To ‘TOTAL IMMERSION’ – to Mr. Terry
Laughlin
by prof. Mircea Olaru Ph.Ed.,
Bucharest, Romania
Dear Mr.
Terry Laughlin,
I am an old
swimming coach from Romania... I was fortunate enough to watch your DVD
'Freestyle Made Easy' and this gave me the opportunity to notice many
exercises, which were new to me, but for
which I had an immediate appreciation, especially the 'fish' drills.
I am 73 and
I'm interested in the same things you're trying to pursue: perfecting the
technique and teaching people to swim in the most natural and water-friendly
way.
Attached is
my CV, which may give you some information about my professional activity; some
things I'd like to point out:
-
as a competitive swimmer, in my youth, I had
the 5th world time for 100 m butterfly at that moment, in Rostock,
Germany, 1954 – 1:06.10.
-
as a coach, I was a federal coach for the
Romanian swim team; at that time we've managed a remarkable performance for our
level – our only swimming world record (50 m freestyle, Tamara Costache –
0:26.38)
-
I've researched and had the satisfaction to
develop an objective mathematical relation that helps quantify the swimming
efficiency (the BEST formula, which can be applied to all cyclic sports, and
even to the non cyclic ones, such as sport games)
Under these
circumstances, I've recently met a beginner but enthusiastic swimmer (Radu
Balaban, 29), with whom I've tried to apply the ideas from your DVD in a
creative and innovative way.
I filmed a
few drill sequences with a non-professional camera (a Nokia n95 mobile phone),
to help illustrate the impact your DVD had on me and on my student (he
introduced me to your DVD, took part in the lessons, translated for me, and did
Internet research too – a rare opportunity).
About the impact of the ’Terry Laughlin Concept’
– in my work with:
Mr. RADU
Balaban, Romania, Bucharest,
‘Gaby
Szabo’ swimming pool, Militari, December 2008 !!!
He enjoys
swimming and is set to acquiring a better technique...
He started
swimming regularly not long ago, with little previous knowledge (never trained
as a competitive swimmer).
Radu has
had a very good experience with the Total Immersion DVD dedicated to the easy
learning of swimming. The exercises and drills presented there were able to get
him started very quickly to the basics of swimming.
The drills
that helped him the most were the balance exercises, which helped him achieve a
good stability in the water without using much effort, which represents a good
foundation for learning new skills.
The
'sweet-spot' drill also helped him continue his motion in the water, even when
tired, which prevented interruptions in his practice.
He's not
very flexible, especially in the shoulders, but has managed to synchronize the
movements of the arms and legs with breathing on an average intensity level,
and on relatively short distances and durations (25m).
I took
advantage of his proposal to work on improving his technique, and I've adapted
some exercises from the Total Immersion
DVD in order to help him further:
a. A
combination of the three gliding positions with basic arm coordination
b. To
encourage him to use longer, more complete stroke movements I devised the 3-2-1
exercise in which he has to travel a pool length (25 m) using at most two
sequences (3 strokes with the right arm, 2 strokes with the left arm, 1 stroke
with the right arm, and so on)
Considering
that Radu is not aiming to top performance training (effort in different
intensity levels, etc.) - we will gradually move on to more drills dedicated to
the other swimming strokes.
Gradually,
as he will become more accustomed to the exercises, I will try to introduce him
to the efficient swimming described by the 'BEST concept' which follows below.
Tradus
I would
like to point out the following:
Radu is has
a very good level for a beginner and a very good motivation to work with the
drills either proposed by you in the DVD, or by me – as an addition derived
from my enthusiastic understanding of your method (especially the drills
related to the fish position). So, he is a good example for the success of your
method, and it is very good that he brought TI to our attention here in
Romania.
The
butterfly and crawl drills are filmed during his first attempts. Radu could
only swim the full backstroke when he approached me, obviously after watching
your DVD.
The same
goes for the breaststroke drills, which were new to him, even though he was familiar with the particularly
tricky breaststroke kick... I insist – he went through these drills for the
first time, and even exceeded my expectations.
As a
general observation, all the drills Radu demonstrates are done for the first
time, a them few of with some previous
background... so he is good at performing them... but we should both admit
(Terry Laughlin and Mircea Olaru) that due to our work and experience – meaning
the DVD that Radu has learned from, plus the exercises I filmed, please note,
before learning about your activity – I have noticed some similarities that
encouraged me to contact you...
So my
meeting Radu seems that might lead to meeting... Terry Laughlin. And I hope
that you might encounter something new from my behalf, something I feel could
complement your method very well, namely – the way/formula you could use to
tell one of your students how well are they doing, using the score generated by
the 'BEST' formula.
