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Swim Speed Secrets for Swimmers and Triathletes
In Swim Speed Secrets, 4-time Olympian, gold medalist, and triathlon world champion Sheila Taormina reveals the swim technique used by the world’s fastest swimmers.
Over the course of 4 Olympic Games and throughout her career as a world champion triathlete, Taormina refined her exceptional technique as a student of the sport, studying the world's best swimmers using underwater photographs and video analysis. From Johnny Weissmuller to Michael Phelps, the world’s fastest swimmers share one common element: a high-elbow underwater pull.
Too many swimmers and triathletes neglect the pull, distracted by stroke count or perfecting details like body position or streamlining. Taormina uses simple science and crystal clear underwater photos of Olympic athletes to show how the high-elbow underwater pull is the most crucial technique for faster swimming.
With a commonsense approach that comes from decades of practice and 15 years of hands-on coaching experience, Taormina’s Swim Speed Secrets gives triathletes and swimmers the clear direction they need to overhaul their swim stroke and find the speed that’s been eluding them. Swim Speed Secrets includes:
· The best drills to cultivate a more sensitive feel for the water
· Dryland and strength building exercises to develop arm position and upper body musculature
· Crisp photos of Olympic swimmers and variations in their high-elbow underwater pull
· Clear descriptions of the key moments of the underwater pull
· Tips that helped her perform at a world-class level for two decades
Swim Speed Secrets brings the focus back where it belongs—to a powerful underwater stroke. With this book, triathletes and swimmers can stop swimming for survival and break through to new levels of speed and confidence in the water.
Over the course of 4 Olympic Games and throughout her career as a world champion triathlete, Taormina refined her exceptional technique as a student of the sport, studying the world's best swimmers using underwater photographs and video analysis. From Johnny Weissmuller to Michael Phelps, the world’s fastest swimmers share one common element: a high-elbow underwater pull.
Too many swimmers and triathletes neglect the pull, distracted by stroke count or perfecting details like body position or streamlining. Taormina uses simple science and crystal clear underwater photos of Olympic athletes to show how the high-elbow underwater pull is the most crucial technique for faster swimming.
With a commonsense approach that comes from decades of practice and 15 years of hands-on coaching experience, Taormina’s Swim Speed Secrets gives triathletes and swimmers the clear direction they need to overhaul their swim stroke and find the speed that’s been eluding them. Swim Speed Secrets includes:
· The best drills to cultivate a more sensitive feel for the water
· Dryland and strength building exercises to develop arm position and upper body musculature
· Crisp photos of Olympic swimmers and variations in their high-elbow underwater pull
· Clear descriptions of the key moments of the underwater pull
· Tips that helped her perform at a world-class level for two decades
Swim Speed Secrets brings the focus back where it belongs—to a powerful underwater stroke. With this book, triathletes and swimmers can stop swimming for survival and break through to new levels of speed and confidence in the water.
212 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2012
101 people are currently reading
234 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
August 6, 2013
Exactly what I needed!
Before talking about the book I will give you some background on myself so you can understand where I am coming from. I was a competitive swimmer when I was a teenager, between the ages of twelve and sixteen, then got bored and stopped for 20 years and only occasionally would I get back in the pool for a few months at a time. A couple of years ago I decided to get in shape, so I started swimming again and got into triathlons. My swimming technique was decent, but I definitely needed a refresher, so being a triathlete I found the advice most triathletes swear by: Total Immersion (TI).
Some of what I discovered in TI was useful, but I already had decent body position and many of the things they recommend there made no sense. The whole swimming through the eye of the needle felt odd, and there was too much body rotation for what I remembered feeling when swimming in my youth. I got the pointers I thought were good and together with the enhanced fitness I was doing fine. But I got to a point in which I was not getting any faster and there was definitely still room for improvement. Luckily, that is when I found this book!
