The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-06-22
|COME IN; WATtHS FINE! ANOTHER SWIMMING LESSON
Second Article ON Swimming
Without q Teacher-Details lof
Movements and Their Combf1a-
ton in the Different Strokes
How 10 Practice.
ARTICLE III.


lshould proceed as follows:
Stand with the water. up to the
level of the armpits. The hands
should then be brought in front Of
1.-THE chest, with the palms kept
downwards, close to the surface
and with the fingers lightly
touching each other. The hands
are not shot forward until the
arms are fully extended; the palms
are then turned outwards ana both
farms are swept round simuitane-
ously, still only just below the
Surface of the water, until they
reach a point almost in a direct
line with the shoulders. The
Ipalms should then be flattened,
and the elbows bent quickly, so
that they are brought close to the
sides of the body in position to re-
commence the stroke.
The leg stroke should then be
ATTEMPTED. At first a stationary
lobject or a friends hand should
be grasped firmly in both hands,
and the body allowed to float up
wards from the bottom, until it
lies only a few inches below the
lsurface. The head should rest
lon the water with the chin partly
Immersed. The feet should then
be drawn well up towards the
body by the action of opening and
widening out the knees. When
this is done correctly it will be
found that the soles of the feet
ALMOST face the surface, and are
lresting but few inches below 1t.
1t is important to take care that
the knees are not drawn under
meath the body. And as soon as
the correct position has been as
: sumed the legs should be kicked
: apart, and brought backwards to
: the first position, assumed with as
powerful a stroke as possible.
} While apart the legs will have. in
J closed on two sides body of wa
; ter shaped like an inverted v, and
) when this is forced out by their
, coming together, one finds ones
+, body being propelled forward.
The movements should from the
first be performed easily and, with
out haste or stiffness. The feet
/ should be drawn up first, J then
, the legs should be swiftly extend
5 ed; and whilst they are moving,
, the lower part of each and par
> ticularly of each foot much be
swept round, and the limbs
, brought together. The sweeping
: movements of the legs are 5ac-
: companied by a peculiar action of
: the knees which takes place when
} Strengthening the leg; it gives
, great power to the stroke, but can
Ionly be acquired by practice.
II Now that some confidence has
| been acquired you should lose no
} time in boldly attempting to COM
/ bine the two sets of arms in wa
| ter about breast deep near to and
> facing the shore, she should lie
/ forward on the surface of the
; water with arms in the first posi-
ton, viz, stretched out in front
/ of her to the fullest extent, and
should then allow her legs to
float off the bottom. The arms
should then be swept around and
backward until each hand is oppo-
site the point of the shoulder at
a right angle to the body, care be-
ing taken to make the stroke at an
J even depth of say six or eight
! inches below the surface of the
: water. A deep breath should be
taken as the elbows are folded up
SO as to bring the hands to the
front of the chest. The legs should
be drawn up, and as the hands
are shot out the former should be
kicked out, swept round and
brought together, SO that when
the arms are fully extended the
body is lying horizontally, with
the legs almost closed. When
the learner has accomplished these
movements properly she will have
advanced appreciable forward to-
ward the shore. These combined
movements should be practiced
several times. and then the swim
mer may retire still further into
the water.
| 1t must, however, be remember
ed that practice should never be
carried to the point of fatigue.
The side stroke should be
learned by everyone as soon as
the breast stroke has been proper
~ mastered. 1t is Invisible, strict
ly speaking, into three parts:
firstly, the upper or right arm
stroke Eve are now assuming that
the swimmer is on her left sfde) y
secondly, the under or left arm
draw; and, thirdly, the leg stroke.
It must be noted that the "feath-7
ering," 1. e., turning of the hands,
is a matter of the greatest Inn
portance, as by doing this prop
erly one Is able to push them for
ward with the least possible re-
sistance to the water, and there
by avoid reducing ones speed and
checking ones progress. -
The correct position of the body
Is not quite on its side, but Just a
trifle inclined on the chestAih-
deed. only sufficiently for the up
per arm whether left or right,
as the case may be) to work clear
OF the trunk. The face should be
Immersed SO that the upper nos
Itril is just clear OF the water. The
proper moment for breathing is