Book Description
Ron O'Brien has produced more champions and coached more Olympic, world, and Pan American teams than any other coach in diving history. Now, in this definitive work, O'Brien brings his full experience and expertise forth so that today's divers and their coaches can enjoy similar success at their own level of competition.

Springboard & Platform Diving covers all aspects of diving. From solid fundamentals to fine-tuned movements that add aesthetic appeal, O'Brien presents each type of dive with detailed descriptions and accompanying sequential illustrations. Mental preparation tips and physical training programs will give divers a competitive edge. A special boardwork checklist will help pinpoint any deficient skills.

Springboard & Platform Diving provides readers with inside information once exclusively reserved for the world's best. This book is a one-of-a-kind blueprint for diving success, written by the greatest coach ever in the sport. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

THE BEST!!!
This book is THE BEST for divers and coaches. It covers the basics carefully then builds on that information for more difficult and complex dives. The photographs and drawings are clear and well documented.Thank you Ron ... Read more

Book Description
The Rookie Coaches Swimming Guide covers all of the fundamentals of coaching and swimming in a concise style that's tailor-made for the novice youth swimming coach.

The book provides important coaching principles: developing a coaching philosophy, reinforcing kids positively, teaching skills, planning practices, preventing and caring for injuries, and addressing liability concerns. No other resource offers such a unique blend of coaching and youth swimming information. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good forsummerswimteams
I did notrealize from the description that the book was aimed at summer teams and people who know very little about swimming.It is a goodbeginning book but was not particularly helpful to me as I wanted information for a high schoolteam.

Now I know what to do!
I've just started co-coaching a small club in Kinsale, Co. Cork. I'm a competitive swimmer and knew what I wanted to get across, but not how. John Leonard's book has really made a difference. I'm now structuring sessionsin a useful way and I know I'm communicating better with the swimmers. Ishall be introducing his suggestions about setting objectives and using abulletin board when we start training again after Easter. I'm confidentthat my swimmers will benefit.Thanks John. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

The Parents' Guide to Swimming
This book is outstanding.A must for any swimming parent.

Great information for parents of competitive swimmers!
Parents' Guide to Swimming is a much needed tool for parents of competitive swimmers.In it I found information on every topic an involved parent would need, especially a parent lacking a swimming background.Arata's perspective on the role of parents and coaches is especially helpful.He provides suggestions as to how parents can help their children succeed in competitive swimming while leaving the coaching to the coach.A very worthy read packed full of good information on topics ranging from nutrition to flexibility to how to find a suitable program for your swimmer.A must have!

The Handbook for all Parents of Swimmers
This is a terrific book!How I wish I'd had it when my own swimming daughter was feeling "burned out".Dr. Arata has great ideas on how to motivate kids past that stage so they have a chance to fulfill their potential.A wonderful resource on training, diet--everything!Super A+!

The parents guide to swimming
As a past competitive swimmer and current USS swimming coach, I cannot express enough gratitude to Dr. Arata for the invaluable asset heoffers to parents, swimmers and coaches alike.This book is the answer to the question parents often ask:"We don't know anything about swimming; is there anything to read?"
THIS is it!The information in this book will provide the security, comfort and knowledge for any new parent whose child is entering swimming.Moreover, it enables them to understand, support and encourage their child in this wonderful lifelong sport.
I am buying and distributing copies to my team.
Thank you, Dr. Arata, for putting into the written word what ordinarily takes years to otherwise get across. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Probably the most complete book about swimming
I've readed a lot of books about swimming and I must declare that this one is probably the best.
It analise every aspect of this sport and supported by an impressionant bibliography it can separate facts from suppositions and errors.
This book has helped me to understand the deepest aspect of training and swim propulsion in the four strokes, and it can be well used in addiction with other manuals.
I'm emotionally waiting for Maglischo next work.