When I started reading Taormina's book, I was really encouraged by some of her points, especially her comments about how gliding forever is not going to get you to be really fast and also that the pull is much more important than body position. The author goes to great lengths to explain the correct technique that should be used for the underwater pull, together with many pictures taken using herself as a subject, but also using other well-known pros in the sport. After you read through the explanations you will have a very clear sense of what is needed to go fast in the pool. Also, for the "unbelievers", she provides quite a bit of proof about the point she is making regarding the overwhelming importance of the pull compared to other aspects.
The drills are also magnificent! You may be familiar as I was with most of them, but after reading her explanation and watching her online videos on how to do them properly and highlighting what to focus on, I realized that I was not working on the right things. It is hard work to spend a good portion of practice each time I get in the pool working purely on technique and forgetting about the clock, but this has made me considerably faster already. If you really want to get faster and are not afraid to do the work to get there, I recommend you get this book. I also bought her workouts: Swim Speed Workouts for Swimmers and Triathletes: The Breakout Plan for Your Fastest Freestyle, and they have also being truly helpful.
Before talking about the book I will give you some background on myself so you can understand where I am coming from. I was a competitive swimmer when I was a teenager, between the ages of twelve and sixteen, then got bored and stopped for 20 years and only occasionally would I get back in the pool for a few months at a time. A couple of years ago I decided to get in shape, so I started swimming again and got into triathlons. My swimming technique was decent, but I definitely needed a refresher, so being a triathlete I found the advice most triathletes swear by: Total Immersion (TI).
Some of what I discovered in TI was useful, but I already had decent body position and many of the things they recommend there made no sense. The whole swimming through the eye of the needle felt odd, and there was too much body rotation for what I remembered feeling when swimming in my youth. I got the pointers I thought were good and together with the enhanced fitness I was doing fine. But I got to a point in which I was not getting any faster and there was definitely still room for improvement. Luckily, that is when I found this book!
When I started reading Taormina's book, I was really encouraged by some of her points, especially her comments about how gliding forever is not going to get you to be really fast and also that the pull is much more important than body position. The author goes to great lengths to explain the correct technique that should be used for the underwater pull, together with many pictures taken using herself as a subject, but also using other well-known pros in the sport. After you read through the explanations you will have a very clear sense of what is needed to go fast in the pool. Also, for the "unbelievers", she provides quite a bit of proof about the point she is making regarding the overwhelming importance of the pull compared to other aspects.
The drills are also magnificent! You may be familiar as I was with most of them, but after reading her explanation and watching her online videos on how to do them properly and highlighting what to focus on, I realized that I was not working on the right things. It is hard work to spend a good portion of practice each time I get in the pool working purely on technique and forgetting about the clock, but this has made me considerably faster already. If you really want to get faster and are not afraid to do the work to get there, I recommend you get this book. I also bought her workouts: Swim Speed Workouts for Swimmers and Triathletes: The Breakout Plan for Your Fastest Freestyle, and they have also being truly helpful.
May 26, 2023
My average pace did go down a bit after reading this book but the main piece of advice, which is to focus on your pull movement, is probably best seen in a video. Interesting though, I do recommend it if you're into swimming.
February 18, 2013
The corrective to all the Total Immersion bullshit that seems to think you can swim fast with good body position alone. Let's dispense with this by comparing the very aerodynamic Prius to the bulbous and not so aerodynamic Pontiac GTO muscle car; horsepower wins. Get your propulsion in order.
September 19, 2014
Well written and somewhat funny, but the gist of this book (three words: "high elbow catch") can be conveyed in a short internet article instead of this full color book on heavy weight paper.
April 28, 2018
Read this book; then swam with those techniques today and decreased my time by 20 seconds per 100 yds.
April 18, 2014
This might sound silly, but when I finished reading this on the bus, I had to stop myself from sobbing, but that's because of what's on the last page. And also that I am probably a freak.
