New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-04-16
.FAV0RS CRAWL STROKE
Richards. Yale Swimming Coach,
Answers CaViIPs Comment.
NEW RECORDS DEVEL OPED
Correct Breathing an Important
Factor Toward Securing
Speed in Races.

In view of the animated controversy
that has been going on throughout the
country since Richard Cavill. OF Australia.
commented unfavorably on the crawl swim
ming stroke used in this country. the fol-
lowing expression of the ideas Of f. c. VI.
Richards, head coach at Yale, is OF con-
siderable interest Mr. Richards was in
strumentsl IN developing the teams that
twice captured the intercollegiate cham
pionship 10y wide margin and created
several new records He says:
I'm my opinion the crawl stroke taught
in this country is the best for all round
swimming. Speaking broadly. it is double
over arm stroke, combined with a narrow,
continuous. alternate UP and down motion
of the legs. In detail ! have found the
most satisfactory action TO be as follows:
The arms should be held above the head
al the start, with elbows the least bit
raised. hands slightly bent down and fin
gers close together. In catching the hands
should be inside the shoulder line, and
believe the length Of the reach should be
determined by the build OF the swimmer.
| The greater the reach the more effective
the stroke, provided the muscles are not
strained TO obtain it.
In driving the arms should be directly
under the centre Of the body. The length
( Of the stroke must vary according TO the
/ position in which the arms are held. but
/ think it should finish when the hand
/ reaches the short ribs. 7 don't believe in
carving 10 the thigh. as there is then a
! LOT of lost motion. The power should be
/ applied evenly throughout the drive posi-
bly, accentuatng the catch that the body
/ may be propelled hard from the start.
For the legs favor a straight position
because the lowering of the knee increases
the resisting surface. The alternate thrash
should be continuous and narrow. and
am against any attempt on the part OF the
pupil to connect it with the arms. some
men come naturally by a eynchronous &c
ton and seem to do best with IT. but
have noticed that all those who started
with the set idea Of timing the kich
were very slow in progressing The indi'
yiduaitv of the candidate so works itself
| into his stroke that best results are always
! had by instructing him to use his arms and
legs indepe ndently. ! am not partial TO a
very fast thrash, and ] find that as mar
Progresses or advance he slows down his
action; nor do ! advocate bringing the feet
out of water. The heel only should rise
above the surface. ! am convinced at pres
ent there is little gained by the Lee drive
! in spee0, and think it should serve more t1
/ balance the body than prOpel. / thlnK
however. that We will eventually come by
q SCI OF movements that. without olferins
added resistance, will enable us TO take
! advantage of the great power which Is nov
unavailable.
! 81 consider correct breathing one OF the
most important features of fast swimming
and one Of the most difficult for the begin
ner to master. / believe in the shor'
sprints- twenty-five and fifty yardS-mor'
sneed can be obtained by inhaling cnly two
or three times IN the whole distance. bu
from 700 wards up breath should be taker
AZ every stroke. While most coaches teacf
( one 10 inhsle through the mouth ana eN'
hale through the nostrils ] am OF opinion
that il is better 20 use both mouth ana nos
trils in freeing the lungs Of the vitiated ar
70 irhaie through the nose, as 80 many DO
1 is decidedly wrong. In breathing the DodS
T sboul, be rolled and the mead twisted side
,yavs. to lift u IS bad and prevalent faui'
which destroys the balance and causes
check
The position of the body in the water
should he almost horizontal. as II viii tnei
offer the least resistance to the water
very general mistake is that OF holdlns
the head too high or Of burying II Set"eei
the shoulders. II should be held as on
,rould I'm standing erect, or. TO give th'
swimmer a better idea, so that the Wa'el
surface strikes the eyebrows.
u am not IT. position to compare thl'
stroke with others used abroad. as the9'
seems 10 be q considerable difference o
opinion es 10 what constitutes each one.
hear Healv swims the mile with the AUS
traran crawl, and am quite certain IN
stroke known here by the name cannot ID
lbI0 over longer distances than 100 or
most $50 yards. The stroke taught ct Nel'
has been developed through close stud!
Of the methods OF the most successfn
american swimmers and common sense dis
criuiration In picking out the features tina
look I'd most promising. Whether II Is m
hest OF not only future results can ten.