The history
of the 'BEST' concept starts in the 1980's; I have published it in various
Romanian magazines and papers, and, during the time, I've also come across the
work of E. Hines or D. Hannulla (American specialists that I'm sure you know
about), who were preoccupied by the same ideas (without me knowing about their
work in the beginning).
Considering
this unique 'tripartite' meeting (Radu, Terry, Mircea)..., I'd like to ask you
to take the time and read the pages I wrote on this subject, recently published
in university paper 'The Annals of the Spiru Haret University, Bucharest,
2008'.
I hope your
ideas, together with mine, will be able to demonstrate in an objective and
mathematical way, that technical perfection should precede the optimal maximum
effort training used by the greatest national or world competitors.
This happy
end will probably also be a model for friendly cooperation between people in
different corners of our planet, so a remarkable and beneficial thing for us
all, the people from the Sports world.
Here
is the 'BEST
concept',
which I have authored; it was published starting from 1980 in various sport
publications in Romania, and its last recent appearance is in the 'Annals of the Spiru
Haret University', Bucharest, November 2008:
‘’Biomechanical Efficiency
Swimming Test ‘’
Testarea Eficientei Biomecanice la Inot
[extract from ‘Analele Univ.
Spiru Haret’, nr. 4/2008, Bucuresti ]
Author
– prof. Mircea Olaru, Ph.Ed., Buc. 2008 , scanave@rnc.ro
ABSTRACT:
The
need to test the efficiency of the swimmer’s movements was generated by the
endeavour (1970-1980) of our coaches to find the most appropriate methodical
way in order to form young swimmers, an endeavour which started from these
undoubted facts:
1.
the spectacular rising of “wonder children” because of the speculations upon
the “early specialization” and forced training, especially at swimming.
2.
the usage of a selection base strictly on de facto performance, without taking
into consideration the future modifications of the biological motor and
functional balance.
3.
the early rejection from the selection arena of other children and the massive
loss of new elements.
4.
the deviation from the performance prognosis of “wonder children” when they
became adults. The deviation was negative – “wonder children” did not confirm!
Evidently,
between 1970-80 it has been worked in “detriment” and some of the coaches even
asked that children swimming training should contain “beauty” contest,
something hard to be accepted.
As
a federal coach (1982) I have tried to redirect the methodological content of children training:
I
wanted a greater mass of children to be interested in sports swimming,
I
wanted them to swim in the most correct way,
I
wanted all these without forcing them;
By
time, this new concept came up.
As
any new concept, it was not accepted (it is not accepted even now..) by most of
the coaches. The ones who supported it where doing this by subjective reasons,
with sympathy, without being aware that when something new has to be applied it
is needed an appropriate level of professionalism and especially a special hard
work.
At
a special moment, apart from the beauty contests proposed by the coaches, I
start looking for objective, mathematical information; in everyone’s conscience
the chronometer is an undoubted source of information; but performance has some
other elements too: tempo, technique and organism function, etc.
From
all of these the easiest to control is the tempo, that is the number of
movements per space or time unit. With these 2 elements (chronometer and tempo)
one could have done larger evaluations, because you can not win with a hard (+
tiring) tempo and when the ones with moderate tempos won, this was reached by a
perfect technique. This is why they were efficient!
Slow tempo/high
speed – this is what we need for a future athlete
Under
these circumstances a new concept has shown up and by time it got bigger (it is
applicable not only to beginners but to other categories also, especially
“Masters”) and because the acronym of the title in English was BEST I have
adopted this name BEST Concept ( Biomechanical Efficiency Swimming Test )
The BEST Definition
1/ The correct swim-technique means the
efficiency of the movements in the water; it can be calculated by this way: add
the number of the seconds and the number of the stroke-cycles and this sum will
be extracted from the other constant sum provided from addition of the one
constant value (K) (100) plus the Index of the personal Gliding (IPG)
2/ the objectivity of the ‘best formula’
results from this new exercise of logic: ‘we add two value (time+stroke), this
values have their sense descendent (!)…, and, after we substract this sum from
one constant value (accidentally (k) = 100 + ipg points)’. in this mod we can
obtain (very easy, by mental way) the supreme value of the swimming efficiency.
3/ the index personal of gliding (ipg) is
lake a ‘credit card’ (the validity is minimum one year): with this ipg we can
organize the series of the race in perfect ‘fair-play’ (indifferent of the sex
or age) the competitors with same or appropriate values will be introduce in
the same series …the periodical calcul of this ipg formula is found with
regarding to the hydrodynamics principle (reynolds+froude),so: ‘’from the value
of the maximum longer of the body (ventral float position)(L.) / in additions
with another accidentally value constant (k=100), we will substrate the sum of
the nr. of kgr. (weight) with the q. (nr. of cm. of the circumference of the
upper thorax in deep expiration). ‘L.’+(k) – ( ‘kgr.’ + ‘q.’)
