The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-06-17
THE CRAWL STROKE
ONE OF THE SPEEDlEST
KNOWN TO MINERS.
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OF all speed swimming strokes. the
crawl" is the fastest yet known. AL
though by it's use it would be difficult
TO carry a person on the surface set
a knowledge of it might prove dis
,inct advantage in getting to a per
son in danger of sinking, as every mo-
mcnt is of value under such circum-
stances.
The crawl stroke" is distinct from
every other swimming stroke The
swimmer Is almost fiat upon his
breast, the legs from the knee to the
hip are kept in line with the body, and
each foot is lifted alternately above
the surface, striking the water with
| the instop. There is no opening of the
legs or drawing up of the knees, as
i'm other strokes. The arms also work
alternately and are dipped into the
water. bent at the elbow. just beyond
| the head, and are drawn smartly back
! till they come out of the water almost
| fully extended along the sides of the
| body and are carried back Ia posi-
! ton through the air. The right arm
enters the water when the left foot
strikes downward. and the left arm
when the right foot strikes downward.
The principal drawback to this
stroke is the difficulty of breathing,
and the eXertion necessary To- support
| and propc She body. all the limbs be-
| ing at one time or another out Of the
water Consequently. a swimmer
making use of this stroke has To turn
on his side in order To get a fresh
supply of air
1t has been ohScred that, when rae
Ing, the speedicst swimmers hardly
take a breath for the first thirty yards.
the next twenty yards they turn on
their sides about three times, the
next Twenty-Five yards about five
times. and the last twenty-five yards
of q hundred yard swim six or seven
times.
At the time when they are taking
i'm q fresh supply Of air they are to
all intents and purposes swimming the
over-arm stroke
The advantages of this stroke and
tho reason why it is SO SPEEDY. is
contained i'm tho fact of least rosis-
lance. owing to the recovery of all the
limbs through the air. and the reSis-
tanco offered by the water 20 the sud
den entrance Of the feet when MAKING
the stroke. II will thus be observed
that this stroke has been developed
from all the limbs beneath the water
in
breast stroke, to all out of the water
at some portion of the stroke. and 10y
the limbs acting INDEPENDENTS. y
continuous forward stroke of the -four
limbs is thus obtained, thereby AVOID
inc the dead point one observes in the
lbrcaet stroke. when the swimmer
hanss upon it after making his les
kick.
The best way of praCticing th'
crawl stroke" is to tie the knee" 10
gethcr. take hold of the steps or raj
in the bath, and lay the body straigh
out on the surface of the water. II
this position move the feet up an'
down in reSular time, and when am
to perform these movements SLOWLY
the swimmer may start To put som
force into them 10y lifting each foo
alternately out Of the surface. tn
, more REGULAR the action of the Zee
and the harder the water is struck TN
greater win bc the speed. The timin
! of the strollc ia a most important mat
! ter. and should he carefully observe
il successful results are To he nope