Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-08-03
..ar1icLe No. 6.-competitive SWIMMING
By LOUIS DE q. HANDLEY.

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asked prominent coach of swimming
what he should do to make his mark
in the competitive field, thought it
quite a joke when he was told that the
chief requisite was TO learn to swim.
Yet the testing remark really embod-
les the whole secret of success in rae
ing. IL its true sense is understood,
for there is a strong tendency among
Dovices, nowadays, to enter the game
totally unprepared, before a correct
stroke has been mastered. The result
OF this practise is that even youths of
unusual natural ability often fail to
rise above mediocrity, because the un-
aycidable faults incurred by Begin
ners, which might easily be eliminated
in the early stages, eventually become
chronic from habit and so are never
completely eradicated
The aspirant to aquatic honors
should bear in mind that form is In
dispensible to fast swimming and that
il can only be acquired by patient and
painstaking work done at moderate
pace The young recruit who becomes
contestant as socn as he finds he
can thrash wildly, in any old way,
over a 50-yard course, and thereby
confines his efforts solely to sprinting,
can hardly hope to attain champion
ship rank 1t is impossible to i'm
prove beyond a certain point while
every thought is devoted to making
time. and IL pays in the long run to
go slowly at first.
<...--e< f4o~. fu 81 =
to test ones speed the moment one
begins to show progress. But it should
be checked. Proficiency is gained far
more readily by rolling along easily
and attempting to make every move
ment perfect. Such work not only
develops form, but gradually makes
for accurate judging of pace, one Of
the most valuable accomplishments
to the racing man.
Let the prospective competitor stay
out of the game until he can swim
the furlong Without firing and he viii
increase tenfold his chances of sue.
cess.
AS matter Of fact, even the skilled
natator will profit by, doing most Of
his training at a pace which will al
low him to study his faults and cor
rect Them Time trials should be few
and far between.
The system used by some supposed
ly competent instructors, that Of max
ing their pupils dash short stretch
as hard as they are able. then little
by little increasing the distance, is
fundamentally wrong. because it gives
no opportunity to better the stroke.
The minute a swimmer begins to
tire, as he socn must travelling at top
speed, he loses all form and his every
defect of action is magnified and con.
firmed
During the period of novitiaIe study
should be given to starting and turn
ing. In sprinting races a good or bad
dive often makes the difference be-
tween victory and defeat. and in pool
swimming ability to turn Has frequent
.ly proved the deciding factor,
A starting uIvc should be made
with hard spring and outward not
downward, direction Stand on the
take-off with feet together, toes bent
ever the edge, body leaning forward
slightly from the waist. arms lowered
at the sides; then at the signal jerk
the arms back and up. simultaneously
rising on the ball OF the feet, and as
this double movement thrusts you for.
ward bend the knees and swing the
arms vigorously ahead, launching
yourself out almost horizontally, SO
that you win strike the water aslant.
sinking only few inches and making
it possible for you TO come promptly
to the surface by merely lifting the
arms and arching the back. Hold the
legs and feet outstretched and rigid
until fully covered, and don't start
swimming at once, but wait until the
acquired momentum begins to wane;
then take the first stroke with arms
only unless you use very narrow
crawl thrash, for any marked opening
of the legs produces a noticeable
check, acting like brake.
Probably the most important fea-.
ture OF turning is the approach, Tor
unless the swimmer reaches the wall
or board with top arm in front and
ready he cannot hope to get around
Quickly. He should, therefore, learn
to adjust his last few strokes so as
to come up in the required position.
AT the point of spinning about the.
body must be on its side, in order 10
allow a deep breath to be taken i'm
mediately before lowering the head
for the push-off: then as the top arm
RECEIVERS the head is thrown back and
the shoulders are followed. This
twists the body half around, and the
turn is completed by quick push
from the wall with the extended arm.
The under arm meanwhile is used tca
back water, so that the hips are
brought close to the wall, when both
feet are rested firmly eight or ten
inches below the surface. the arms
thrust forward and the legs forcibly
distended. The body is then left to
glide in plunging position until it's
obtained speed begins to slaeken.
In training for competition exces
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