The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-07-21
GOOD ADVICE FOR
LOCAL SWIMMERS
c. M. Daniels, Champion of the
World, Tells How to Get
Speed in Water.

With the swimming season in full blast
and the annual swimming tournament for
the state scheduled for next Saturday. the
following from the pen of c. NJ Daniels.
the champion swimmer of the world. will
be interesting to students of the art Mr..
Daniels says:
''Knack and confidence are two of the
main things to acquire in learning how 10
swim. Strength is of secondary import
ance. and physical stature makes little
difference There should be absolutely no
fear of danger in entering the water
Swimming is a natural accomplishment
and form IF locomOtion. Even the four
footed animals have this natural ability,
for even the first time they are thrown
into the water they can swim some Gls-
lance. With no fear of being under the
water for few moments. the first les
son is learned. Keep every muscle re-
Taxed when in the water. IL IS Wheh Ine
muscles are stiffened that cramps are
most likely to attack the swimmer.
Best Strokes to Use.
The three best and most useful strokes
for all-around swimming are the breast,
trudgeOn or double OVerarm. and the Aus
tralian crawl. which IS the fastest known
for spTintng. These should be learned IN
the order named. and it is best to thor
oughly acquire each before trying to learn
mental and practical knowledge OF them
as one goes along. Natural ability VIII
govern in the time required TO learn these
strokes. and, while one may learn some
thing from ordinary swimmers at the sea
side, the services of an experienced
teacher for the early stages is much bet
ter. for unless care is taken the beginner
will learn things he should not or. IN
other words. he will not learn at all, and
it's pretty hard to unlearn- With dozen
lessons the beginner should swim fifty
feet with the breast stroke The JrudgeOn
requires two or three years to perfect. ana
the crawl as much longer. 1t is best for
the beginner to always keep up a men,
tai count in making the strokes and to 50
time each period that there is always
something in action to carry one through
the water. In learning have some strong
person and experienced swimmer to hold
up your body in making the first effort
to float and the first motions in swim
ming. Gradually less strength Is used by
the second person. until the beginner
finds that he is floating of his own abil-
ity.
How to Get UP Speed.
Never move the arms and legs to-
gether in the same direction The idea
in getting the perfect stroke is to count
the different movements in 1-2-3 periods.
each one of the arms counting II and
the legs 8. Get the same length of time
for each count and movement. This count
of 1-2-3 is in the trudgeOn stroke In
the racing stroke the count is for the
right arm. then the legs and then the left
arm. The breast stroke is counted +,
the being for the leg kick as you move
the arms forward. Bring the arms Ddck
as you bring the legs forward for the sec
ond stroke. the arms being the ] and the
legs 2. For swimming in a rough sea the
breast stroke is best. as you see where
you are going and can avoid dangerous
obstacles. Leap forward rather than kick
and use your heels Spread your legs and
work the scissors grip before crouching
1t is palms out when you fling your arms
forward. Obliquely when sweeping the
palms back and vertically in bringing
them up TO the breast position. This or
fers less resistance to the water. and you
move ahead with more speed
Don't Get Discouraged.
Don't get discouraged that you cannot
swim far and particularly fast. IN my
own case. while | took a dozen lessons
when L years of age. II was not until the
fall of 1903 that l gained any prominence
as a speed swimmer. Then suddenly and
within three months my speed increased
from one minute and fifteen seconds FOR
100 yards to one minute and four seconds.
which was a remarkable gain of eleven
seconds for a short distance. had
seemed to come into my knaCk all at
once. ] am still learning something every
day beginner should swim at least
every other day. but care should be taken
not to remain too long in the water in
the early stages of learning. Salt water
is the best as it is more buOyant than
fresh water.
Swimming is one of the NEST healthful
of exercises. 1t is a good developer OF
the lungs. and will be beneficial even 10
those whose lungs may be affected. 1t Is
nonsense to say that swimming a rule
decreases the weight if moderately fol-
lowed. My own weight has varied only
slightly in three or four years. | might
lose five or six pounds in a very hard
race but take it all back again imme-
diately afterwaTd. To the ordinary swim
mer the exercise brings added appetite.
Morning is the best time to swim. as the
water and sun are the warmest- 1 never
enter the water until two hours after
eating. Cigarettes are very bad to use
during training periods or while in the
water. OF course liquors are also in
furious. The diet makes little difference,
the main thing to abstain from being pas
try