingrained habit. Every lap simply reinforces your energy-wasting old style. Because your nervous system doesn’t interpret them as “swimming,” drills give you a “blank slate” on which to engrave change. This allows for dramatic improvement that is nearly immediate…and will become permanent through practice.
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Small pieces are easier to swallow. Because your stroke is made up of so many finely coordinated parts, it’s virtually impossible to focus on the whole at once. Stroke drills simplify the complex whole stroke into a series of mini-skills, each of which can be quickly mastered and becomes the key to solving the next. These building blocks assemble easily and gradually into a new, more efficient stroke. Instead of trial and error, it’s trial and success. Because mini-skills can be mastered so quickly and easily, you begin practicing graceful, fishlike movement right away. The more you practice it, the more it becomes your new habit and crowds out the sloppy old one. And the less time you spend swimming with your old habits, the faster you learn to swim better. Your string of successes boosts your motivation and self-confidence and you learn faster. It’s language the body understands. Conventional stroke instruction tries to get to your muscles through your mind. First you read or hear a description of a skill, then try to figure out what the movement will feel like, while wondering if you got it right. Drills bypass all those vague translations. They simplify and accelerate the learning process by teaching your body how it should feel when you swim well. And because drills heighten your kinesthetic awareness, they make it easier to fine-tune your form after you begin practicing whole-stroke again.
HOW TO MASTER THE LEARNING CURVE How should you use this video? The more you have to learn, the more you should drill. For novices this can mean up to four times as much drilling as swimming. Every lap of drilling is positive reinforcement for your swimming. Every lap of swimming the old way is likely to pull you backward. Though every swimmer is different, drills work for most with incredible speed. The TI drills will work fastest if you: Think before you swim. Drills teach you what you’re hoping to learn only if you do them correctly, never carelessly or in a hurry. Study our images carefully, using slow motion and stop action. You might initially watch the entire video straight through to understand the whole progression, then, before each practice, review just the drills you intend to practice. Do every length with clear understanding and purpose. Practice with feeling. Spend 30 uninterrupted, thoughtful minutes on each new drill to firmly imprint the new sense into your muscle memory so that you can eventually be guided more by feel than thought. Then, each time you go to the pool, experiment with subtle refinements until the skill begins to feel natural and effortless. The more familiar you become with the drills, the more you should shift your attention from the mechanics to the qualities of economy, ease, flow, and grace. As these qualities become habit in your drilling, your swimming will be transformed as well. Shorter is sweeter. Repeats of 25 to 50 yards – with 3 to 5 “yoga breaths” between each for rest, reflection, and adjustment – and sets of 10 to 15 minutes duration, will bring the greatest benefit. Each successive length should feel a bit smoother and more relaxed, a bit more precise and economical. If not, check the video again (or have a friend watch as you practice), or go back to the previous drill and polish that one before returning to the drill that’s giving you trouble.
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Swim as well as you drill. After you’ve practiced a drill long enough to make it second nature (for advanced drills this could take weeks), alternate drill and swim lengths – at first more drilling than swimming, but shifting gradually toward more swimming. Try to make each swim length feel a bit more like what felt best about the drill. The main benefit of the drills is that they give you heightened insight into how to make your swimming feel more efficient. When you can “swim as well as you drill,” you know the lessons have been learned. Use the right tools. We’ve found at TI workshops that Slim Fins and the Fistglove® stroke trainer can be valuable learning aids. During the momentary pauses in Sweet Spot, which are integral to each drill, you’ll need a moderately propulsive kick to maintain momentum and stay smooth. If your kick is non-propulsive (usually from rigid ankles), you could tire quickly and find your drill practice compromised. Fins can “buy you time” to pay better attention to fine points. Just keep your kick very relaxed if you do wear fins. (Also see below on how practice with a partner can overcome a poor kick.) Fistgloves move you to a much higher level of awareness for what the drill is supposed to teach, and encourage you to focus more on movement quality. But take time to master the basics of the drill before putting on the gloves; they’ll work better in reinforcing the lessons, once you already drill well. Keep practicing! The best aspect of drills is that they’re self-adjusting. We teach the same drills to unskilled adults as to highly accomplished swimmers. Each group gets exactly what it needs: The inexperienced swimmers learn basic skills. The more advanced swimmers acquire subtle polish. So as you improve, you won’t have to learn new drills; you’ll simply do the same ones with more refinement.
THE TI BUDDY SYSTEM Recently, we made an exciting discovery in our workshops. By having our students partner and teach balance to each other, following guidance from our coaches, everyone learned faster. The Buddy System had the greatest impact on students who struggled with their kick or tended to sink. But more accomplished swimmers benefited as well, probably because they were also teaching as they learned. And following the workshop, quite a few of our alumni told us of exciting successes in teaching friends and family members to swim better. In Buddy System learning, swimmers take turns in two roles: The swimmer, who learns the correct position for that drill with help from the coach. The coach, who positions and supports the swimmer’s head, and assists with momentum by towing or launching, then releases and continues observing the swimmer to assist as needed. Over time, we’ve applied the Buddy System to virtually every stage in the learning process, in every instance with exciting results. While many swimmers will be able to successfully master all the steps in solo practice, we do encourage you strongly to collaborate with a learning partner as illustrated on the video, if you have the opportunity. Having a partner who understands the TI method as well as you do will be the next best thing to having your own TI coach.
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ADVANTAGES OF THE BUDDY SYSTEM Learning to control our bodies in a horizontal position in the water presents some unique challenges: (1) We lack visual feedback on our own position. (2) We are not accustomed to actively controlling torso muscles to stay horizontally balanced. On land we stand on our balance; in the water we hang from it. (3) We aren’t yet tuned in to sensations that we must learn to recognize over time in the water – for example: Is our head aligned? Is the lead hand as deep as it should be? Are our shoulders stacked? (4) Using the Buddy System, students: (5) Experience perfect balance without struggling to achieve it, (6) Learn better by helping and observing others solve the same problems, (7) Develop a cooperative, we’re all in this together attitude, and (8) Can focus on what good balance position feels like, and how little effort it takes to maintain it.
ASSISTING “SINKERS” AND POOR KICKERS If your partner struggles with balance, your assistance can be invaluable. Their instinctive reaction to sinking or loss of momentum is to kick harder, which just increases turbulence and fatigue. Towing allows them to master balance and ease without worrying about sinking or loss of momentum. The added momentum is also invaluable in preparing them learn to drill solo, because it’s far easier to conserve momentum, than to regain it when you’ve lost it. When decent kickers are towed, then released, they can maintain momentum on their own. But poor kickers lose headway quickly. When this happens, resume towing for a moment, then watch to see how long they maintain it. Repeat several times, as needed. Repetition – and the fact that they are traveling through the water – seems to help poor kickers acquire better kinesthetic awareness. Gradually, you should be able to tow less frequently and more briefly, and see your partner learn to maintain momentum for longer stretches. In addition, the most effective response to a loss of momentum is to find ways to reduce drag – including drag from a big splashy kick. Vertical kicking is also effective in making the kick gentler and more compact. When playing a coaching role, it’s sometimes helpful to tell your swimmer exactly what you are going to do, before you do it. For example, “I’m going to support your feet now,” or “I’m going to move your arms closer to your sides.” This minimizes disruptions to the swimmer’s concentration, and helps to keep the swimmer relaxed. Finally, if you have any doubts about your qualifications to “coach” your partner, simply report to your partner exactly what you observe. Pay particular attention to head position and alignment. Minor misalignment of the head will be multiplied by a factor of 5 or 10 in the legs.
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LESSON ONE:
BALANCE These drills may seem so simple, at first, that experienced swimmers may be tempted to quickly move on to more “challenging” stuff. But if you have human DNA – even if you’ve already swum in the Olympics – you can still improve your balance, and as it improves you’ll use less energy at any speed. If, on the other hand, every stroke you’ve ever taken has been a frustrating struggle, Lesson One can give you an unprecedented feeling of being fully supported by the water without tension or discomfort. Once you have that, you’ll immediately swim with far more ease, and the rest of the lessons will go much more smoothly. In watching underwater video of thousands of “human swimmers,” what I notice first is how their arms and legs are almost completely occupied with trying not to sink. They may think what they’re doing is “stroking” but virtually none of their energy is producing propulsion; most of it goes into fighting “that sinking feeling.” Only when you learn to balance effortlessly without your arms helping, will it be possible to drill or stroke efficiently. Thus your first step is to get the water to support you without help from your arms.
