Part 3

“During the third week increase your distance to three-quarters, and endeavor to swim it clear through from start to finish, not holding back for the sprint, but depending upon your energy and spirit to sprint out the last 150 yards. The full distance should be swam not later than one week before the race, and at very nearly your best speed. Three days before the race do at your best speed three-fifths of your distance, and rest quietly until the day of the race, doing just enough exercise to keep yourself pliant. On the day keep cool—don’t fret and worry. Don’t think of a race or racing until you get on your mark, get set, and spring—and strike the water and then swim hard and steady clear through, and swim fair and true.

“The swimmer demands plenty of sleep at night, regular and methodical. Be in bed each night by 10:30, and sleep until morning; do not let anything disturb you; go to bed to sleep, and sleep that sound sleep that swimmers usually get. In the morning, take a few quick movements, a splash off, a little walk, and a good nutritious breakfast. In eating, use fully all seasonable vegetables, and I would advise the use of a good modern cook’s products—except the pastries and highly seasoned dishes. Roasts—beef, mutton and game—and broiled steaks, filets and fish, fruit and custards, all may be enjoyed. But eat slowly, masticate well, and have good cheer wait on you.

“Have a friend—a trainer, a rubber or a mate—with you in training, and never omit a good, hard, conscientious rubbing and massaging and kneading of the muscles; let all your muscles be pliant during this operation; and finally recollect in racing, and in your actions, to be ‘always a gentleman.’ Don’t jockey nor scold, nor be profane, but swim, and ‘may the best man win.’”

In this connection the writer would call the attention of every swimmer—whether he belongs to a college or not—to the Official Intercollegiate Swimming Guide, published annually in the Spalding Athletic Library series (No. 361, price 10 cents) for the Intercollegiate Swimming Association. This book contains not only articles of interest concerning the happenings in the collegiate swimming world, and records of same, but, each year, in addition, contains special articles by leading authorities on some important feature of swimming.

Touching and Turning

Touching and turning is a branch of swimming more practiced for racing than for ordinary purposes. There are several styles of touching and turning, but I will deal with the one most easily mastered, and shall begin by advising the learner to practice across the bath, from side to side, and not to be in the slightest hurry. Master the details of the turn by slow motions, nor need there be any desire to lengthen the push until one knows that he is performing all the motions perfectly. We assume that the pupil is lying on the right side. He must, therefore, when about three feet from the end of wall of the bath, have finished the progressive movements of the left hand, which, instead of being put into the water again to renew the stroke, must be reached forward in advance of the head until it touches the wall immediately above the water mark. The palm of the hand is then placed flat against the side of the bath, the hand being in a horizontal line, with the fingers pointing to the right, which is the direction one will turn to. The little finger is uppermost, and the thumb downward. This done, the body is close to the side of the wall, the knees are now bent, the body turned around by pushing with the hand, that is on the solid wall, until the feet are pressing on the wall and directly below this hand, but, of course, under the surface of the water. The whole body is now drawn up or crouched together, and is turned, as it were, on its axis. It is under water, head and all. The soles of both feet are placed hard against the wall, the hands put together in front of the head, which is kept between the arms, and the position of the body and limbs should be straight, with the legs crouched up. Then, by a strong movement of the legs, the body is pushed off from the side as if shot from a catapult and straightened out. Its position, when lying on the push, is the same as when lying still, in plunging. From nine to fifteen feet is the distance generally covered by the push off before renewing the stroke. One must be especially careful to guard against pushing off, even to the smallest extent, stronger with one foot than the other, else a slip may take place on the smooth tile work, and that means a loss of perhaps a yard or two, and, in the case of a competition, puts the swimmer off his course, or station, and bumping against another swimmer and fouling are likely to occur.

Ornamental Swimming

If there is any one thing more than another in connection with the art of swimming that will show that a person has mastered the watery element and is at ease at all times in their foster sphere, it is a knowledge of ornamental swimming. To be able to successfully and correctly make any kind of a dive, to float in various positions at will and to perform the multitudinous natatorial feats that are possible, is an accomplishment that stamps the performer an expert. We will, therefore, suppose that those who are about to essay these difficult swimming movements have passed the elementary and intermediate stages and have the ability to float well. Without a knowledge of floating, or at least the ability to control the buoyancy of the body when placed in all manner of positions, it will be almost impossible to make any success of ornamental swimming. Many of the movements that seem remarkable to the uninitiated, however, are not really hard at all, but can be accomplished with practice, by being persistent and patient until finally acquired.

