Swimming Dynamics

Rating:
Summary: Colwin's Swimming Dynamics is fascinating and inspiring
Review: Cecil Colwin's latest work is a fascinating look at his favorite sport. It is a comprehensive view of the forces that effect change in competitive swimming, but it is a down-to-earth, readable conversation among the many practitioners of the sport as well. As a former competitive swimmer, and currently a writer myself, I envy Mr. Colwin's mastery of his subject and his personable ease of presentation.

Rating:
Summary: Very Disappointing
Review: I found the endless round of interviews not at all helpful. It is no surprize to any competitve swimmer that attitutde is critical. I was sufficiently disapointed in this book to return it.

Rating:
Summary: Very Disappointing
Review: I found this a very interesting and informative book. The discussions about the personalities in the sport from past and present were fascinating to a swimming enthusiast like me. I thought the line drawings of the strokes were excellent and very instructive.

Rating:
Summary: Swimming Dynamics
Review: I have already provided an earlier review and continue to know that this is one of the best-ever books on swimming produced in the past fifty years! The reason for this second comment is that I am concerned about the very uneducated and ignorant comments by an unnamed person on an absolutely ridiculous review published on this line from Sunnyvale, California. What a shame that there are people who make these kind of inane comments when they are obviously non-conversant with the medium of competitive swimming. This type of poor review only creates to me, at least, an image of someone who must be craving for some kind of attention! The sheer volume of work and expert attention to details of this great book cannot simply be negated through comments by an anonymous critic who has no obvious credentials! To this person, I say, read the book, and discuss it with some knowledgeable and experienced swimming coaches comments. I am sure you will change your opinion favourably.

Sincerely, Jack Kelso, Ph.D. Retired Human Kinetics Professor

Rating:
Summary: NOT what I was expecting - misleading title
Review: Just when one thought all books on swimming coaching had to be dull and boring, along comes Ceceil Colwin's "Swimming Dynamics" to disprove this theory. Kevin Berry Olympic 200 metrre butterfly winner, Tokyo, 1964

Rating:
Summary: "... brings the past & present into unison like no other..".
Review: Swimming Dynamics is an aptly named book that provides a historical perspective on the ever-changing aspects of competitive swimming. After reading this important work, every swim enthusiast, coach or athlete should feel as if he or she is a part of the sport's evolution.

The first chapter of the book talks about some of the intangible aspects of swimming - aspects like intuitive coaching; team dynamics; experimentation and the need to challenge ideas; criticizing helpfully and not spitefully; and the importance of individualized coaching. Cecil does not attempt to tell the reader what is right or wrong in the sport, he simply lays it out for the reader to form his or her own conclusion based on past and present experiences.

Swimming technique is thoroughly discussed early in the book, but Cecil goes one step beyond by talking about how swimming styles change. He refers to "The Bandwagon Effect" to explain how the winning style of one swimmer can effect an entire generation of swimmers.

Chapter three stands as a documentary collection of pictorial artifacts and historical stories about swimming's evolution. This, along with an entire chapter devoted to the pioneers of women's swimming, causes the reader to reflect on where the sport came from and how we got to where we are today. These chronicled perspectives are a "must read" for every swimming enthusiast.

The book goes on to relate conversations with the great distance coaches to reveal how they trained their swimmers. Joe Bernal, Mike Burton, Sherman Chavoor, Mark Schubert and Don Talbot all share their perspectives. Other leading figures such as Doc Counsilman, Forbes Carlile, Arthur Cusack, Peter Daland, Donna de Varona, John Devitt, Ray Essick, Don Gambril, George Haines, Jim Montrella, Walt Schluter, Jonty Skinner, Gus Stager, Karen Moe Thornton, Stan Tinkham and Gennadi Touretski also relate their coaching experiences.

Swimming Dynamics does not preach or advocate one style of coaching or method of swimming over another. It simply shows the facts as they appeared in time. Every reader should come away with an energetic and renewed passion for the sport after reading Swimming Dynamics., by Cecil M. Colwin.

Rating:
Summary: Useless - misleading title
Review: The titile is a little bit tricky. I didn't get what I exactly wanted out of the book. But I like it. It is basically about the history of swimming. It talks about the future of swimming too. The problem is that there is only one chapter about swimming teqhniche.

Rating:
Summary: Swimming Dynamics is a "must read" for ALL swimming coaches.
Review: This is a book that should be provided to every young coach today. As swimming-world wide-becomes more centralized, young coaches are exposed to progressively less and less intellectual diversity. Coach Colwin has laid it all out for them; all the key ORIGINAL thinking on all aspects of our sport. It will help young coaches put their learning into context and make them better questioners. For us "more experienced" coaches, it brings us back to our roots. It reminds us of what we have forgotten or left behind, and perhaps desperately need to return to.