4/ the valability of the index personal of
gliding (ipg) results from that – all criteria selected to make the series for
the challenge was selected from the normal natural selection: when the
longer of the body is big… when the weight of the body is light...when the
frontal section of the body is small … the float, the gliding and the swimming
speed will be more efficiency to advance better with one correct technique !
HISTORY of the “BEST” Concept ….
During 1970 - 1980 years, in Romania, the sporting
swim preparing the children had been an
inspired copy from the adults swimming preparing . False!
In
this way more children generations,
beginners in sporting swim, had been
obliged to swim ‘forced’ and when they grown up, only a few number of children
that had power to become a “true” swimmer had obtained week results at
international level. This cheating aspect of the early vocation is beginning
with the performances at small ages, performances that subsequent are under the
expectations. …
Many
years “the fight” between the coaches continued being, each of the ‘arbiters
team’ having their achievements and overstatements; on various occasions part
of the coaches support the idea to organize “the technical beauty contests”,
on short distance (50m) where to be
pointed the correct swim motions. Taking into consideration the philosophic
theory that all knowledge is subjective and relative, never objective, this
project was unfortunately rejected
In my mind of “the national head coach”
this idea is a going on course; it had to be solved by taking away the
subjectivism …. And it came that moment when everything it goes itself.
My idea was very simple: I take into
consideration other elements of the swimming contest. Besides the timing it has to be underline the performance –that
means the number of rowing arms. From a
logical point of view it’s high-efficiency
to do less motions in water. And so you will obtain a high speed.
In
conclusion adding the seconds number and the rowing motions number it will
obtain an authentic score – the both value have a decreased sense for a better
achievement… It happened during 1980 – 1981 years when I had the good idea to
publish this new concept. It was rudimentary but extremely simple to follow and
it has been solved “ something”…
In
these controversial and full of hesitation conditions, in 1985, I was
“friendly” asked to resign from the ‘national head coach’ ( I was not member of
communist party …); the years went on (1989 …) and it appears the opportunity
to find a contract, as a swim coach, in Turkey. When I arrived there I found a
children team as well as a teenager team (HSSK-Istanbul), having the desire to
learn more in order to have the best results and to obtain the
performance.
Still
having the idea to promote my concept I began by adding, in the weekly
training, those contests after that there was not a scoring.
Gradually the children have become
worried. They have fast swum, they have won the contest but to the
classification they were under the expectations… the explanation was that “the
best” swam with a lot of energy (too
much rowing arms) and so they swam in a
wrong way.
On
the other hand the most patient and careful swimmers tried to stop
their intentions to “the victory”, at
any..’ and so they had a better scoring.
Actually these swimmers, having the
desire to increase the speed by decreasing the number of rowing arms, used a
high technique closer by the technical requirements of the correct swim.
After
three working months the swimmers began
to obtain more and more good results and from the end of national
classification they became the vice-champions of their age group.
The
story has ‘happy end’ … When the period
of summer-contests has been finished, the club staff proposed the organizing of
a similar contest with the participation of all swimmers from Istanbul, coming
from about 7-8 swimming clubs, that means 150-200 swimmers. The contest enjoyed and in the same time it
has created confusion between a lot of people …. But from many people I was
receiving congratulations: from other competitors, from parents, as well as
from fans and the most important, from the other trainers.., when the contest has been closed I was acclaimed with loud applause and I was carried on all
four parts of the swimming pool ….
In
this moment I have really begun to believe in the importance of this evaluation
way of the swimmer .
But
I also learned that there were also disadvantages. It’s about that, during the
series contest, could appeared different swimmer biotypes. The tall swimmer has
been in advantage despite the shorter one. That means each swimmer will have an
individual way to move.
So, it’ evident that each of us, we have an
PERSONAL/individual gliding index (PGI) and the bigger the index the easier the
gliding is; so it’s increased the swim speed in better conditions than some
other “heavy” swimmers etc.
At this moment the chance was favorable to
me.
I
found a Romanian technical book on “The designing and building of small ships” by Zgrumala, Bidoaie (1978); this book gave me
some aspects that were easy to find also in the swim selection criteria etc.
