Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 22.djvu/801

 SWIMMING 769 up to about the upper part of the chest, turn his back shoreward, take a long breath, and lie gently backward in the water, keeping the hands on the waist with the elbows extended outward, the chest being expanded, and the breath held. As one lies well back the feet will be lifted off the ground ; they should then be spread outward as far apart as possible, in the same position as when they are opened up in breast swimming. The body and legs are thus lying extended at full length like the letter Y, the legs forming the branches or fork. Now comes the pro- pelling part of the movement. As in the front stroke, the muscles are set, and the legs are by one strong motion brought firmly and closely together. While this is being done the toes, by a slight movement of the ankle, are turned upward, and so, as the movement is finished, the great toes, inner ankles, and inside of the whole leg meet. This motion, strongly but not jerkily executed, sends the body forward, and, when the impetus obtained is nearly not quite expended, the legs are bent, so that the feet are drawn close up to the trunk, with the knees outward and heels together. The stroke is renewed by spreading apart, closing again, and so on. The breath is exhaled when spreading and closing the legs, and inhaled as the feet are drawn up to the body. If greater speed is wanted, the hands can be used as sculls by carrying them outward from the body, but at the same time level with it, palms facing downward. When the arms are sufficiently extended to be in a line across from hand to hand, the wrists are turned to allow of the palms of the hands fac- ing toward the feet, thumbs upward. Elbows, wrists, and hands are now firmly braced, and a strong pull towards the legs is made. This is the progressive motion, and should be performed just as the legs are being closed. ., Another style is to bend the elbows downward, so as to allow of the hands being carried upward along the sides of the body, thumbs inward, and palms facing the bottom of the water. When the hands have been carried up to the armpits they are spread apart to the full extent of the arms, and the propelling part is performed as in the other method by pulling strongly toward the legs. A still more powerful stroke, and one used at competi- tions, is accomplished by carrying the hands up to the armpits, as described in last method ; then, turning the wrist so as to allow of the palms of the hands facing up- ward, point the fingers in the direction of progress, stretch both arms as far as possible in a line with the body and beyond the head, and turn the wrists half round, until the hands are back to back, thumbs upward. The propelling action is now performed by sweeping both hands outward and round until they touch the legs and the arms are once more straight along the sides of the body. There is a double kick in this style, and the action is as follows. When the hands are being carried up to the shoulder one kick is delivered ; then as the arms are being carried beyond the head the nether limbs are drawn up in position for another kick, which is delivered as the arms are sweeping down on the stroke. This is no mere ornamental stroke, but combines in its practice grace with power, and enables the swimmer to move through the water at great speed. . Another racing back stroke is performed by lifting hands and arms out of the water at the finish of the pull downward, carrying them in the air, stretching them at full length forward beyond the head, and then dipping them into the water, executing the positive part of the stroke as in the last-described method. In this stroke there is only a single kick to each pull of the arms, the legs being drawn up as the arms are swung up in the air and closed as the arms are pulled through the water. While this movement is much practised by some experts, it is neither so graceful nor so speedy as the other, and there is much splashing, while steering is, in the case of a close race, likely to become rather erratic. Both are at the present time the fastest known methods of swimming on the backhand, with moderately good turning and push- ing in a swimming bath, 100 yards should be covered in about 74 seconds, probably less. Of treading as a branch of swimming something should be known by every one. It is the only department of the art that is at all natural ; and, if treading were resorted to in cases of accidental immersion, three-fourths of the resulting deaths would be prevented. The essential condition, of course, is that the hands be kept under water. When one falls into water the legs sink and the body assumes a perpendicular position, the water splashes over the face, and, once the eyes become filled or the mouth covered, the inclination of any one unable to swim is to throw the hands up and make an effort as if to creep along on the surface. These efforts only increase the danger of the position. On becoming submerged one should keep per- fectly inactive for a brief time ; the head will soon rise above the surface, and at this moment one ought to beat downward with both hands alternately, never allowing them to splash or disturb the surface, the head being leaned back so as to keep only the face and nostrils clear. The back of the head and ears may be covered, but this does not matter. The motions of the hands, exactly similar to those of a dog's forepaws when swimming and walking, are to be continued, the feet at the same time striking down not hurriedly, nor with sudden jerky movement, but easily and gracefully, the ankles moving as if working treadles, so that the soles of the feet act as sustaining and, it may be, propelling surfaces. The movements of hands and feet may be altered by beating downward with both hands at once, or both feet at once, but in cases of accident the former action is to be recommended. Swimmers, when treading at competitions or for display, either fold their arms across their chest or hold hands and arms above the surface. In artistic swimming trials, as much as possible of the body should be shown above the surface, and bob- bing up and down ought to be avoided. Treading is of much importance even to a good swimmer, as it allows him to divest himself of upper clothing, and enables him to lay hold of anything, such as a rope or line that does not quite reach the surface ; it is also the most comfortable position in which one can partake of refreshment in case of a long swim, and is useful for purposes of conversation. The Side Stroke may be said to hold in swimming a position somewhat similar to that of running in pedes- trianisin ; as it becomes better known, the advantages of this style of aquatic progression are becoming more and more appreciated. The practice of it, however, ought not to be begun until complete proficiency has been attained in the primary stroke. Its main recommendations are apparent almost at a glance. A good average side move- ment will carry the swimmer a stroke in two seconds, each stroke covering a distance of fully six feet. The method is said by some to have been introduced by George Pewters about the year 1850. The body is turned on either side, but preferably with the right side downward, as thereby the legs act more freely and naturally and the heart has no weight on it to impede its action. The head is more immersed and thereby reduced in weight, being supported by the water and not by any muscular exertion of the neck or shoulder, and the lower extremities are less immersed than in the breast stroke. If one is lying on the right side, the right arm is thrown boldly out in front, with the palm of the hand downward and on a level with the lower side of the head. When pushed out to the utmost it is kept rigid, brought downward through the water in one strong movement, without any bending of either wrist or elbow, XXII. 97