Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-04-09
SWIMMING METHODS 0, K,
Sensational Work of the Americans
Furnishes the Answer.
CRAWL STROKE IS USED MOST
some Foreigners Now Use a Some
what similar stroke--They Main
tain that u IL Not a Freak
sprintinR NethOd.

NEW YORK. April s.-The sensational
work Of American swimmers during the
recent competition for the national indoor
championships has been looked upon by
coaches and instructors in this country as
a complete vindicauon OF their methods,
for never before has such sprintlng been
seen. and all the men who figured proml-
nentiy used the form OF crawl stroke In
PRODUCED and developed among Americans.
Doubtless there viii be raised again
abroad the cry that We are claiming credit
to which we are not entitled, because Aus
tralians discovered the crawl. but uu-
prejudiced people who have given the ques-
ton close study will not Join in the cry.
There is more difference between the Aus
tralian and American types Of crawl, than
between the old trudgeon and the original
crawl The stroke advocated by Dick
Gavin Of New South wales who is quoted
as one OF the best OF modern coaches, is
the one mainly used by the foreigners we
havo seen here.
Perry McGilivray, who swan second to
Daniels in the 100 yards championship was
under Cavils instruction and he says that
| Gavin teaches an exceedingly short arm
reach a pretty wide leg thrash, and a
] synchronous timing Of arms and legs
| According to the majority Of our instruc-
tors the reach Of the American stroke
should be long. the leg drive narrow and
continuous, and the action OF the arms
totally independent OF that Of the legs. Ia
there any similarity at all between the
two?
As an argument against the invention Of
the American crawl will probably be used
the fact that some foreigners now swim
| a stroke similar to ours This reverts in
our favor. A prominent sydney water
man said recently that when Cecil Healy
returned home after racing Daniels In
| Europe he set out at once to lengthen his
arm stroke and to introduce between leg
drives flutterlng OF the feet which enabled
! him to obtain a continuous thrash without
reconstructing his stroke entirely.
| flattering tribute to Daniels and Indirectly
! to American instructors. Possibly other
countries followed the same line OF reason
ing that we did and so reached the same
conclusions. but that we were the first to
swim the crawl with long reach and sep
arate timing of arms and legs is incontest-
able The newspaper and magazine files
Of 1905 and 1906 contain ample proof that
we were even then comparing our ways
with those OF others and trying to show
why they should give better results. We
have had no occasion since to revise these
views.
Our experts maintained from the start
that the crawl was not freak sprinting
stroke, but one which would eventually
prove it's superiority for all around swim
ming Even today Cavil says 1t should
not be used over distances greater than 100
yards, and this in spite Of Daniels having
created a worlds record Of 2;25sS for the
furlong with It. a ready explanation offers
/ itself of this difference OF opinion.
| l., he, 1,rc rrffh he arm AriA
as Australians do there is experienced a
heavy drag as soon as the speed of the
arms is decreased. IL the action Of arms
and legs Is Independent instead slow
J continuous thrash can be INDUCED in which
not only keeps the swimmer under way
while the arms are recovering. but also
insures the maintenance of the proper
position of the body IN water throughout
the stroke, thus avoiding all check OF the
forward impetus, This is why so many
Of our crawlers have been able TO hold
the stroke over distances as great as
several miles.
Lack Of facilities for outdoor work has
really been the cause Of the slow progress
In distance swimming in this country, but
II the Improvement has been gradual 1t
has been nevertheless consistent and II will
not be long now before the new crop Of
/ ''speeders" is heard from. Hebner Nc
| Gillivray, Frizelle, NeTich, Reilly and a
few others are negotiating the quarter, half
and mile in very creditable time, and with
another season or two OF practice they
should be travelling around record figures.
The next olympic games viii tell the
tale. Even without Daniels we should have
a relay team of furlong swimmers able to
hold their own against all foreign nations,
and the longer distances will come next
Ana. Agoie. Rave Mamma