Usually,
the ship builders are using the expression “the length is running” so the
tallest are swimming faster …, it is also known that the people having heavy
skeleton glide more difficult and so they are loosing a lot of energy, the
moving forward is being extremely low….,so we need swimmers with les weight (
according to to hydrodynamic law); in addition, if the “ship” was being long
and easy, but it’s not enough she was heaving a big frontal section ..; in this conditions it naturally appears the
reference point “Q”, the under armpit
circumference in a profound expiration .
In
case of ships we can found these reference points Froude-Reynolds formula and I
applied them to the “human body” ship.
PGI is now calculated as follows: - from the value represented the total Length (L) of the body in the
perfectly horizontal position I take off the sum of two small values = Weight
(Kgr) and Toracal Diameter (Q.). The scoring is a constant value and could
be the future criterion of equal swimming contests ( fair-play). To the contest
is absolutely mandatory that the sum of seconds number and of rowing cycles to
be take off from the individual gliding index that means from PGI.
It’s logical as:
‘THE BIOMECHANICAL EFFICIENCY SWIMMING TEST’
(BEST)
to be calculated so:
BEST = PGI – [Time + Rowing ]
(** Because, in practice, there is the
possibility to meet midline or small PGI value and the sum resulted from adding
Time with Rowing to be bigger (especially to the beginners)…, I added, random,
to the PGI constant another constant for the value 100 (K) . In this way the
swimmers will be not ignored when it is
calculated the swim efficiency.
To the end:
BEST = {(k) + PGI} –[ Seconds number +
Rowing number ] = …points.
and taking into account the random using of
the constant 100 (K) I introduced this
constant also in annually PGI
estimation, so:
PGI = [L. + (k)] – {Kgr. +Q } … points
The final conclusion:
1/ swim performance,
Bio/hydro-mechanical …, is the Speed and
the Energy ( number of rowing ) in time unit or distance (BEST);
2/ each of us we have an individual value
to glide (PGI);
3/ BEST is calculated by timing and
numbering of rowing;
4/ PGI is annually measured and it has a
constant value;
5/ the series contest will be organized
with swimmers having closer PGI value despite age and gender
6/ the contests/ classification will be
individual or relay race for the four procedures ( according FINA rules);
7/ the contest distance will be 50 m
(preferable one swimming pool length. It could also be organized contest on longer distance, but they will be
less spectacular ( it is recommended 200m/100 individual-medley);
8/ All starts will take place in water;
there is an interdiction to swim underwater more than the flags flat to 5,o m
(!);
9/ The numbering arbiters of rowing cycles
will be placed in different locations ; They should indicate the rowing cycles
by raising the scoring plate just to the general arbiter signal;
10/ the BEST calculation is done to the
Secretariat taking into consideration The Contest Form that includes PGI (annually constant value), The Swim
Timing, Rowing Number (moment values ) + the swimmer name etc.
Remarks:
The contests taking place in BEST system
can not replace the standard contests, has promoted by FINA since 1908. These could
be useful to the training of young
children and also for the adults (they are small chance to work hard and long
time to perform high performance and they will be frustrate in their
lowly-hobby = swimming) etc.
In these conditions my proposal is to create
a brainstorming that will allow the adoption/ bringing in FINA handbook of
these contests. Masters Events with the proper name BEST Master Events
I am sure that I have logically thought in
order to make it open to the public, to make it understanding and to convince
more other coaches to try more and more the swimming contest and so they will
understand that “ the true Graal’ is the relation between Speed and Rowing.
And so, we can say that the perfection does
exist!
Prof. Mircea Olaru, Bucharest, Romania 2008
Bibliografie
selectiva to BEST formula::
1/M.
Sgrumala, I. Bidoaie –
‘Proiectarea
navelor mici, , Ed. Tehnica, Buc. 1978, p.17,
2/M.Olaru
–
INOT
– manual metodic, Ed. Sport-Turism, 1982 Sport book, p.184,
3/M.Olaru –
"Testarea
eficientei biomecanice la inot'. Rev E.F.S. nr 3/1983 p.49
4/M.Olaru –
'Ierarhizarea
numerica a prestatiilor inotatorilor'. Rev E.F.S. nr. 2/1987, p.27
5/M.Olaru
–
'Să nu ne temen de
apă', Ed. Sport-Turism, 1988, p.90, Sport-book
6/M.Olaru
–
Note
de curs-inot, Univ. Ecologica Buc., Ed. Universitara, 1991, p.
123
7/M.Olaru –
Afise
editate de FRN & Canada Swimming Natation,1995, color, 4000 ex.
8/E.Hines –
'Fitness
Swimming', Human Kinetics, p.27, ('Swimming Golf'), 1995.
9/D.
Hannula-
“
Coaching Swimming succesfully’’, p.78 ( Minimum-Nr-.swims),1995
10
/ M.Olaru –
‘Un
nou concept in pregatirea inotatoriilor'. Rev.'Stiinta Sportului', ed CCPS, nov
1999,
11.
M. Olaru –
‘’Despre
inot … cu Mircea Olaru’’, ed. SSE, Sport book
Buc., 2007.vol II, Anexa IX - BEST
12. M.Olaru
Testarea Eficientei
Biomecanice la Inot, ’Analele Univ. Spiru Haret’, Buc., Nov., 2008
CURRICULUM VITAE
the best my performance was in 1954, 100 m dolfin – 1.06.10
Rostock DDR
EDUCATION + ACTIVITY:
[Graduate (9,20%) I.C.F. Bucharest -1963 , 1st degree ph.ed.
teacher (1982)]
1963 – Resercer al Central Institute of Sports-Research, Buc., Romania;
1968 – Swimming trainer at Sports
School Club Nr 1 PAJURA Bucharest; coach ctg:1-st/’70;
1974 – Swimming coach at
I.Y.I.K Istanbul, Turkey;
1976 – Swimming coach at National
Swimming High-school in Bucharest, Romania;
1982 – Federal coach al Romanian Swimming Federation
(elected by the vote of coaches!)
1986 – Swimming trainer al Sports
school Club nr 1 Buc , Romania;
1990 – Counselor trainer of the Turkish Swimming Fed.,
Ankara, Bolu, Kastamonu, a.a.;
1995 – Prof. asociat at Univ.
Ecologica Bucuresti, swimming manual lessons, seminars;
1998 – pensioned: after 37 age-old
in coaching-sport areea with aprox. 25.000 subiect learn-swimming, many
generations of romanian champions (I was federal coach responsable to
degree of the best romanian swimmers, lake: Carmen Bunaciu, Anca Patrascoiu –
JO Los Angeles/1984, also, for Tamara Costache: she was first WR of 50m free in Madrid CM / ‘86 with 0.25,28;
also I coached with great succesfuly some turkysh swimmers, for ex. 1974:
200 IM male – 2.14, 00 or 100m Breastroke- 1.10.00, two swimmers;
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY:
1959 – 1963 – student of the
National Sport Institute ICF , Bucharest, Ro.
1963-1968 : 5 years, experiments a
line of the fast+corectly swim teaching - “Research Center”;
1970 –
publishes 1stt ‘swimming-learning broshure ’ (75.000 ex., color);
1971 -
Manual ‘Swimming Lessons’, 120
pg., (10.000 ex);
1982 –
Swimming - Methodical Manual’ (5000 ex);
1984 –
2nd ‘swimming-learnig brochure’ (25000 ex);
1988 –
2nd manual ‘Swimming Lesons’ / Don`t be afraid for the water (5000 ex);
1993 – Manuals and leson plans (2) for
student of Univ. Ecologica- Bucuresti;
1995 – 4 color posters with
“swimm-strokes’ dedicate to explain the BEST new concept,
the all 4 posters in colaboration with Canada Swim/Natation – Trevor Tiffany,
4000 ex..
1999 -
Rev.'Stiinta Sportului', ed CCPS, Referat - ‘Un nou concept in
pregatirea inotatorilor'.
2007 last swim-book ‘’Despre inot ... cu Mircea
Olaru1’’ (‘’About swimming... with M.Olaru’’),
a small sport-enciclopedia,
1000 ex. Sponsor InfoTurism Buchrest, promotional
book
1965-1999: published tens of scientifical articles,
paperin, inventor of some swimming apparatus
1999 – I start to make know in the
swimming-world the my ‘BEST-formul’/’Biomechanical Efficiency Swimming Test’
(she can be calculate very easy BEST = 100 – (Time+Strokes), one new practical
methode to testing and clasification of the swimming-efficiency matter, also,
In
Sept. / 99, I imaginate one other formul
‘Personal Gliding Index’ / PGI = L – ( Kg. +
Q) this mean: L= the Body lenght in gliding position (with the arms
stretched forward); Kg.= Weight; Q = Nr. of Cm. between the under-armpit
circumference (or other antropomophic measurmeants - angle, degree s.a –see
Froude, Reynolds Nr.in hidrodinamics laws).
* This
2 new ‘instruments’ (the ‘BEST’ and ‘PGI’ formuls) can be use in one new kind to make testings and
classification among the swimmers in to 50m Events; the all competitors / series, will be organisates
by the one ‘PGI-annual-card’, combinated both: PGI – (T + S) this is one method
to make the control of the moving efficincy and the organisation in the equall
series among the swimmers without age and sexes criterions, only by the PGI
–annual Card who can by easy recalculate in every years....
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