THE BEST SWIMMING BOOK AVAILABLE
This is the best swimming book I have ever read.Everything a swimmer or coach needs: training principles, swimming technique, and mental aspects of the sport. It covers everything even how you should split your race. Lots of drills for every stroke.

the bible of swimming
it covers every aspect of swimming in great depth, such as hydrodynamics, stroke techniques, nutrition, weight training, starts and turns and much more.

high recommended for all fitness and competitive swimmers.

an excellent race-training reference
I'm primarily a rower, so I can't speak about the swimming-specific sections of this book.But I can rave about the more generally applicable sections.I've used this book for several years to design trainingprograms for various rowing events, from 500 meters (about 1.5-2 minutes)to 2,000 meters (about 7-8 minutes) to head races (20 minutes and longer). Maglischo's explanations of how to balance the levels of effort in atraining program for sprint or endurance events is tremendously helpful, asare the explanations of how to periodize training programs and createdaily, weekly, monthly, and yearly programs.

The only tiny criticism Ihave of this book is that I would find it slightly more useful if theswimming distances included approximate times for the events.That way, itwould make transferring the principles to comparable events in differentsports more straightforward.

I recommend this book to any coach orathlete of any racing sport.You'll find not only physiological issuesaddressed, but also issues concerning pacing and race strategy -- a mustfor anyone desiring an internal focus during racing.

a swimming bible
This book has served me well as a coach for many years, and I have given it as a gift to several coaches and top swimmers.Whether or not you care to get lost in the endless debate over Bernoulli versus Newton, this bookhas much more to offer. I trained under Ernie Maglischo and this book hasserved as the marvelous manifestation of his patient and persistent work ondeck.I recommend it without reservation. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

From an Olympic medalist, a proven, step-by-step program for helping you swim your best

Customer Reviews (2)

Championship Swimming
This book is great for many swimmers it gives insight in how to convey messages to swimmers - great from intro to intermediate levels... please note others may glean the material as more important than I have stated for I am a perfectionist I like to know EVERY detail.

breaking old habits
Though I've been a masters swimmer for a few years, this book and it's drills were helpful. By going through the prescribed program, week by week, the freestyle concepts of rotation, breathing on both sides,and stretching, start to replace old habits.I agree, it's important to drop back and work on technique, rather than reinforce poor body mechanics while keeping up in your lane. The freestyle and breaststroke chapters were the most helpful to me. ... Read more

Book Description
Author Penny Lee Dean, a swimming legend and world-record holder in 13 events, shares her unique knowledge of racing and solo swims in Open Water Swimming. From innovative stroke techniques to navigation strategies, Dean's insights are invaluable to long-distance swimmers, marathon swimmers, triathletes, and their coaches.

Open Water Swimming features

• 13 stretches for increased flexibility and smooth stroke technique,

• 16 practice drills for improved form, and

• 43 different workouts for greater endurance.

Whether you're a beginner-level open water swimmer or you're about to brave the English Channel—which Dean swam in world-record time—Open Water Swimming provides the conditioning plans, event profiles, and mental training techniques you need to succeed. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

GREAT INFORMATION
This book really helped me and my open water swim friends with our races. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in open water swimming.

Open Water Swimming
I am a distance ocean swimmer and found the book to be very helpful.Penny Dean is a legend in Channel Swimming and writes from experience.I used many of her training recommendations in preparing for the Catalina Channel and am using it again in my preparation for the English Channel.This book is very well regarded by multiple friends who are Channel Swimmers.I think highly enough of the book to be buying a second copy because my original copy was loaned to someone who has not yet returned it.

Triathlete Review
Although I thought the book to be well written and interesting, it offers minimal techniques and workouts for the triathlete.Not being a long distance swimmer, I can not judge the book from that point of view.

An excellent book
This is an excellent book. I am considering training for the Englishchannel swim and found this book excellent as asource of vitalinformation with regards open water swimming.Not only is the book from aworld expert but there is great passion in the writing as well as superbtechnical aspects of swimming in open water.I especially liked the factthat it dealt with very long swims unlike many of the commerciallyavailable open water books out there that are catering for triatholonswimming distances as obviously that is where the money is with regards topublishing and selling.It is what most long distace swimmers train for. There are very few books on long distance open water swimming longer than atriatholon swim so this book for me is a must.As for the reviewer thatfelt she wrote the book like a drill coach, if you want to swim somethinglike the english channel any approach unlike the one in this book willequal failure.

Just right for a SERIOUS swimmer
Penny Lee Dean writes like a coach, which she is. You can almost see her writing chapter titles and outlines with a magic marker on a board, with a group of swimmers taking notes. The book is as clear as water, and about asinteresting. If you really want to swim long open-water swims, like theEnglish Channel or across some big lake, this is clearly the book for you.She has excellent training tips, instructions for dealing with obstaclesand injuries, and motivational ideas. But if you aren't quite so seriousabout long, excruciating, time-consuming swims, if swimming is only animportant and not pivotal part of your life, you will find the book slowgoing, which, by the way, is how I swim. ... Read more

Book Description
Experts agree that swimming is the best and most complete form of excercise. Here is the most authoritative and comprehensive guide to the sport. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

this book is worthless
The first 86 pages do nothing but tell you why you should swim. If you didn't want to swim why would you have the book to begin with? I am starting triathlons and the only reason I want to swim is to get to T1. After a few moderately useful pages explaining the basic strokes (which you can find better descriptions and pictures on the web) the rest is MORE WORTHLESS FILLER. "How swimming improves your sex life"? Common, WORTHLESS, WORTHLESS, WORTHLESS.

Little about swimming, a lot about everything else
Why are swim book authors so lousy? This one is worse than the Total Immersion book. More pages are devoted to topics around swimming than swimming itself. There are chapters on health, diet, etc. etc. That's not necessarily bad, but I'd rather have a smaller, more focused book just about swim technique. In addition, the author gets carried away with love of his sport, asserting that swimming will lead to a better sex life, longevity, wealth, world peace. Well, many fitness regimes will improve your health. Buy it used and keep your expectations low.

The complete book of the excitement of swimming
This book is great for getting started. If your first thought is,"do I really wanna go all the way up to the pool, get in my swimming trunks and jump into the cold wet?", just open this book and you'll already be in the water. Dr. Whitten has so much enthusiasm for the sport, that he could probably even convince a cat to take up swimming. I bet there are better books for competitive swimmers, which have more complete work-outs or are more technical, but this book gives you a bit of everything and it also explains WHY you should take up swimming.

An excellent motivator
I really love this book. It's full of great motivational stories and excellently illustrated techniques. I have only two complaints. Whitten, like authors of most books on swimming that I've come across, doesn't address what to do when you've been out of the pool a long time and are struggling to get back. As someone who was very much afraid of the water until I took some excellent classes in my county, it's hard for me to get back into the pool after a long layoff. I really need to revisit basic breathing techniques and overcome some deep-seated fears. I also question some of the studies on body fat and swimming. Not that I question swimming's benefits, but all the studies Whitten quotes have been done on Master's swimmers, a sport that like cycling and running is somewhat self-selective. Most successful Master's swimmers are long, lean body types that move along quickly in the water. I wish someone would do body fat studies on the effects of swimming on the normal, non-athletic physique. Other than that, Whitten has written, in my opinion, an excellent book for most beginner and intermediate swimmers.

Great instructional book for those who taking up swimming
As a regular runner, I have often thought of using swimming as a great cross-training exercise but always hesitated because I am a weak, inexperienced swimmer.This book was a wonderful find to give tips onimproving each stroke and has a wonderful set of workouts in the back forbeginners to improve their skill level.I am now swimming a couple oftimes every week and consult this book regularly for ideas to improve andinspire. ... Read more

Product Description
Designed as a single, definitive reference on swimming pool safety and management, The Complete Swimming Pool Reference, 2nd edition, includes important chapters on first aid, lifeguarding, pool maintenance, hot tub and spa sections.This comprehensive book is a valuable resource for all those who own, operate or work at swimming pools.The second edition is bigger and better than ever and combines technical aspects of pool operations manuals with practical information of water safety texts.This popular book has been expanded to 30 chapters with the latest information available on a variety of topics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

The Complete Swimming Pool Reference
It is interesting how people can write a review this book 3 years prior to it being published. I guess these reviews refer to the fist edition published in July 94.

Great reference
A great reference for learning how to manage the water in your pool.