I've been a long time admirer of Taormina's since she first made the Olympic team in 1996. She's my age, so that achievement, at the age of 27, and then that she made three more Olympic teams after that, in two more sports, helped instill in me, maybe foolishly, that anything is possible. Which goes back to that last page, but anyway.
Taormina writes like a good friend and a tough coach, and breaks down the stroke of freestyle into what you really need to know: the high elbow catch. And she explains so well and thoughtfully. It just makes sense.
It's been a few weeks, and I've been focusing so carefully on everything she talks about. Little by little, I'm making tiny but noticeable improvements.
Also, I should say, if you get the book, you should also get the stretch cords. The burn feels amazing, and it does make a difference.
I've been a long time admirer of Taormina's since she first made the Olympic team in 1996. She's my age, so that achievement, at the age of 27, and then that she made three more Olympic teams after that, in two more sports, helped instill in me, maybe foolishly, that anything is possible. Which goes back to that last page, but anyway.
Taormina writes like a good friend and a tough coach, and breaks down the stroke of freestyle into what you really need to know: the high elbow catch. And she explains so well and thoughtfully. It just makes sense.
It's been a few weeks, and I've been focusing so carefully on everything she talks about. Little by little, I'm making tiny but noticeable improvements.
Also, I should say, if you get the book, you should also get the stretch cords. The burn feels amazing, and it does make a difference.
January 29, 2019
Easy to Understand Swim Book
I’m still trying to learn all the ins and outs of the freestyle stroke and found this book helpful. It explained the catch in better, easier to understand terminology than I’ve found anywhere else. I liked the numbers for guidelines on items like DPS and stroke rate that I plan on using to review my progress. Only wish this book would have some full workout programs in it instead of a list of drills.
I’m still trying to learn all the ins and outs of the freestyle stroke and found this book helpful. It explained the catch in better, easier to understand terminology than I’ve found anywhere else. I liked the numbers for guidelines on items like DPS and stroke rate that I plan on using to review my progress. Only wish this book would have some full workout programs in it instead of a list of drills.
June 21, 2017
A fantastic book with that explains the most important factors affecting speed along with a handful of carefully selected drills that will make the most impact on your speed. The book is kept simple and is very easy to understand and implement.
There are only two ways to get faster in swimming: take fewer strokes (more propulsion) and turn over strokes more quickly.
Increasing propulsion is more important that reducing resistance from drag. The key factors to increasing propulsion are:
1. Maintaining a high elbow position during the catch phase (elbow 1-4" below the surface, shoulder close to chin until arm past head). Deltoid flexibility and medial rotation critical.
2. Holding water (feeling water pressure on forearm and hand, avoid bending wrist, avoid arm sweeping under the body, feeling like body moves past hand instead of the hand moving back).
Recommended drills include:
1. Streamlining off the wall
2. Elastic tube drills in the gym
3. Press-ups on edge of pool
4. Sculling
5. Fingertip drag
6. One arm swim and one arm with a kickboard
7. Catch-up with a focus on driving the core and feeling of holding the water.
There are only two ways to get faster in swimming: take fewer strokes (more propulsion) and turn over strokes more quickly.
Increasing propulsion is more important that reducing resistance from drag. The key factors to increasing propulsion are:
1. Maintaining a high elbow position during the catch phase (elbow 1-4" below the surface, shoulder close to chin until arm past head). Deltoid flexibility and medial rotation critical.
2. Holding water (feeling water pressure on forearm and hand, avoid bending wrist, avoid arm sweeping under the body, feeling like body moves past hand instead of the hand moving back).
Recommended drills include:
1. Streamlining off the wall
2. Elastic tube drills in the gym
3. Press-ups on edge of pool
4. Sculling
5. Fingertip drag
6. One arm swim and one arm with a kickboard
7. Catch-up with a focus on driving the core and feeling of holding the water.
September 17, 2017
Summary
The 80-20 rule (Pareto principle) is applicable to freestyle swimming: a few critical elements of swim technique determines a large part of the result. This book focuses arm pull (high elbow position in particular), the most "vital element" of freestyle technique.
