SWIMMING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 18968, 20 March 1924, Page 6

SWIMMING

CHARLTON’S SWIMMING BOY CHAMPION’S INTERESTING CAREER. ADVICE TO YOUNG SWIMMERS. I have often been asked u U w I learned to swim (wrote Andrew (Boy) Charlton for the Sydney Sun). As a matter of fact, I do not remember having learned—that is, with proper instruction. My home is situated near the Manly baths, so, when I was old enough to go swimming, I supposp it came naturally to me to be able to swim, as it has with all other boys at Manly, where almost everyone can swim. My advice to boys and girls who ait anxious to become good swimmers is to be always in the water. If they do not feel inclined to play about in the water it is of no avail whatever to force themselves, or rather, try to convince themselves that they arc enjoying it when they are not. Unless a boy or girl simply loves the water he or she has not a chance on earth of developing into a champion. How often do we laugh at little kiddies apparently flopping about hopelessly in baths? Yet sometimes among the worst of them there may be a future champion overcoming the novelty of it, and gaining confidence that may late on prove the deciding factor in a great international contest. Who knows? If we see a youngster enjoying himself in the water we can bet that he has some sort of swimming prospects and an immense advantage over the lad who hesitates and takes to the water in only a casual way—no matter if in after years he may receive the finest coaching available in the land. So, on the next occasion you see a kiddie having a happy time, though he may flounder awkwardly, watch him seriously and give advice if it is in your power. First of all, I advise the youngster to learn how to keep himself comfortable in a horizontal position in the water. He should never leave the shallow water until he is perfectly con fident of himself, and this is not cas\ to a beginner. It seems that as soon as they leave their feet, even in only two feet of water, away goes their confidence. It is only natural that the kiddies flay the water when they start. I did it when I began. Everyone does it. This is the foundation of a swimming stroke. Later there comes an easy suitable stroke. Once a youngster is able to confidently paddle about in the shallow water he should try greater depths, and as he steadily advances, as he must, if he loves the water, he will not care if he is swimming in six feet or 60 fathoms. This is confidence. He then shQuld play about in the water and dive and sprint for 15 or 20 yards or so, and gradually he will become confident enough to start in a club handicap on the limit mark away out in front of all the others. LIVED IN WATER. There are many methods of swimming, but in all frec-stylo strokes the arm action is practically the same. The various strokes are known by the difference in leg movement.

I think it is quite natural for boys and girls to be able to swim, and although every boy and girl cannot become a champion or racing swimmer they can obtain plenty of recreation and pleasure from healthy exercise.

Ever since I learned to swim I have practically lived in the water, especially during school holidays. Playing about in the water and diving is all the training that a young boy requires. I visited the baths frequently with my father and Fitz Lough, who helped me to master the Australian crawl.

My first attempt at racing was at the Manly public school carnival in 1917, when 10 years old. I swam second in the 50 yards school championship. Later I won my age championship at the P.S.A.A.A. carnival. Next season I joined the Manly Swimming Club, and competed in junior events every Saturday. I swam second in the 50 yards junior championship, and won a 100 yards handicap. Tommy Adrian told me long distances suited me better than sprints. I followed his advice, and he helped me to learn the scissors and six beat kicks.

When 12 years old I won a junior half-mile race, promoted by him. This success encouraged me to compete in the long distance races at every opportunity. My most important success before I swam in the State championship was recorded when 14 years of age, when I won the 400 yards first class scratch race.

I became a champion before I actually realised it. When Adrian told me that he felt sure that I could break the late Barney Kieran’s half-mile world’s record, I was very doubtful, and no one was more surprised than I was when I swam the distance in record time at Rushcutters Bay baths. It took Adrian some time to convince me that the time was correct. ARM AND LEG ACTIONS. It frequently has been stated £hat my favourite long distance kick is a four beat one. That is not so. There appears to be a misunderstanding among boys concerning the name “beat.” The term “beat” was first used by American swimming experts to denote the downward movement of each leg in the crawl and trudgeon strokes. If a

swimmer executes two downward movements to each stroke, which is, of course, two movements of the arms, it is termed a two-beat kick. If four or six downward movements are performed to each stroke, they are known as four or six-beat kicks. Although I employ a scissors kick in my distance stroke, I execute only two downward movements to each stroke—one with the right leg with the pull of the right arm, and one of the left leg with the pull of the left arm. Hence the name two-beat trudgeon-crawl. I will explain the movements and timing of my stroke, so as to make clear how the beats are performed, dealing with the various kicks in turn. I breathe with my head turned to the left shoulder at the moment the right arm is entering the water. The body is rolled naturally to facilitate the intake of breath.

My scissors kick with top (left) and bottom (right) legs almost straight, with free play at the knees and ankles, is executed at the extension of the righ arm and the finish of the pull of the left.

After inhaling and performing the scissors, the body is rolled back flat, or “face on” during the recovery of the left arm. At the same time the head is turned back, being straight

when the arm reaches its extension, and the face almost immersed, exhaling under water. With the extension of the left arm and the finish of the pull of the right I execute one beat vertically with the left leg—really a balance kick.

The spread of the scissors varies according to* the speed of the arm stroke, and does not exceed 20 inches.

CORRECT TIMING FOR SCISSORS KICK.

Some boys ask what is meant by a scissors kick? The name undoubtedly is derived from the fact that the legs perform a movement like a pair of scissors. I acquired my scissors kick by slanting the kick with the right leg* and moving the left leg back simultaneously. This movement can be developed easier by rolling the body slightly. The opening of the scissors, is, of course, the negative or non-pro-pelling movement, while the closing movement is the positive or propelling one, which should be performed with snap and vigor. But the opening movement should be executed slowly, because a quick movement when separating the legs impedes propulsion. The reach of my arm stroke is comfortable, the arms being slightly bent, the right hand entering the water in line with the right eye, and the left hand in front of the left eye. Below the water my arms are still bent in boomerang fashion, and follow a course across the chest and under the body with a sweeping movement. I obtain continuous propulsion through the medium of my arms, because I maintain a pressure on the water with the under arm when the top arm is entering the water. The finish of the pull and the recovery of each, arm is performed in a relaxed manner, thus conserving energy with the top arm while the under arm is doing its share.

I relax naturally because the conformation of my muscles is specially suited for swimming. Inability to relax is a prevalent fault with many swimmers. However, Ernest Henry has shown that a relaxed arm recovery can be cultivated by . concentration. The timing of my four-beat kick is exactly the same as the one just described, except that I emplay two extra beats, or vertical balance kicks, after the scissors is executed.

When sprinting I quicken my leg action to what is known as the six-beat kick. Nearly all our crack sprinters are exponents of this mode of kicking. In this stroke there is an equal distribution of leg drove to each pull of the arm—that is, although the legs pass one another alternately they perform three downward kicks to each pull of the arm, making in all six complete scissoring movements, the timing being bution of leg drive to each pull of the right arm, and left, right, left, to the pull of the left arm. The comparatively wide scissor which is a feature of

my distance stroke is still noticeable in this stroke, though not quite so pronounced.

The correct timing far this kick is difficult for a novice to acquire, so I would advise a learner to try t*he slower two-beat jnovement first, which is sufficient to maintain the body in a horizontal position in salt water. When you become proficient at this, try the faster kick. The movement is executed ( from the hips, with the legs almost straight, toes pointed, with free play at the knees and ankles, and the muscles free from tension. Care should be taken that the feet don’t rise above the surface of the water. This is a fault, and will result in a loss of drive or impetus. The, comparatively wide scissor, which is a feature of my kick and many other swimmers, is accentuated by the natural roll of the body when breathing. Practise assiduously, and your enthusiasm and perseverance will be rewarded. That is how many champions arc made.

SWIMMING AND PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT.

Some people claim that golf is the best of all outdoor sports; some say running; some say cricket; while others turn to lawn tennis. I think that swimming is a recreation and pleasure that cannot be found in any other form of summer sport or pastime. Swimming is a pleasant exercise, even when training. Nearly all other branches of sport become monotonous. Apart from strenuous racing, swimming can be indulged in by middleaged and elderly people without injury to their health. The same cannot be said of many other outdoor sports. Swimming is a wonderful exercise. The arms, shoulders, back and legs get proper development through the uniformity of movements; the stomach muscles are brought into play, while the chest and lungs receive a natural and genuine coxyse of expansion. Swimming is undoubtedly a symmetry developer. This is proved by the number of well-built boys and girls that frequent the baths and beaches. The development of the muscles by swimming is different from other forms of exercise. The muscles of runners, cyclists, boxers, rowers, and other athletes tend to stand out. A swimmer’s muscles, on the other hand, are smooth and loose. In fact it is often said that « swimmer has no muscles.

Adrian says that I have the ideal type of loose swimming muscle, developed through being constantly in the water, and the possession of this natural attribute gives me a comfortable and relaxed appearance in the water, and enables me to cover long distances without tiring as quickly as other swimmers; also my being endowed with this particular type of muscles is one of the reasons why I don’t require regular massage, like many other swimmers. It is my- idea that a young swimmer should be trained on natural lines.

To the youngster who cannot resist the attraction of the water my ad vic j —no matter how crude a beginner he or she may be—is to stick at it and grasp the rudiments of swimming first If they feel like copying a champion’s style, all the better. If it does not suit them they will soon realise that and adopt a stroke that does.