Among the feats that are at all times interesting and those that stamp the swimmer as being clever, are porpoise swimming; sculling on the back, using hands only; the running header; plunging, feet foremost; the sitting jump; imitation of a torpedo; the back dive; revolving; the twister; back somersault; marching on the water; the propeller, and imitation of a bicycle rider.

Floating

Most people can float in salt water, no matter what may be their build. In learning, the first movement is to gradually throw the body on the back, arching the spine, keeping the chest well inflated, crossing the arms over and back on the head, the thumbs locked or fingers touching, which latter movement tends to increase the expansion of the chest and thus make the body more floatable. If the legs are kept straight out and together the beginner will find that their weight in this position, in most cases, has a tendency to sink the body. This can be overcome by drawing up the lower limbs and extending them slightly apart and keeping them bent, which will have the effect of more evenly balancing the body, and then, later on, when the swimmer masters control of the breathing, so that the lungs can be kept partly inflated all the time, he will find that the legs can be gradually extended until they are straight, when the position in the water will be more graceful. Because of their lighter bony structure and increased tissue, women learn to float easier than men, while stout persons, being more floatable, master floating quicker than slim people. But the latter need not despair of learning, for the best floating and the most graceful work I have ever seen of this kind has been performed by comparatively slim people, who have caught on to the proper equipoise of the body and overcome the tendency of the legs to sink. Floating does not properly belong to the elementary part of swimming, as there is considerable skill required and much practice needed before those who do not float naturally can accomplish the art; but, as the ability to float means so much in ornamental and scientific swimming, the novice is advised to learn to float as soon as possible. Double floating is much easier than single floating, as each of the two performers aids the other in supporting the feet and lower limbs, the parts that have a tendency to sink.

At the seashore nothing can be more pleasant than to go out beyond the breakers and float on the back and be buoyed up and down by the hidden power of the sea, and if one is tired from battling with the strong waves, it is only necessary to turn over on the back, a little farther out, on the long swell of the big rollers, and get thoroughly rested before coming in again.

Diving

Shallow Dive

Diving is a necessary part of a swimmer’s knowledge, and once the learner has mastered the simple strokes, there is but one way to enter the water—head first. What is known as the low or shallow dive is not only the best for the beginner, but is useful when one advances to the racing stage in their experience, while being the easiest to learn. To make a good dive, stand perfectly erect, with the hands first placed at the sides of the body, the position being the same as you would assume when making a broad jump. Then bend the legs slightly, draw the arms back of the body and spring forward, getting the arms in front of the head, palms downward, the thumbs touching, entering the water with a shallow dive, keeping the feet and legs close together, without bending at the knees while entering the water. As soon as you make the plunge point the hands upward and the body will come to the surface at once, inclining always as the hands are pointed; for, if you should point the hands downward, then the body would descend. To learn to dive, a little confidence is needed more than anything else, and after you have made your first effort, which, on account of timidity, is usually a little awkward, it will be a matter of a short time only when you will catch on to the idea, after which you will never think of jumping in the water, the pleasure and sensation attending a dive always being fascinating. Of course, there are other forms of diving, such as the high dive, running header, etc.; but these can be mastered later on, when the pupil has advanced to a higher point in the art, when they will be found to be easy of accomplishment, and you will be ambitious to excel in all the various ornamental and difficult water feats of the expert swimmer.

Running Header

Probably the most interesting kind of a dive is known as the running header. This kind of a plunge admits of considerable artistic execution and finish, and to see a good diver run and spring upward and forward into the air and then poise and control the body, turning it in such a manner as to enter the water gracefully, keeping all the limbs rigid and cutting the water sharply like a knife, without making any splash, is a great treat. The running header is usually made from a spring-board, extending over the water or from the end of the bath. The swimmer takes a short run, similar to that taken by a high or broad jumper, in order to give sufficient impetus or force to the springing or forward movement. Then soaring upward and outward he shoots through the air, keeping the body straight until the declining turn toward the water is made, when a sudden twist of the body is given and the diver enters the water in a slanting position, keeping the upper and lower limbs straight and close together, the arms extended beyond the head, with the palms of the hands or fingers touching in a wedge-like manner.