Suggestion on how to use this book?
Read until Chapter 4. Then, study every photos in Chapter 5 and 6 carefully. Check out Sheila's youtube playlist. Finally, read the Epilogue and Appendix B.
How do I like it?
- I hear all sorts of information from youtube and swim classes. This book is useful in that it helps me to prioritize and focus my attention to the "vital elements".
- When I visit halo tubing's website, there is an option of adding Sheila's book. So watch out.
- The first four chapters give me a deeper understanding on swimming and I enjoyed it. These content wouldn't be discussed in normal youtube "how to" videos or swimming classes, so I think it is worth a read.
The 80-20 rule (Pareto principle) is applicable to freestyle swimming: a few critical elements of swim technique determines a large part of the result. This book focuses arm pull (high elbow position in particular), the most "vital element" of freestyle technique.
Suggestion on how to use this book?
Read until Chapter 4. Then, study every photos in Chapter 5 and 6 carefully. Check out Sheila's youtube playlist. Finally, read the Epilogue and Appendix B.
How do I like it?
- I hear all sorts of information from youtube and swim classes. This book is useful in that it helps me to prioritize and focus my attention to the "vital elements".
- When I visit halo tubing's website, there is an option of adding Sheila's book. So watch out.
- The first four chapters give me a deeper understanding on swimming and I enjoyed it. These content wouldn't be discussed in normal youtube "how to" videos or swimming classes, so I think it is worth a read.
December 6, 2022
Sheila certainly has some strongly held views about swimming style when it comes to the arm stroke. This is a coaching book for people who have been coached before supplemented by lots of photographs and 8 QR codes that no longer lead to videos of training sessions. I wanted a coaching book, having never been coached before, but found tbe photographs impossible to interpret. I thought I understood the points being made, but the summaries seemed to veer off in other directions. Clearly I'm not the target audience, as I have not swum at elite competitions. The book maybe useful if you've found other books on other aspects of swimming useful. What I gained from it was that reading about swimming well did not help, you have to do it and be videoed to correct your stroke and have a coach. The last page shows a swim workout book with 4 training plans and videos for triathletes which probably would be more generally useful, but given the date of publication is probably way out of date.
December 13, 2017
The main idea of the book is very interesting, useful and worth applying to your swimming. But for the book as a whole, it's somewhat lacking. There are a number of chapters that didn't really have much added value. A less subtle way of saying it would be; the real message could have been written in a (longer) blog post, instead of a whole book.
December 28, 2023
Excellent explanation of optimum freestyle technique
I am an age group triathlete (M60, olympic distance) who is seeking to improve his pull. The explanations in the book are lucid and supported by excellent images. For the next edition I'd suggest the inclusion of EOlab recordings.
I am an age group triathlete (M60, olympic distance) who is seeking to improve his pull. The explanations in the book are lucid and supported by excellent images. For the next edition I'd suggest the inclusion of EOlab recordings.
June 22, 2019
It's good technique tips
November 12, 2019
Good instructional book, pretty straightforward. Not too much fluff in the front sections. Note the book is a gateway to buying a product co-produced by the author - the Halo swim system.
February 18, 2023
short n sweet
December 11, 2023
Next level
January 3, 2024
Best of all swimming books
January 14, 2024
Top boek! Heeft me heel erg geholpen met de o.a. de ctach en wat meer gevoel in het water te krijgen. Deze gaat in mn naslagwerk shelve
March 15, 2025
Super helpful in visualizing the high elbow catch- along with solid coaching this really helped me develop my stroke!