DRILL #1: BALANCE ON YOUR BACK (BB) The most important lesson of this drill is head position. Notice the water touching the corners of Jennifer’s goggles and the tip of her chin in the first closeup. Every drill demonstrator shows the same head position. Imprint this head position here and maintain it in Sweet Spot in every drill that follows. If coaching a partner, begin towing from the shoulders to provide some momentum, then position the head, once they’re moving well enough not to sink. After release, keep moving ahead of your partner, so your draft helps them maintain momentum without effort. During solo practice, use these focal points: HIDE YOUR HEAD (keep your head neutral with water touching the corners of your goggles) KICK WITH A COMPACT, SILENT FLUTTER - lightly flicking your toes toward the surface ARMS PRESSED LIGHTLY TO YOUR SIDES (no sculling or bracing) On each successive repeat aim to travel more quietly and with less effort. If you feel yourself losing balance, just stand up, breathe deeply to relax and resume with a push from the bottom. Your momentum will aid as towing did. Your main goal is to replicate the sensation you felt while being towed.
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DRILL #2: “SWEET SPOT” (SS) The “Sweet Spot” is where you’ll find true equilibrium and balance and is influenced by body type. If you’re lean or densely muscled, your Sweet Spot will probably be almost on your back. Finding Sweet Spot is critical because you’ll start and finish every drill here. On the video, notice how Joe keeps Susie’s head stable, while he assists her in rotating. In the underwater view, notice how Susie’s right (bottom) arm is motionless at her side. In the Active Balance segment (in the Endless Pool), notice how Terry doesn’t use his hands to help with rotation. When practicing solo, focus on the following: (1) Try to feel as much as possible like you did while being towed. (2) Start each width with head hidden in BB, then rotate very slightly to reach SS. (3) Keep your head as still and stable as possible. Water should touch the corners of both goggles at all times. (4) Focus on slipping through the water as cleanly and quietly as possible. If you feel a bit less comfortable on one side, try to tune into what allows you to feel more comfortable on the other side and try to make both sides the same. Help for weak kickers The most important thing to notice on the video is how Jennifer kicks by just flicking her toes gently toward the surface. Though her kick produces little momentum, she doesn’t try to compensate by kicking harder, which would only churn up the water more and make her tired. She learned to keep her kick compact, while being towed by Tobey. And vertical kicking while resting at the deep end of the pool, will help you improve your feel for kicking with a long leg and no knee flexion.
DRILL #3: LENGTHEN YOUR “VESSEL” (LVSS) LVSS teaches you that longer vessels move faster with less effort. This is the “home position” for all TI freestyle drills. LVSS is also the fundamental backstroke balance position, and a good position in which to practice flutter kick. On the video, notice how Tobey keeps Jen’s head stable as she rotates to SS, then helps her extend her arm to the correct position. Likewise, Susie for Joe, before releasing him. When practicing solo, your focal points should include: (1) Try to feel as much as possible as you did while being towed – long, sleek and relaxed. Keep your head hidden – with water at the corners of your goggles – and lay back on your lower shoulder until your hips and legs feel light. (2) Swimmers trying LVSS for the first time sometimes sense a loss of balance usually because they’ve rotated farther after extending the arm. If you feel a loss of balance, return your arm to your side, regain your balance, then extend the arm weightlessly without changing your body position (3) Keep your extended hand in the position in which you feel the least strain, but it might be useful to experiment with a palm-out position, which can help prepare you for skating.
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DRILL #4: FISH DRILL Fish will help you learn to balance directly on your side in the nose-down position (the only time you’ll be balanced on your side is when you are nose down). It’s also the easiest way to learn to keep your head directly in line with your spine – as it will be in Skating, all Switch drills and swimming. On the video, you’ll see both Joe and Tobey launching their swimmers from the feet. And you see Jennifer starting Tobey from the head. If doing Buddy System, it’s probably best to start by towing from the head as Jen does for Tobey – and note how firmly Jen positions Tobey’s head directly on the spine line. When practicing solo, focus on these points: (1) Try to feel as much as possible like you did while being assisted. Give particular attention to your head position – leading with the top of your head and looking directly down. (2) Also memorize the side balance position and lean just a bit on your lower shoulder to keep your hips and legs feeling light. (3) Try to follow a “laser line” down the pool as you rotate back and forth between nose-up and nose-down positions, with your head also remaining right on the spineline as it rotates. (4) Slip through the smallest possible “hole” in the water, with the least water disturbance.
DRILL #5 SKATING (SK) In Skating you’ll experience balance for the first time in the position you’ll use swimming freestyle. The first time you do Skating, start in Fish (as Susie and Jennifer do), then extend your hand. (Note how Tobey prompts Jen on this.) If you achieved virtually effortless balance in earlier drills, extend your hand just below your head. This is the “3 o’clock” position. If you don’t feel easily balanced there, just keep angling your hand/arm deeper, until your hips and legs feel supported. This may be a 4:00 or 5 o’clock position. Also flex your wrist – fingertips downward – by 30 to 45 degrees – your partner should manually assist with this. It typically takes a LOT of repetition to get these “clock” positions correct. In the Endless Pool segments, you can see Terry doing this for Fiona. Also notice how Jennifer bubbles lightly from her nose, while in the nose-down position. When practicing solo, focus on all of the following points: (1) Continually check that your nose is straight down, shoulder straight up and extended hand below your head, kicking gently and slipping through the smallest “hole” in the water. (2) To breathe, roll all the way back to LVSS; keep your arm extended, but let it float back up near the surface. Take 3 deep, slow breaths before you return to the Skating Position. (3) Feel as if you’re following a laser line as you rotate between nose up and nose down positions.
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LESSON TWO:
UNDERSWITCH EFFORTLESS POWER FROM YOUR CORE
The UnderSwitch drills will teach you how to use rotation of your balanced and slippery core body to generate effortless power for propulsion. These will be the most dynamic and powerful movements you have yet practiced.
DRILL #6: UNDERSKATE (USK) USk teaches the essential skill of staying on your side during recovery – saving all the energy of body rotation to be released at the moment the anchored hand begins stroking. See this most clearly in the stop-action underwater view of Joe. If he were to stroke his left hand at that precise moment, it would be perfectly synchronized to the action of his right hip driving down, adding all the power of body rotation to his stroke. Also notice that Joe’s left hand is in the “clock position” he established in Skating. The overhead view of Terry in the Endless Pool is the best way to see the clean, laser-like rotation between nose up and nose down positions. Focus on these points as you practice: (1) Before you begin the UnderSkate recovery, check that your head and hand are in the same position you established in Skating. (2) If you don’t feel completely supported by the water, look down more and angle your hand deeper. (3) Use this mantra for bringing your hand forward: “Wipe your belly and see your hand.” (4) When you see your hand, check that your shoulders are still stacked. (5) Practice on both sides until it’s second nature to stay balanced on your side when your hand is under your nose.
DRILL #7: UNDERSWITCH (US) This is the first drill to tap the power of the kinetic chain by teaching you how to link an armstroke to core-body rotation for effortless propulsion. It also simplifies the learning process for swimming “taller” with the front-quadrant (FQ) stroke timing that keeps your bodyline long. It does this by giving you a visual cue for when to make the switch. The underwater, slo-and-stop view of Joe will give you the clearest sense of how this drill teaches you the FQ timing and links your propelling armstroke to body roll. If you find yourself still underwater after the Switch – like Ian – try switching with a bit more snap. After you’ve mastered the basic movement, give attention to these focal points one at a time. Focus on doing one thing really well each length:
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(1) Don’t begin sneaking your hand until you check head hidden, shoulders stacked, hand in “clock” position, and angle your fingers down. (2) Switch when you see your hand and switch too far. Think of it this way: “Take your bellybutton to the air; your head just goes along for the ride.” (3) Switch through the smallest possible “hole” in the water and drill silently. (4) Try to pause your kick for a moment as you switch…Pick it up again in LVSS.
DRILL #8: DOUBLE UNDERSWITCH (US2) Single-Switch drills teach core-body propulsion and precision stroke timing, but the single sweeping movement is more like a golf swing, than a swimming stroke. Multiple switches bring swimming rhythms to those movements, with time to regroup, evaluate your practice, and make fine adjustments between cycles in LVSS. In watching the video pay particular attention to the overhead view of Terry in the Endless Pool. Notice that there’s no pause before the second switch in each cycle. You can improve your rhythm with two adjustments: (1) Reduce rotation. Rotate to less than 90 degrees during multi-switches. (i.e. Your shoulders do not reach a vertical position.) (2) Keep your stroking hand moving. Finish the stroke and immediately begin recovery. The stroke-back-and-return-forward should be one uninterrupted – but unhurried – movement.
DRILL #9: TRIPLE UNDERSWITCH (US3) US3 will give you even more space to make yourself more Fishlike and learn the feel of a swimming rhythm. Each swimmer on the video will contribute something to your complete understanding of how to do US3 well. One of the key points for triathletes and long distance swimmers is how Susie pauses her kick during the three switches, then picks it up again when she’s nose-up in LVSS. Key focal points for US2 and US3 practice include: (1) Keep your head hidden and still. Water should flow over the back of your head during all three switches. (2) Keep your timing consistent. Switch at the exact moment you see your hand under your nose. (3) Slice your extending hand DEEP to your clock position, then tip your fingers down and feel firm water pressure on your hand and forearm before you switch. (4) STAY SLIPPERY, particularly while sneaking your arm and switching (5) Finally reduce the glide between switches. Roll your body a bit less during the three switches, to increase rhythm, and see if you can pause your kick while switching, resuming it gently after you return to Sweet Spot.
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LESSON THREE:
ZIPPERSWITCH FOR MASTERING A COMPACT, RELAXED RECOVERY
From Lesson Two, you’ve learned to generate effortless propulsion by using your hand to simply hold on to a spot in the water while dynamic body-roll takes you past that spot and how to travel farther as you do by keeping your bodyline long during switches. ZipperSwitch drills will improve your sense of balance and teach you a compact, relaxed recovery. Having painstakingly developed a balanced, aligned foundation, we don’t want an arm-swinging recovery to hurt that. So Lesson Three will teach you an energy-saving, alignment-preserving, drag-reducing recovery.
DRILL #10: ZIPPERSKATE (ZSK) ZSk is the most valuable of all balance drills because it lets you know exactly how to “lay on your lungs” for balance. Once you feel that in your bones, you never forget the feeling. You could easily practice this drill mindfully for 15 to 30 minutes every week for a month or two and learn valuable lessons on every lap. On the video, please pay particular attention to: (1) Joe keeps his hand completely underwater on recovery and pauses it right next to his ear. (2) Jennifer angles her extended right arm deeply to help her stay balanced as her left arm comes forward to ZipperSkate position. And, unlike Joe, because she tends to sink, she returns it to her side immediately. If she kept her left hand fully submerged, as Joe does, she would probably sink less. (3) Ian’s left hand is so relaxed that water pressure flexes it backward as he brings it to his ear. (4) Joe’s hand shows the same relaxation on the underwater view, before he begins to pump it. (5) The partnered coaching by Joe and Ian is a brilliant example of how to get the fine points just right. As you practice ZSk solo, focus on the following: (1) If you sink, lower your head position and angle your extended hand DEEPER. Your goal is to sink in a horizontal position. If you are a sinker, quickly slide your hand back to your side.
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(2) If you’re stable and supported, “skate” for a few seconds with your arm hanging as a dead weight alongside your ear. Practice recovering super slowly. Feel the water’s resistance against your hand. Lead with your elbow and soften your hand and arm. Can you make that recovery action as gentle and relaxed as Joe’s and Ian’s? (3) Finally, pump your arm up and down once or twice alongside your ear. This will imprint the spot where the hand will drive down to switch in the next drill.
DRILL #11: ZIPPERSWITCH (ZS) The compact, relaxed, unhurried recovery from ZSk will help to effectively link your armstroke to the power of core-body rotation. ZS imprints an early, steep and deep entry as “purposeful exaggeration” to correct the strong tendency to over-reach on entry and heightens awareness of the FQ timing that keeps your bodyline long throughout the stroke cycle. On the video, please pay particular attention to: (1) The way Jennifer and Ian use the arm-pump from ZSk to help them find the right entry point. You shouldn’t have to practice this for long, but it is an invaluable way to quickly learn where to make the switch in ZS. (2) The way Joe and Ian keep their hands completely submerged through recovery to where they make the switch. Both are also completely in control and unhurried in that recovery. (3) How “patient” Terry is with the extended arm – waiting for the other hand to slice down. As you practice ZS solo, focus on the following: (1) A compact and unhurried Zipper recovery – hand under water, elbow leading, arm soft. As soon as your hand catches up to the elbow, pump it, then slice down and in as you switch and roll to LVSS on the other side. (2) Drive the hand DEEP – to your “clock position.” (3) Relax there for 3 yoga breaths, then repeat in the other direction. After two lengths, the arm pump can be optional. (4) Continue to emphasize the following: HEAD RIGHT IN LINE WITH THE SPINE… water flowing over the back of the head. A COMPACT, UNHURRIED RECOVERY… Arms soft, elbow leading. HUG the surface. AN EARLY, STEEP, AND DEEP ENTRY alongside your ear – to your clock position. PRACTICE SILENTLY.
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DRILL #12: MULTI ZIPPERSWITCHES (ZS2+) ZS2+ introduces swimming rhythms to recovery and entry skills taught above. When you do three or more switches (relaxed and rhythmic swimmers can do as many as six) this is the most transforming drill in the entire TI sequence. ZS2+ primes you to transition from skillful drilling to beautiful swimming. On the video, please pay particular attention to: (1) How far Joe travels in the course of five switches – his head just keeps traveling past lane markers. This is from maintaining a long sleek bodyline as he switches rhythmically. (2) How controlled and unhurried Kathryn’s switches are – with Fistgloves (3) How utterly relaxed – yet impeccably consistent in her timing – Jennifer remains through five switches. (4) The angle of Terry’s entry and extension, easily seen from underwater in the Endless Pool. In your solo practice of ZS2+, use these focal points: HIDE YOUR HEAD… Water should flow over the back of your head much of the time… Look straight down and watch yourself slide effortlessly past tiles on the pool bottom. KEEP A LOW PROFILE… Hug the surface, as if swimming under a very low ceiling. SOFTEN YOUR ARMS AND HANDS… Feel the water resist your hand, but try to recover without splash or turbulence. DRIVE THE HAND DEEP! Keep aiming for the “clock position;” on each switch, the hand should “replace” the hand that was there. FEEL THE COMPLETE SUPPORT OF THE WATER and recover with as much “leisure” as possible. AND FINALLY DRILL WITHOUT MAKING A SOUND.
TWO HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE This isn’t a drill per se, but the learning/practice method it illustrates can be invaluable for nearly anyone. Both Joe (who is a world-class sprinter) and Ian are highly accomplished TI swimmers and coaches, but both are devout in their belief that mindful practice of fine points can help them continue improving without pause. One form is standing in place to practice a subtle movement or skill repeatedly without distraction. The other is to work with a partner to help you with the parts you can’t see yourself. In this case, they’re working on leading with the elbow for as long as possible in recovery – lightly restricting the recovering wrist at just the right moment helps remind the swimmer to slice down at that point. If you’re going to practice this with a TI Buddy, watch this segment together first.
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LESSON FOUR:
LEARN TO SWIM AS WELL AS YOU DRILL
Lesson Four will teach you precisely how your stroke will feel for the rest of your life. For some, Drill 13 is “swimming,” at least for a while. The great value of Drill 13 is that it gives almost anyone, even someone in the very early learning stages, an easy way to practice Fishlike Swimming.
MOMENTUM/PUSHOFF DRILLS Momentum drills help you experience speed and balance, in a slippery position. This provides two major benefits: (1) Once you learn a balanced, streamlined pushoff, you can start every length with momentum and in good balance. (2) If you have felt as if you needed to kick a lot during drills up to this point, these drills will teach you to use your core body to achieve balance, rather than your legs. The video of Joe doing these drills should be most instructive. As someone who is very lean with very long legs, he is the very definition of someone for whom balance ought to be a great challenge – and it was as he was learning TI. In the underwater segments, you’ll notice that he minimizes his kick as much as possible in order to force himself to get balanced by using weight distribution and his extended hand to stay horizontal. Here are some additional hints on how to master these drills. If you can practice with a TI Buddy as Joe and Ian demonstrate, you’ll gain an amazing sense of effortless balance – with just a slight assist from your partner. STEP 1: STREAMLINED PUSHOFF TO BALANCED BREAKOUT It will be helpful to practice the streamlined position on the deck or standing in shallow water: Extend both arms overhead, with elbows straight and lock hands together, with thumb of top hand closed over bottom hand, hand over hand, wrist over wrist, squeezing your biceps just behind your ears. Streamline by compressing below your shoulders, like squeezing toothpaste from the middle of the tube. Then do the following: (1) Start in the shallow end, back to the wall, then: Sit: Crouch with only your head above the surface, elbows at sides with forearms and hands extended forward. Roll: Lift feet from the bottom, and simultaneously roll forward and drop under the surface, using your hands to assist in bringing the upper torso horizontal under the water. Plant and push: Extend the arms and torso into the streamlined position
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while going horizontal beneath the surface, plant both feet on the wall, and push off evenly and forcefully. (2) Glide in balance as far as possible without kicking. Your goal is to surface in a horizontal position – back of head, shoulder blades and suit breaking the surface simultaneously, as far down the pool as possible. After breaking through the surface, continue pressing in and gliding for as long as you continue to inch forward. Note: Balance-challenged swimmers should push off quite shallow – barely below the surface – and with extra speed so your momentum alone will take you to the surface. When you master a no-kick balanced breakout, advance to the next drill. Step 2: Pushoff to Skating Position (1) Do the streamlined pushoff as above, shallow enough that your momentum alone takes you to the surface. Just before you surface, stroke with one arm, leaving it at your side, while driving the other hand deep as you rotate to Skating position (arm extended, shoulders and hips stacked, nose straight down). Note: It’s essential to drive your hand deeper than you think it should go – and to angle your fingertips downward. (2) Travel as far as possible in skating position and in balance, using only the momentum of your pushoff. (3) Begin kicking as late and as gently as possible to continue momentum and keep your legs near the surface. Repeat six or more times, alternating sides. Your goals are to travel just a bit farther each time before you begin kicking, and to use a progressively more gentle kick to maintain the horizontal position. Step 3: Pushoff to Zipper-Skate As you gain a truly effortless sense of balance without kicking, add a ZipperSkate to your pushoff, as follows: (1) Push off exactly as described above but, after surfacing, pause for a single beat after you feel your balance in Skating position, and then draw the trailing arm forward into the ZipperSkate position. (2) After several practice tries, refine your timing so you can complete the stroke and, without pause, immediately – but unhurriedly – begin to draw the arm forward to the Zipper Skate position. (3) Continue gliding for as long as possible without kicking – or with the lightest possible kick – in the ZipperSkate position. You should feel your balance and stability improve noticeably in this position. (4) Keep your focus on driving the other hand deep with fingertips angled down, as Joe does.
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DRILL #13: OVERSWITCHES (OS2+) This drill teaches you how your new “Fishlike” stroke will feel. In fact, you’ll be swimming with your new stroke between pauses in Sweet Spot. OS2+ reinforces the FQ switch timing that helps you swim taller. It also strongly imprints a deft, knifelike entry to reduce turbulence and drag. Finally, it teaches you to drive your hand to a solid anchoring position, to hold a LOT of water, and connect your arm to effortless power from core-body rotation. The video segments show you how to practice four key skills: (1) Ear Hops, (2) Holding water at the beginning of the stroke, (3) releasing and relaxing at the end of the stroke, and (4) seamless breathing. Let’s examine the importance of each: Ear Hops: In Zswitches we imprinted an entry position alongside the ear. We’re not aiming to have you continue swimming this way, but to use purposeful exaggeration to overcome the common “human-swimming” instinct to over-reach on entry. Here’s the full process: (1) Zipper drills teach you to “switch” while your hand is directly alongside your ear. This is actually too early for “swimming” but helps make a strong break from prior habit. (2) On OverSwitches, practice “Ear Hops” (so named by TI Coach Gary Fahey) in which you take your hand barely out of the water and immediately reinsert. The segments of Terry in the Endless Pool and in a regular pool will give you the best understanding. Watch them at slow motion. (3) Continue to practice Ear Hops on disciplined, mindful Superslow whole-stroke repeats, to allow this new movement to become imprinted. (4) As you swim faster, don’t attempt to restrict your hand to the same entry position. Instead allow it to move freely as feels natural (not “old-natural” but “new natural”). Simply swim without overt inhibition. Your entry position will adjust with speed – but should end up closer to your head at all speeds. Holding Water: When you enter your hand at the deeper, steeper angle, we’ve been reinforcing since the “clock position” in Skating, you put your hand and forearm in position to act as a “big paddle” for holding a lot of water. Aim to trap as much water volume inside your hand and forearm as possible, then be patient about feeling the water give back some pressure to your hand before stroking. Some ways to improve your feel for this: (1) Practice with Fistgloves as Kathryn demonstrates. After 15 or 20 minutes with them on, your bare hand will feel like a big paddle that can hold a LOT of water. (2) A moment of patience on the catch, as shown by Terry in the underwater Endless Pool view. This lets you feel some water pressure – and eliminate air bubbles – before you stroke. (3) Heighten your feel for creating water pressure by doing the partnered exercise demonstrated by Mark and Terry. Take turns with a TI Buddy on loosely holding ankles, then releasing after about six strokes.
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Release and Relax: We began to learn the skill of relaxing your arm by focusing on a “soft” arm and yielding to water pressure on ZipperSwitches. Reinforce it here by: (1) Learning not to push back at the end of your stroke, but to release in a “Cshaped” finish as shown in the 3-swimmer underwater views. It’s shown in slomotion already, but study this in even slower motion, perhaps frame-by-frame to see how all three swimmers finish the stroke and exit the water – by rounding off, not pushing back. (2) To get an even stronger sense of a completely relaxed “dead weight” hand and forearm during recovery, practice the recovery/entry exercise demonstrated by Joe Novak, standing in shallow water on the video. When practicing OS2+ solo, do as many switches as you can without feeling breathless, using them to imprint the same focal points as in Drill #12, plus these: (1) When you take your hand out, try to have it out of the water for the briefest possible time and have your fingertips clear the water by the minimum possible clearance. (2) Slice your hand back into the water just in front of your goggles. Cut a hole with your fingers and slip your arm cleanly through that hole. (3) Be “patient” on your switches: Start the next stroke as your fingertips enter the water. (4) Gradually shift focus from your switch-timing to your core-body-rolling rhythm. Once you feel body rhythm, adjust body roll to allow for fluid, rhythmic, and seamless movement with no hesitation or interruptions.
BREATHING 101 Your swimming movements are all in place now. The transition from drilling to swimming is accomplished by replacing the Sweet Spot pauses with rhythmic breathing. For some students this can be the most challenging part of the entire process, but with patience anyone can master the art of the “Seamless Breath,” which means to fit breathing into your body-rolling rhythm with no interruption. Start with Overswitches to establish your core-body rotation rhythm then fit a breath into that rhythm: Fit Breathing into Your Rhythm Start each lap with at least four switches – to imprint your core-body-rolling rhythm. Then try one seamless rhythmic breath like this: (1) Breathe by rolling right to where the air is and immediately back in the other direction. (2) Try to do that with no interruption of the rolling rhythm you established with your switches. (3) Roll as far as necessary. Keep your head in line as you roll your head and torso as one unit to air. If you don’t get air easily, roll farther. Fiona in the Endless Pool illustrates this well.
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(4) If that breath goes smoothly, do another the same way, several strokes later. If you sensed a slight interruption in your rhythm, try to smooth it out on the next breath. (5) If you lose control, go back to Sweet Spot on the next breath and think about how to regain control on the next 25. Slow everything down. Be quieter and more gentle. Don’t let yourself feel hurried. Fistgloves® can be a big help.
WHAT MAKES YOUR FREESTYLE FISHLIKE? The object of this video has been to teach you to swim the whole stroke with more flow, grace, and economy than ever before. When you move from practicing drills to swimming the whole stroke, how should that feel? Truly gifted swimmers have a rare intuitive understanding of how to move through the water effectively. You can develop your “inner coach” by ignoring how far or fast you swim to focus only on doing what feels good and trying to make good feel better. Pick one of these focal points and swim short repeats (25 to 50 yards) slowly and easily, trying mainly to feel as described. Between repeats, take three to five deep, slow “cleansing” breaths until you feel ready to swim with ease again. To test which work best for you, count your strokes for 25 or 50 yards before beginning, then compare your stroke count while practicing these focal points. WHAT: HIDE YOUR HEAD Why: Good head-spine alignment is essential to all skilled movement. How: (1) Lead with the top of your head, not your forehead. (2) See the bottom directly under you, and not much that’s forward of you. WHAT: SWIM DOWNHILL Why: Balance – feeling completely supported by the water – is the non-negotiable skill of efficient swimming. How: (1) Lean on your chest until your hips and legs feel light. (2) Rhythmically press in one armpit, then the other, while swimming freestyle. WHAT: LENGTHEN YOUR BODY Why: A longer body line reduces drag, allowing you to swim faster, easier. How: (1) Slip your arm into the water as if sliding it into a sleeve. (2) Keep extending your arm…slowly… until you feel your shoulder touch your jaw. WHAT: FLOW LIKE WATER Why: Making waves or creating turbulence takes energy, all of it supplied by you. How: (1) Pierce the water; slip through the smallest possible hole. (2) Drill or swim as quietly as possible.
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Portions of this viewer’s guide have been excerpted from Triathlon Swimming Made Easy: How ANYONE can succeed in triathlon (or open-water swimming) with Total Immersion by Terry Laughlin. While the title refers to Triathlon, this book is actually a detailed learner’s manual for anyone who would like to swim a fluent, effortless freestyle for any distance, and be comfortable swimming in any body of water. It is the perfect practice guide for those who’ve begun building a new stroke with Freestyle Made Easy. Visit www.totalimmersion.net/free-books.html to read free excerpts from TSME or call 800-609-7946 to order TSME, Fistgloves, or Slim Fins. You’re now ready to view the video, and to send your swimming – and your experience of swimming – into a new dimension. Be patient, swim with great thought and precision, and we guarantee you’ll see dramatic improvement and continue improving for life. Happy laps! Terry Laughlin
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