Swimming

Total Immersion is an approach to teaching and learning swimming that was started over 25 years ago by founder Terry Laughlin. It is now a global organisation with hundreds of coaches in more than 30 countries worldwide.

Total Immersion swimming starts from the understanding that human beings are not aquatic animals. This means we’re hard wired to fight against water and it is natural for us to sink.

For most people swimming becomes a fight against the water usually switching on muscles that we don’t need. Even after developing confidence in the water, swimming is still often about churning limbs with pulling and kicking movements that use a lot of power and waste energy.

Since water is over 800 times denser than air, moving through water creates a lot of resistance and drag and no amount of fitness and strength will reduce this.  Traditional teaching methods focus on kicking, pulling, endless lengths and a mindless focus on strength and fitness.

Total Immersion swimming focuses on developing technique so that swimmers can move through water efficiently and effortlessly using as little energy as possible. We teach balance, streamlining and efficiency so that you can cover more distance with less energy.

Achieving this requires us to engage our mind and our body differently to the ‘traditional’ approach to swimming.  We break down strokes teaching one movement at a time. This way you can develop the correct building blocks required to swim a comfortable stroke. One you master one position it makes sense that you can move on and try another.

Whatever level you are at there are always opportunities for continuous improvement and every swim practice is an opportunity to improve and learn something about your stroke.

Find out more

• Total Immersion in the UK
• Total Immersion around the world
• Its founder Terry Laughlin