January 11, 2017
Лучшая книга по плаванию, что я читала! Но она однозначно не подойдет новичкам и тем, кто только начинает осваиваться в бассейне, разве только для общего понимания процесса плавания. Полная противоположность книгам подобным "Полному Погружению", где все сосредоточено на положении тела в воде. Но положение тела дает только 20% к скорости вашего движения в воде. Эта же книга полностью сосредоточена на главном элементе в плавании, который дает 80% скорости пловцу - подводная часть гребка. Если вы хотите все узнать про высокий локоть и как его добиться - книга точно для вас. Очень четко и подробно расписано каждое движения пловца при гребке в кроле. Даны очень понятные упражнения, которые легко можно встроить в свои тренировки в бассейне.
Автор книги Шейла Таормина - олимпийская чемпионка. Само изложение книги очень структурированное и логичное, местами даже с юмором. Много красивых и очень подробных фотографий, демонстрирующих технику выполнения различных элементов гребка.
Автор книги Шейла Таормина - олимпийская чемпионка. Само изложение книги очень структурированное и логичное, местами даже с юмором. Много красивых и очень подробных фотографий, демонстрирующих технику выполнения различных элементов гребка.
March 19, 2013
This book is not to be missed, if you are swimming and feel as though you spend a lot of time in the water and just are not getting faster, look no further, this book will get you on the right path. The information is straight forward, not technical in most places, great color pictures in the kindle version and book. The author, an olympic swimmer, is focusing this book on the "Pull", the point at which your fingers enter the water and get to your hips, its super specialized but there is a reason why, she has swam at the highest levels and knows that all the fastest in the world have mastered this part of the stroke if they are winning gold. Recommend without reservation.
January 21, 2013
This is exactly the book I needed to help me improve my swimming technique. Instead of covering a wide range of swim techniques, Taormina (an Olympic champion) focuses on the most important part of freestyle swimming: the stroke. Her arguments for mastering the high elbow technique are convincing. Although she includes a lot of exercises, they are described rather than laid out like a week-by-week plan. Fortunately, Taormina had written just such an exercise book to complement this one, and it will be available in March.
July 1, 2013
Strength and conditioning provide little benefit unless a swimmer is "holding" the water. I now realize I have an exaggerated S motion in my "pull" and haven't been feeling/holding the water for good forward propulsion. I still need to work on body position and kicking, etc, but feel like this book, focusing on the "pull," is an important first set to get me in the moving forward as a beginning swimmer. If you aren't pulling the water effectively, then the rest of it just doesn't matter that much.
September 11, 2012
I really liked the focus on the pull. With limited training time, it is easy to buy into all the technique books thinking they will magically cut your swim time in half. She makes the point that without putting in the work to develop a strong pull, good technique will only get you so far. The book doesn't cover everything, doesn't cover breathing very much, but there are some decent photos throughout the book.
September 1, 2013
150 pages to say "keep a high elbow". Oddly, it's not fluffy or padded: there's a lot of content to implement that one technique, which Taormina claims is 80% of swimming. You will need other books for the other 20%. Good photos with excellent print quality; something lacking in many swimming books.
July 7, 2013
The book discusses one thing and one thing only, the pull for the freestyle stroke. Yes, it does explain that one thing very well, but it is only worth 3 stars. Maybe I will swim freestyle faster now.
January 7, 2015
Great alternative to body position swimming (ala Total Immersion). Looking forward to trying out a high elbow catch and seeing if I can bump a couple strokes off my 50. Quick read. Author has a fun and friendly tone.
March 22, 2013
Awesome insight for even the casual and recreational swimmer
September 25, 2016
Can't see slideshow
I can't get the slide shows to work on kindle or iPhone app. This doesn't allow me to see any of the drill sequences so the book is almost worthless.
I can't get the slide shows to work on kindle or iPhone app. This doesn't allow me to see any of the drill sequences so the book is almost worthless.
September 2, 2021
I'm a middle of the pack age grouper in triathlon races. And this book helped me improve my technique more than anything I tried so far. And I'm just starting to learn and practice it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews