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Swim Smooth: The Complete Coaching System for Swimmers and Triathletes
Transform your technique and become a better swimmer with this remarkable new approach to freestyle swimmingWritten for both fitness and competitive swimmers, "Swim Smooth" contains the latest breakthroughs in swimming to help you radically improve your speed, enjoyment, and success. Hundreds of full-color photographs and three-dimensional graphics help you put theory into practice while detailed advice offers help for intermediate, advanced, and elite swimmers alike. The book's approach lets you identify the strengths and weaknesses of your stroke and drills and training tips let you make the most of your time in the water.
Swim Efficently. Swim Fast. Swim Smooth.
Swim Efficently. Swim Fast. Swim Smooth.
253 pages, Paperback
First published May 31, 2012
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374 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
April 16, 2014
Amazing book. It clearly identified so many issues I have with swimming after getting back in the water after 20 years. I'm training for a triathlon and swimming is my weak area so I need to work on it. I'll come back and update the review as I go further through it but I've already determined what type I am and all of it was dead bang on. I've used several of the exercises and it is definitely helping to increase confidence. They explain things so anyone can understand. The drills make sense and move you along well enough you don't feel like you are taking everything soooooo sllllloooowwwwwwllllyyy you are bored (I'm looking at your Total Immersion Swimming). Of the two programs (TI or this one) I strongly prefer this one because the idea we are all unique and not one stroke or way to swim will fit everyone just "fits" me. 5 very strong stars. If you have to buy one book on swimming and you are working towards any sort of competition or you want to learn strongly (vs. just getting a workout - I was doing that but still gasping after 50 meters!) I recommend Swim Smooth. Great website as well!
September 10, 2018
After following TI (Total Immersion) swimming for a long time, this was a fresh systematic approach. Swim Smooth (SS) is in my opinion, more modern, more for the swimmer who really wants to improve and definitely for swim coaches and athletes who wants to compete in SwimRun, Swimming and Triathlons.
The book gives practical tips on improvement, discuss science, they have created a "archetype" system of 6 personas, where you easily can find yourself and then progress from there. They also have CSS system - "Critical Swim Speed" which is in essence Threshold training.
For me this is a great book for myself as a swimmer but also a CrossFit coach. Many good takeaways and synergistic with overall health and mobility mindset.
TI still works for beginners, but this is better if you want to improve your swimming.
Deeply recommend this book for anyone who swims.
The book gives practical tips on improvement, discuss science, they have created a "archetype" system of 6 personas, where you easily can find yourself and then progress from there. They also have CSS system - "Critical Swim Speed" which is in essence Threshold training.
For me this is a great book for myself as a swimmer but also a CrossFit coach. Many good takeaways and synergistic with overall health and mobility mindset.
TI still works for beginners, but this is better if you want to improve your swimming.
Deeply recommend this book for anyone who swims.
February 16, 2021
Only I would choose to improve my swimming by reading a book cover to cover! In my defence, it's pretty difficult to go swimming at the moment.
This book breaks down all different areas of the stroke with plenty of pictures and explanation. The advice is sound and timeless, with no issues reading it in 2021. They are also plenty of drills to work on for each area of the stroke, depending on what is giving you the most trouble.
Initially I thought the "swim types" system was gimmicky, but it actually makes sense as a way to give the reader some level of personal advice via a book.
This is one I'll definitely be returning to for tips and training inspiration. Now all I need to do is actually go swimming...
This book breaks down all different areas of the stroke with plenty of pictures and explanation. The advice is sound and timeless, with no issues reading it in 2021. They are also plenty of drills to work on for each area of the stroke, depending on what is giving you the most trouble.
Initially I thought the "swim types" system was gimmicky, but it actually makes sense as a way to give the reader some level of personal advice via a book.
This is one I'll definitely be returning to for tips and training inspiration. Now all I need to do is actually go swimming...
January 11, 2026
Started out as a 2 for me but worked itself towards a 3.5 which I'm rounding up.