COmplete Swimming Pool Reference
Although I found the book to be somewhat outdated, it is clear and consise and easy to read. I am not a pool "expert" as some of the reviewers are, I am new to the pool business and in that regard i found itvery helpful.Remember, this is a refence book published a while ago andpool "standards" continue to change.

The best swimming pool reference book I've ever owned.
I've been in the pool biz for twenty five years and this is the only pool related book I've read that didn't put me to sleep.It's clear,concise,and very understandable for people at ALL levels.

The pool business is atough, comprehensive subject and Tom Griffith has done a masterful job attackling all the issues.

Nice, this is the book of 'The Complete Reference....'
We found excellent information about Swimming pool design and various topics related about maintaining the pool.

And i request you common to those who have the information about "Which is the biggest Swimming Pool that ever made so far, and its complete specification, total estimation..etc?".

Kindly mail to meif you have answer with you...

- Al zahrani Jaber ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (8)

If you like Diving
Diving: The World's Best SitesI gave this to my husband for a Christmas gift.He loved it.I don't dive but he loves it.He just got certified last year and this book gives him a lot of ideas on where to go for good diving.This book is only useful to someone who dives.Not for a vacation guide.

Don't ask questions-just buy it....
Read it cover to cover Christmas day-and over and over since

Very nice pictures and summaries
This is a good book for divers.It lists all the pertinent info about each site (i.e. water temp, sites to see, best time to visit, etc).I would definitely recommend buying this book.The pictures are awesome!

a great book
A really good book with great pictures. A source of inspiration if you're planning a diving trip. Obviously written by someone who really enjoys diving and knows what he's talking about. A lot of practical advice too. Amust for divers!

very beautiful & great
i want to know what site for the best diving.because i just pass the diving license. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (2)

Swim well with perfection
In my opinion, I rate this book with 5 stars. I have been swimming since childhood and went to a professional swimming school but have never come across a good swimming method like the "Shaw method" Alexander Technique. The book is very well illustrated and explains step by step how the swim without strain in freedom. With a good technique comes great speed without injury. This book has all you need to swim well in safety and perfection. I myself have tried all these methodsand techniques and have improved my swimming. I gain more confidence in water taking out benefits from precious time. This book taught me to appreciate swimming in a graceful way with better performance. I let go and went with the flow instead of pushing myself. For example, I learnt to swim butterfly the "Shaw method" believe me I swim the technique with less strain limiting the energy expended on non propulsive movements. Try it yourself, I feel more confidant in water with these methods in all my stroke :-)
Louis Henriques.

Not for advanced swimmers
1-2 stars because, while I have to admit I do not practice the Alexander Technique,I thought I would examine this book to see how it may help my strokes. Well, the printing is wonderful and it is a well produced book, but it really seemed less geared toward advanced/competitive swimmers than I expected. There was alot of basic stroke breakdown, which is good for intermediate swimmers but not for advanced swimmers (or maybe just me?) who have had coaching. I personally prefer the book Swimming Fastest for technique--it is the bible. I am continually disappointed by the clarity of swim books (mainly because nothing takes the place of good instruction--you can't see yourself swim!), but Swimming Fastest still is my favorite for guidance and I continually reference it. If you are intermediate and looking for stroke improvement, this could be good for hints and has clear photography (it does excel at this). It did illustrate some things I do overlook! Bottom line was I returned it, unfortunately. ... Read more

Book Description
Improve your swimming technique and your conditioning level with Fitness Swimming! Inside you'll find 60 workouts in six zones color-coded by intensity and duration, plus 16 sample programs that show you how to put together a complete training program.

Written by coach Emmett Hines, Fitness Swimming is part of the Fitness Spectrum Series—a collection of books from Human Kinetics that offers fitness enthusiasts and sports participants a practical and flexible approach to training. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

This book is great!
Emmett Hines' book has been very helpful to me. I am a former college runner who had to switch to swimming after my legs went bad, so I was a complete novice, but one with mild competitive ambitions. After doing his drills, I am able to swim faster with less effort, allowing me to go further and faster. I can really notice the difference between the way I used to plow through the water versus the way I glide through it now.

When you first try these drills, they may seem awkward and frustrating, because they are different from your normal (and probably bad) swimming motions. Don't give up - after several workouts (maybe even several weeks' worth) I promise that eventually the light bulb will go on over your head and you'll say "Oh, now I get it!" This has happened to me numerous times doing Hines' drills. Your body will, seemingly magically, figure out what he's trying to show you.

We have a 1-mile swimming race every August here in Austin called the Deep Eddy Mile. My first year (2006) I completed the swim in 36 minutes, 13 seconds. After a year of using Hines' lessons, I knocked my time down to 34:20, and I can already tell that I'll probably knock off another minute or two this year.

Obviously, the best way to improve your swim technique is with a personal coach, but if (like me) you do not have the time or money for personal lessons, this book is an excellent alternative.

The only book needed to improve your stroke
After years of non-swimming, I took a stroke technique class at my local pool last fall. When I began the class, I could not complete one length of a 25 yard pool. I never was a good swimmer even after lessons as a child. The class got me started, but I had a long way to go. When the class ended, I went looking for a book to help me continue. I found this book on Amazon, and the many positive reviews convinced me to give it a try. Three months and two practices a week later, I had a lesson with the teacher of my class from the fall. When I finished two lengths of the pool to show him my stroke, his response was, "Did you get a new body? Are you the same person who swam in my class last fall? I am amazed!" Except for a couple of minor suggestions, he felt my stroke was perfect. I knew I had made progress, but this confirmed it for me. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. The drills really do make a huge difference. The workouts are fun and varied. I never get bored. If you are like me and just getting back into swimming after many years away from it or someone who wants to improve their stroke, don't spend your money or time on any other book. This is all you need. You will be amazed by the results you get and you will have fun in the process.

Very instructional
Very instructional book.More suitable for competitive swimmer, I think.Contains sets of practise drills for beginner (green zone) to competition (red zone).I only followed up until green zone and have not progressed further.You need to copy down the drill sets on a slate and record your heart beat, time and stroke count.I did that until some misunderstood kid took my instruction slate on the pool edge, thinking somebody left it.I got it back with scribbles all over and I just gave up after that.A bit troublesome, definitely not for leisure swimming.

Not bad, not great
I learned quite a bit, but I think it's too focused on workouts rather than teaching. Not bad though, just not the greatest.

Swim Faster With Less Effort
These drills will make you a faster, more efficient swimmer.The tips will especially help you improve your freestyle. ... Read more

Product Description
The Ultimate Guide to Weight Training for Swimming is the most comprehensive and up-to-date swimming-specific training guide in the world today. It contains descriptions and photographs of over 80 of the most effective weight training, flexibility, and abdominal exercises used by athletes worldwide. This book features year-round swimming-specific weight-training programs guaranteed to improve your performance and get you results.

No other swimming book to date has been so well designed, so easy to use, and so committed to weight training. This book was designed specially for swimmers to increase strength, speed, endurance, and stamina. Not long after you begin following this guide you will cut seconds off of all of your strokes. Swimmers of all skill levels will be able to finish without running out of gas and will be able to swim at record paces until the end of the meet.

Both beginners and advanced athletes and weight trainers can follow this book and utilize its programs. From recreational to professional, thousands of athletes all over the world are already benefiting from this book and its techniques, and now you can too!

As an added bonus, this book also contains links to free record keeping charts which normally sell separately for $20. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

GREAT SWIMMING BOOK
This book is an excellent training guide for the swimmer at any level.I have been swimming for many years and after reading this book I have taken my skills to a higher level.I feel much stronger in the pool and my endurance has really increased.I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book to anyone who loves to swim.

unbeatable
Of all the training books out there today, this is the only one i have seen that really speaks to the swimmer specifically!This is an invaluable resource for any swimmer or coach.I would recommend this to the novice swimmer or a pro. Two thumbs up!

A Real Splash!!
I found that this book increased my speed, strength, and endurance.Often times, by increasing strenght, swimmers lose efficiency in their strokes.I found that this book did a great job increasing stroke power, while reiterating the need to maintain stroke efficiency.A GREAT BUY!

A great swimming specific strength and conditioning workout.
Every swimmer knows that strength and conditioning is everything.The stronger and better conditioned you are, the better swimmer you will be.That's why i bought this book, and it did exactly that.It improves your strength, conditioning, stamina, and endurance, and reduces injuries too.The weight training programs in this book hit the nail right on the head for what I was looking for - a swimming specific workout.

I LOVE THIS PROGRAM!
I have read tons of weight training books over the years, but never one as specifically focused as this one!Every swimmer out there would benefit from reading this book.The program has results that you can notice within weeks. ... Read more

Book Description
Make your swimming program the best with the help of the sport's essential coaching reference. Coaching Swimming Successfully covers a full range of topics that determine who excels in the pool:

·Improve stroke technique and efficiency in all four strokes.
·Teach the new underwater dolphin kicking technique.
·Develop and apply an effective coaching philosophy.
·Motivate swimmers to achieve record-breaking times.
·Create practice plans for more productive day-to-day training sessions.

·Prepare for and run successful swim meets.
·Evaluate swimmers' performance and make proper adjustments for future races.

Author Dick Hannula brings more than 50 years of coaching experience, knowledge, and achievement—including coaching 323 consecutive meets without a loss—to this special book. Coaching Swimming Successfully will show you ways to motivate your swimmers and build a confident and winning team. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Excellent source of information
This book is a great source of information and ideas for coaching swim.
Currently I coach on an age-group YMCA swim team and I am always looking for new ways to create effective practices.This book is written in an easy to search format and it gives examples that translate easily to 10 year olds!I recommend this book for age group swimming!

Mixed reaction
This book had some nice ideas in it, but as a first time coach for young swimmers, this book was not terribly helpful to me, since the whole book is geared towards coaching adult swimmers.It covers just about everything else to do with coaching, but not in terrific detail.All in all, it's ok, it has good ideas in, and is probably good for a first book for an adult coach, but you will need more.

Helpful
I found this book to be very helpful to a first time coach for first-time-on-a-swim-team swimmers.

Not for coaches
This is NOT a useful book for coaches, although it can be helpful for people without a coaching education or a good swimming background. Unfortunately, this book lacks every form of depth and I don't understand why all the reviews until now were extremely positive. Dick Hannula was a great coach, but this isn't a great book. I guess the readers were lead by pride instead of objectivity.
Coaching Swimming Successfully has an attractive title, but is somewhat misleading. While reading, you do get some new thoughts about coaching, but it will not make you a coach successfully.
The book is written with a first-person narrator and would be more interesting if it wasn't, since you will get annoyed after a while by every self-glorification of the writer and his successes. Besides, it's mainly focused on the American swimming school (planning and preparation, club swimming vs. high school swimming, yard pools, etc.) and it lacks some ability for extrapolation for other swimming countries.

The `Coaching Stroke Technique' part is redundant if you are a qualified coach and you still have your textbook from the course.

The book is easy to read, gives some new thoughts and can therefore help you coach more successfully, but it is too superficial and limited for a swimming coach.

A Must Have for EverySwim Coach
Coaching Swimming Successfully is a great book!It is a book that you will refer to again and agian.The advice is timeless!
I recommend it to all swim coaches.If you are a new coach, get it early so that you have time to truly follow some of the suggestions!
This is an invaluable tool! ... Read more

Book Description
The swimming programs developed by the Australian organization AUSTSWIM are highly respected worldwide. Now, with Human Kinetics' release of this international edition of Teaching Swimming and Water Safety, you can follow AUSTSWIM's program for teaching children swimming and water safety. These aquatic education experts will teach you how to

• implement important safety procedures;

• use a variety of effective water familiarization techniques;

• develop floating, propulsion, and deep water skills;

• introduce diving; and

• teach and refine the six common strokes: freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, sidestroke, and survival backstroke.

Highly illustrated and easy to follow, Teaching Swimming and Water Safety gives you valuable information on how to safely and effectively teach young swimmers important beginning swimming and water safety skills. Teaching hints and skills processes are included to help you answer questions that come up along the way—it's a resource you will want to refer to again and again. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Highly recommended for swimming instructors
The book is very well structured, very clear and very rich illustrated with nice and clear pictures.
Kind of basic but that's its intention.
Highly recommended for swimming instructors.
Good as reference too. ... Read more