Back Dive

The back dive is always an interesting swimming feat. It brings into play considerable gymnastic ability, but, on account of the confidence the performer has as to the certainty that the water will not hurt him much, barring a slight sting to the flesh, should he come down flat on his back, it does not require so much courage, in attempting the first trial, as tumbling on land, in which the back dive may be in a measure likened. While it is possible to make a good back dive from a rigid base, it can be more artistically made from the springing board. The diver stands erect, with his back towards the water. The hands are first held down to and close by the side. The person stands on the edge of the pool on the diving board, resting on the toes alone, the rest of the feet extended over the water. At the movement of making the spring, the diver lowers the body by bending the knees, while at the same time he extends his arms back of the body and then by a quick and sudden movement brings them forward, simultaneously with throwing the head back and entering the water very much the same as the forward dive. When properly done, the back dive is a beautiful method of entering the water.

Diving Feet Foremost

To enter the water, diving feet foremost, is a difficult thing to do, but when such a plunge is nicely made it usually comes in for a good share of merited approval. Most of the ornamental and difficult swimming movements are usually performed in tanks or at swimming gatherings, where there is an audience, and the spectators, who know very little about scientific strokes, are interested, amused and entertained by these other performances, among which none ranks higher than plunging feet foremost. As in other forms of diving and plunging, the swimmer stands on the edge of the pool or starting station, and, taking the usual breath, leaps outward, feet foremost, much like jumping in the water, throwing the arms behind and over the head and entering the water feet first, instead of head first. The body must be well thrown back, and the legs straightened and kept perfectly rigid while entering the water. One must jump well out and be sure to judge the distance safely in order that there be no danger of striking the upper part of the body on the ledge of the bath, pier or wharf, as the case may be.

The number of ornamental feats in swimming is almost unlimited, according to the ability and ingenuity of the performer; but, in addition to the above-described movements, such figures as porpoise swimming, where the expert describes, by going under and over the water, the swimming of a porpoise; imitation of a torpedo, the head and body being submerged and the feet above the water, the swimmer propelling himself with the hands, the feet alone showing above the water; the back and front somersaults, which are really swimming gymnastics; sculling on the back, using feet and hands only; imitation of a bicycle rider, etc., etc., all of which can be mastered by a clever swimmer with practice.

The Propeller

To perform the propelling trick it is necessary that the swimmer be able to float well, for by that means the body is supported in the water, while the hands, extended beyond the head, the back of the hands pointing downwards, propel the swimmer, feet foremost, through the water. Place the body on or near the surface of the water as possible, lying on the back, the feet and legs fully extended and close together, the hands beyond the head, also in a straight line. Then, by a vigorous sculling movement of the hands against the water, the body is sent gradually but steadily forward, the quick action of the hands against the water having the same effect in driving the body forward as the propeller of a boat. Some pretty turning movements like the directing of the course of a boat with a rudder can be made by propelling with one hand only or each alternately, as the case may be, as, by sculling with the right hand, the body will glide or take an opposite course, while the left hand movement will direct to the right.

Marching on the Water

Until one sees the swimmer march on the water its title is somewhat misleading. It is not a difficult method of progression through the water, after one catches on to the idea. Place yourself in a floating position, with the arms folded across the breast or the hands crossed back of the head, with the fingers locked. Then by bending the knees and drawing up the legs slowly, one after the other, keeping the toes pointed straight out in the upward movement, so as to have as little resistance as possible against the water. Straighten out the limb, turning the toes upward toward the knee, making a downward stroke with the leg, bringing the calf against the water with pressure enough to draw the body along. The upward, or negative movement, as we said before, must be slowly executed, while the downward, or positive movement, should be performed with some force against the water, the locomotion, feet foremost, the alternate action being the same as in walking. As it is not possible to get much power from the positive movements, marching on the water is therefore not a rapid means of gliding along.