Let's get the negative parts out of the way quickly: The first few chapters felt like I bought a book only to be told to buy up the whole finis store and then some additional stuff on their website. What was even more annoying was the amount of time spent on praising their "genius" Swim Types system and the accompanying website, that was taken down in favor on Swim Types being part of their paid sessions... So yeah a little "sus" as we would say nowadays ;)
But apart from that this really is a great book. It covers a wide array of topics one can or should work on and though I wouldn't consider these swim types game changing (and find naming one of the types "smooth" a little cringe for a book called swim smooth) they helped on slightly narrowing down where to start. What brings me down to a 3.5 apart from the commercial section in the front is the wordiness. The Information/Words density is extremely low. All the really important content is tugged away in the appendix and referenced. Even that is a little bit unspecific at times - although it's mentioned all over the place I could only have a good guess at what the "Unco" drill is supposed to be from those 4 pictures and the description.
Last but not least, but most importantly: This is not a book on learning freestyle. This is a book on improving your freestyle if you already can swim. If this would have been my start into swimming it would have been a disaster - to much information, lack of descriptions and structure. The numbers say it very specifically: The pace converter chart starts at 2:20/100m... and it really felt like the book is meant for people swimming faster than this.
In the end I think it is a great book once you reached that level of decent swimming ability. For starting out from scratch or basic swimming skills I would use Total Immersion: The Revolutionary Way to Swim Better, Faster, and Easier again though.
Let's get the negative parts out of the way quickly: The first few chapters felt like I bought a book only to be told to buy up the whole finis store and then some additional stuff on their website. What was even more annoying was the amount of time spent on praising their "genius" Swim Types system and the accompanying website, that was taken down in favor on Swim Types being part of their paid sessions... So yeah a little "sus" as we would say nowadays ;)
But apart from that this really is a great book. It covers a wide array of topics one can or should work on and though I wouldn't consider these swim types game changing (and find naming one of the types "smooth" a little cringe for a book called swim smooth) they helped on slightly narrowing down where to start. What brings me down to a 3.5 apart from the commercial section in the front is the wordiness. The Information/Words density is extremely low. All the really important content is tugged away in the appendix and referenced. Even that is a little bit unspecific at times - although it's mentioned all over the place I could only have a good guess at what the "Unco" drill is supposed to be from those 4 pictures and the description.
Last but not least, but most importantly: This is not a book on learning freestyle. This is a book on improving your freestyle if you already can swim. If this would have been my start into swimming it would have been a disaster - to much information, lack of descriptions and structure. The numbers say it very specifically: The pace converter chart starts at 2:20/100m... and it really felt like the book is meant for people swimming faster than this.
In the end I think it is a great book once you reached that level of decent swimming ability. For starting out from scratch or basic swimming skills I would use Total Immersion: The Revolutionary Way to Swim Better, Faster, and Easier again though.
September 17, 2017
This is a comprehensive guide rooted on experiences of an organization. It covers a wide range of topics: open water skills, drills, stretching, weight training, equipment, program planning, swimmers type, etc. I suppose >95% of swimmers will find everything they need in this book.
I had a lot of fun reading the "swim type" system. Based on Swim Smooth's coaching experience, they divide swimmers into 6 categories. The purpose of the system is to give type-specific coaching instructions to suit individual needs.
I had a lot of fun reading the "swim type" system. Based on Swim Smooth's coaching experience, they divide swimmers into 6 categories. The purpose of the system is to give type-specific coaching instructions to suit individual needs.
April 14, 2020
Very in depth
This book covers pretty much anything related to triathlon and open water swimming. The descriptions about correct technique as well as individual styles (swim types) is very in-depth and my go-to resource when I am unsure about an aspect of my stroke. The training is also rather clear, with them giving a clear framework so that you can create your own swim training. The approach is rather technical, so self-coached athletes might be better of using a simple system like Joe Friel's PDLC because it is very hard to focus on so many aspects while training.
This book covers pretty much anything related to triathlon and open water swimming. The descriptions about correct technique as well as individual styles (swim types) is very in-depth and my go-to resource when I am unsure about an aspect of my stroke. The training is also rather clear, with them giving a clear framework so that you can create your own swim training. The approach is rather technical, so self-coached athletes might be better of using a simple system like Joe Friel's PDLC because it is very hard to focus on so many aspects while training.
July 6, 2021
If I could give this book 6 stars, I would. This book is super helpful and super practical to someone who is self-training freestyle like me.
Their break down of the problems and their tips to fix are on point.
The book got pretty creepy when it came to the part of Swim Types. Like geezzz, as if the author knew me very well. The book described my Swim Type problems and personality exactly how they are in real life. I recommend this book to anyone who is picking up the freestyle. SwimSmooth even has a very cool helpful mobile app too that I'm on their paid subscription plan.
Their break down of the problems and their tips to fix are on point.
The book got pretty creepy when it came to the part of Swim Types. Like geezzz, as if the author knew me very well. The book described my Swim Type problems and personality exactly how they are in real life. I recommend this book to anyone who is picking up the freestyle. SwimSmooth even has a very cool helpful mobile app too that I'm on their paid subscription plan.
May 26, 2023
Super helpful and easy to understand everything. If you are looking to improve your swimming because you are competing in some thing I highly recommend this book. It’s super helpful and has lots of necessary information.
January 20, 2018
One of the top three fitness books I've ever read and the best swimming book. Can be used without a teacher, but water required.
December 31, 2020
Excellent resource full of useful tips. As an ex competitive swimmer I found this book in a category of its own way better than the usual stuff.
November 4, 2021
The book shows a deep understanding of typical stroke flaws and also the psychology of the non-professional swimmer
September 12, 2023
Damn, the amount of detail in this book. Probably take me a year to practice all the drills and techniques
January 5, 2024
Practical approach to improving swimming by mixing in improving technique, training with critical swim speed and spending time in the open water
October 1, 2012
Due to my Triathlon enthusiasm in past year, I've got into swimming also. As to my nature, I have to get to know the technical jargon about swimming, that I would be able to learn to swim smoothly. For that purpose I found a perfect book, 300 pages about freestyle swimming.
Swim Smooth is book by Paul Newsome and Adam Young, both have a long background on swimming, but even more background on coaching swimming. They have a Swim Smooth named swimming training center in Australia and very useful web page also about swimming.
I must admit, that I thought there can't be written 300 pages about freestyle swimming so, that every page would make sense, but I was so wrong. Book is filled with good information, training tips, technique and useful pictures explaining all the things in detail. When reaching to the end of the book, I even thought it fell bit short.
Book starts from the basics of swimming and explains every part of swimming in great detail. For training purposes, book introduces 6 different swimmer types and give tips on improving swimming to all of those. It also says that there is no one best way to swim, it's always about the body and personal preferences.
If you are on to improving your freestyle swimming or into triathlon, this is a must read book. It stops the speculation on what is good and what is not for swimming and gives statistics and technique advices to all aspects of swimming. It has even its own section to open water swimming.
Only minus I have to give the book is that it became expensive to me. I have ordered swimming training equipment with about 100 euros only due to this book. I believe those will pay back to me on better swimming training sessions and eventually as a better swimmer in next triathlon races.
For freestyle swimming, this book is my bible now. I'm not going to look for any other book or training sites for a long time.
This review is a cross-post from my blog, here's the original post.
Swim Smooth is book by Paul Newsome and Adam Young, both have a long background on swimming, but even more background on coaching swimming. They have a Swim Smooth named swimming training center in Australia and very useful web page also about swimming.
I must admit, that I thought there can't be written 300 pages about freestyle swimming so, that every page would make sense, but I was so wrong. Book is filled with good information, training tips, technique and useful pictures explaining all the things in detail. When reaching to the end of the book, I even thought it fell bit short.
Book starts from the basics of swimming and explains every part of swimming in great detail. For training purposes, book introduces 6 different swimmer types and give tips on improving swimming to all of those. It also says that there is no one best way to swim, it's always about the body and personal preferences.
If you are on to improving your freestyle swimming or into triathlon, this is a must read book. It stops the speculation on what is good and what is not for swimming and gives statistics and technique advices to all aspects of swimming. It has even its own section to open water swimming.
Only minus I have to give the book is that it became expensive to me. I have ordered swimming training equipment with about 100 euros only due to this book. I believe those will pay back to me on better swimming training sessions and eventually as a better swimmer in next triathlon races.
For freestyle swimming, this book is my bible now. I'm not going to look for any other book or training sites for a long time.
This review is a cross-post from my blog, here's the original post.
April 14, 2020
Great book! Accessibly written, fairly complete, useful drills, fun twist with the swim types. After reading the book, I look with a different lens at other swimmers' technique in the pool.
Might be useful to use some youtube clips to augment and visualize. Effortless swimming has some useful additional drills and tips, that add the last bit to this nice framework.
Might be useful to use some youtube clips to augment and visualize. Effortless swimming has some useful additional drills and tips, that add the last bit to this nice framework.
December 23, 2016
A good book for someone that is all geeked out on so too many details. This breaks down the strokes really well.
August 26, 2020
Classifies swimmers into 6 types (e.g. The Arnie (competitive, naturally athletic; kicks from the knee rather than the hip, creating drag and lowering the legs in the water), The Kicktastic (has a dominant kick to make up for a poor arm stroke, which is reflective of where they left off learning to swim as a child; has a good body position the water)) -- and suggests specific drills to help each type overcome its particular stroke, breathing, and mindset flaws.
Recognizes that swimmers have different physical attributes, personalities, and swimming experience and goals, and thus doesn't aspire to teach a single, "ideal" stroke. Suggests that for some swimmers or under some circumstances (e.g. the open-water portion of a triathlon), a choppier, quicker stroke may be preferable to the long, smooth stroke that you see in the Olympics.
I haven't tried to apply the advice in this book, but I do like its tone and its approach.
Recognizes that swimmers have different physical attributes, personalities, and swimming experience and goals, and thus doesn't aspire to teach a single, "ideal" stroke. Suggests that for some swimmers or under some circumstances (e.g. the open-water portion of a triathlon), a choppier, quicker stroke may be preferable to the long, smooth stroke that you see in the Olympics.
I haven't tried to apply the advice in this book, but I do like its tone and its approach.
September 14, 2022
the book opens up a huge stream of knowledge not only for beginners but also for confident swimmers. It is well structured, authors have described all the processes and keys to improving swimming results very clearly and in detail. Another great advantage of this book is that it focuses primarily on open-water swimming and explains all the nuances. Definitely one of the best books on swimming!
February 26, 2015
Maybe a little too much information for beginner swimmers. This book is really geared toward triathletes. But I appreciated the thoroughness and just skipped over the hardcore technical stuff that wasn't relevant to my level of practice. I definitely learned more from this book than I did from my swimming teacher!
April 27, 2013
This has a lot of useful info in it - the open water section is really quite good, particularly if you've never done it before. However, I think it would really come into its own when you've had video analysis done.
February 16, 2013
The gold standard for "self help" swimming. The swimsmooth guys have very concrete cures for what ails your swim technique. Not a one size fits all approach-- different tips for different swim types.
July 26, 2013
Похоже, техника плавания эволюционирует каждое десятилетие -- надеюсь успеть освоить хоть что-то из ценного арсенала австралийских топ-тренеров и не захлебнуться в морских волнах и обилии полезной информации
September 19, 2012
An excellent system.
February 16, 2013
Reading further on into the book I became fascinated with the description of different swim types and recognised many of the types in my own swimmers.
December 22, 2013
I stumbled upon the swim smooth website while training for my first triathlon and was happy to learn of this book. It's a great reference on swimming technique especially for freestyle.
May 11, 2014
Lets talk after reading
February 4, 2016
Best swimming book I've ever read. Give it a try.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews