Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-08
some HINTS ON SWIMMING
EXPERT INSTRUCTOR GIVES
USEFUL ADVICE.

From the Detroit Free Press.
q H Corsan a swimmer of national
reputation who has been spending snort
time in this city. is not only an expert.
nut An enthusiast on the natatorial pas
time. He is firm believer in swimming
as an exercise and as a means of saving
life and thinks that every man. woman
and child in the country should learn IL.
Said Mr. Corsan, In talking on his favor
tie subject:
Man was never built to swim. but
woman was Swimming is one of the Few
forms of athletic exercise and recreation
vet discovered in which woman can hoio
her own with man. Her specific gravity,
which enables her to lie fiat on the water.
gives her a great advantage over man. l
have often taught score of women or
all ages the art of motionlesS hoatlng ana
to swim the elementary back stroke IN a
single morning. But with men II Is ar
ferent for their feet will sink. Men nave
larger bones, less adipose and more mus
Gle than women. My own specific gravity
is heavy. and ] experienced great dlincuity
i'm acquiring many of the strokes. l over
came this obstacle by increasing my lung
f,apacity and thus | am enabled to nodt
without motion.
In improving your style and acquiring
grace and ease that will enable you TO
swim as many miles as you can walk.
providing the water is warm. you must
learn To assume tlc proper dIlSiS III 1t'O
water With the head low and the feet
high you can slide or glide through the
water almost without labor. But When
the feet are low and the head held hlgh.
then you are blowing through a deep
channel and displa cling an unnecessary
amount of water. This is labor and eX-
haustS.
I'm order TO get your proper angle you
must learn 10 breathe right. In through
the mouth and out through the nose I'M
1, 10 r,,Ia
Many have the bad habit of spread
ing the legs far too wide apart for the
kick This almost brings YOU to full
stop. Such a swimmer will go forward
by a succession o" jerks. instead of a
steady stride. \ little coaching can soon
get you out of this habit. Another point
TO be learned by the swimmer is co-ordi-
nation not only between the leg and arm
movements. bat in the method OF breath
ing: that is. To breathe out with the de-
livery of the kick and in with the recov-
cry. This rule does not hold good for
such strokes as the Australian crawl
stroke. where you use the short. choppy
kick In this racing stroke many make
the mistake OF occasionally raising the
head ND in order TO take in air. the cor
rect method is to twist the mouth round
and drop the top of the head down.
The Australian crawl stroke can be
likened to a man at work in a canoe with
a double bladed paddle. In acquiring this
stroke take in d full breath Lie fiat
on the water by dropping the head and
raising the feet. keeping the legs close
together and straight, with the ankles a,
the stretch. Be sure to kick the hands
far back and with such energy that they
swung round through the air TO the
starting point. Then dip them into the
water gently like the blade of an oar In
rowing and do not hammer them in with
awkward splash. Dip them in with
the fingers held tight together and the
tips of tine fingers down Here is where
you can place all your energy. in pushing
the water back. Give the hand a Sigh,
~riggle i'm doing this AS for the legs
don't do anything with them but learn
the proper arm stroke first.
After you have acquired considerable