Swimming on the Back

Swimming on the back is one of the simplest of the natatorial exercises, and one of the easiest methods to learn, besides being absolutely necessary in life-saving, as well as useful as a means of resting after swimming a long while on the breast or side. The movements of the legs are very much the same as in the breast stroke, except that the knees are kept farther apart. The best way to learn to swim on the back is to place yourself in the water on the back, the same as you would when floating. This position can be easily attained by holding the arms straight down close to the sides, the hands pointing toward the feet, and by giving a few sculling movements with the hands, you will at once get into a good floating position. Now slowly open the legs apart, while at the same time extending the arms beyond the head and bring the legs together with a vigorous kick, holding the arms beyond the head for an instant until all the momentum from the kick is expended. At the second movement the arms are brought back to their former position, describing an arc and catching the water with the palms of the hands somewhat like an oar, which helps to send the swimmer ahead, repeating the movements as before.

When tired, swimming on the back is useful as a means of resting the muscles used in the other strokes.

Long-Distance Endurance Swimming

American swimmers have made some wonderful strides in long-distance swimming and tests of endurance in the past few years, until now our records over distance and time immersions stand out prominently among the world’s greatest watermen.

Over the very long and tiresome routes our swimmers use various strokes, some of them relying on the breast stroke, others using the over-arm side stroke, but most of them stick to the double-over-arm stroke (sometimes called the Trudgeon), the latter method affording an opportunity for putting more continuous power to the stroke, which makes for greater speed; besides, this method makes the swimmer breathe regularly and with precision on each stroke and is useful in both rough and smooth water.

Space will not admit of recounting the numerous performances made by the various distance swimmers of this country, but all the leading record authorities and writers on swimming have agreed on Charles B. Durborow of Riverton, N. J., the big Philadelphia bank clerk, as the foremost long-distance and greatest mileage swimmer in the world.

Durborow is thirty-four years old (1916); weight, 210 pounds; height, 6 feet; swims the double-over-arm stroke, and has been swimming since 1907. He swims about 600 miles a year, and has covered over 5,000 miles in ten years. In his training, particularly before he begins his very long swims, he does a lot of rowing over long routes, and generally rows about 2,000 miles a year. He is the only swimmer who has ultimately conquered every swim he ever tried. He never takes any nourishment during a swim, and is always at his work the next day after a big feat, none the worse for wear.

Among the hundreds of big swims made by Durborow, the following record of ten of his greatest performances, some of which have never been equalled by another swimmer, stamp him as the leading distance swimmer in the world:

Thirty-four miles, 12 hours and 44 minutes, from Arch Street wharf, Philadelphia, to one mile below Market Street wharf, Chester, and return to Washington Avenue wharf, Philadelphia, Delaware River, July 10, 1910.

Ten miles, 7 hours and 59 minutes, from Flat Rock Dam to Conshohocken and return, Schuylkill River, July 24, 1910.

Twelve miles, 5 hours and 53 minutes, from the million-dollar pier, Atlantic City, N. J., across the mouth of Great Egg Harbor Bay, over the bar to the beach, at Tenth Street, Ocean City, N. J., in Atlantic Ocean, June 25, 1911.

Forty-two and forty-three-one-hundredths miles, 14 hours, 15 minutes and 31 seconds, from Cape May, N. J., across the mouth of Delaware Bay to Broadkill Shoals, Delaware, Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay, July 1, 1912.

Thirteen miles, 8 hours, 12 minutes and 13 seconds, from the Charlestown Bridge to Boston Light, Boston Harbor, July 27, 1913.

Thirty-two and one-half miles, 12 hours and 52 minutes, from Walnut Street, Philadelphia, to one-eighth of a mile below Market Street, Chester, Pa., and return to Washington Avenue, Philadelphia, Delaware River, June 27, 1914.

Twenty-two miles, 8 hours and 46 minutes, from the Battery, New York City, to Sandy Hook Beacon, Sandy Hook, N. J., New York Harbor, July 19, 1914.

Twenty-six miles, 9 hours and 8 minutes, from Riverton, N. J., to Bristol, Pa., and return to Riverton, N. J., upper Delaware River, May 28, 1916.

Twenty-two miles, 8 hours and 42 minutes, from Cape Charles, Va., across the mouth of Chesapeake Bay to Cape Henry, Va., Atlantic Ocean (swam outside the capes), June 23-24, 1916.

Thirty-six and one-half miles, 13 hours and 30 minutes, from Market Street, Chester, Pa., to Penn Treaty Park, Philadelphia, and return to Market Street, Chester, Pa., and then on the third tide to Eddystone, Pa., Delaware River, September 9-10, 1916.

Women and Girl Swimmers