SWIMMING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 279, 28 November 1935, Page 4

SWIMMING

BREATHING METHODS “81-LATERAL” ADOPTED SATISFIED WITH RESULTS Several swimmers, including Miss ID. Symon, New Zealand intermediate 220 yards champion, have changed to the “ bi-lateral’’ method of breathing and are very satisfied with the results shown, states the Southland Times. This method has been used with great success by “Buster” Crabbe and several other Americans, but the greatest exponent of the style is Jean Taris, of France. It is said, however, that the “bi-lateral” method was originally a British invention, that G. T. A. Temple, of Cambridge University, was using it as early as 1923 and that he had sufficiently perfected it to swim 100 yards in 58sec. Crabbe appears to have discovered the style independently and used it throughout the 1500 metres event at Amsterdam in 1928, when he finished third behind Arne Borg (Sweden) and Andrew Charlton (Australia). The method was observed by Taris and Barang, and subsequently embodied by tnem into their European crawl. Gilbert Collins in “The New Magic of Swimming’’ writes:—“Bilateral breathing seems, in fact, inevitably the style of the future'. Ever since regular breathing /.vas introduced for the crawl stroke,- swimmers have been harassed by the difficulty of turning the head to one side to breathe in such a way that the opposite shoulder does not sink lower than the breathing-side shoulder and the fact remains that even the greatest swimmers who breathe uni-latcrally —even Weismuller himself —never achieve perfect symmetry in the action of the shoulders, and with ordinary performers the unequal shoulder dip usually causes great loss of speed. The bi-lateial system assists to greatly reduce this shoulder-dip.” The Taris method of breathing is performed as follows: —‘‘At the moment the right arm is leaving the water the hea l turns to the right, in-breathing begins, and continues all the while the arm is going forward in recovery. The head is turned to the front as the right hand makes catch. During twothirds of the light-arm drive, the breath is somewhat held, then exhaling begins, through the nose, and continues slowly and forcibly during the remainder of the right-arm drive and throughout the right-arm recovery. As the right hand again nrikcs catch, the left arm is finishing its drive, and when it leaves the water, the head is turned to the left and a fresh inhale is started on that side. The sequence is then repeated, working out at the rate of two complete breath-cycles (each of one in-breath and one outbreath) to three complete arm-cycles (each of one right-arm drive-and-re-' cevery and one left-arm drive-and-re covery,. To put it more briefly, two breaths to three strokes as compared with one breath per stroke in the common or uni-lateral “style.” Much, disparagement has been levelled at Taris’, Urabbe’s and Barang t method, but it. has come chiefly from people who have never tried the matter out for themselves. Such criticism is naturally not impressive. In addition to the easy, ileep and regular breathing than can be acquired after a little prictice with this method, the steadying influence upon the body balance and shoulders is ot even greater value and this aids to more- general relaxation ol muscles. Breath-holding is, however, to be regarded with mistrust and the pause referred to in the description of the method, should gradually be shortened until, when the lungs have become accustomed to the deeper breathing, no breath-holding will be found necessary, no matter how strenuously the swimmer may bv performing. Recently, Taris won the “’lassie” European race “The Crossing of Paris’-' which is held over five miles in the Seine. All the European ami several American “cracks” competed, but Taris swimming as if a sprint and using his famous bi-lateral method of breathing, immediately took the lead and swimming throughout a “lone” ra'ic continued to increase his initial advantage and won by. over a quarter of a mile, finishing very strongly and quite unconcernedly. Perentiu, thv I Italian champion, was second after a hard tussle with his team mate, Costoli. Both were exhausted. BREASTSTROKE EVENTS MODERN METHODS DISCUSSED UNDERSTANDING OF ORTHODOX. J’ur several seasons Len Smith has retained the New Zealand breaststroke championship lor the Wanganui Centre, though on one occasion he represented the Manuwatu Centre. ►Smith was also one of the New Zealand swimmers at the British Empire Games in Eug'and a couple of years ago. His success in breaststroke swimming should encourage Wanganui exponents of this style of swimming. It would be of definite value to those who compete or infend competing in breaststroke events, and above all, for coaches of this stroke, to endeavour to acquire a thorough knowledge and understanding of the orthodox breaststroke. Gilbert Collins, tue famous English coach, says that modern breaststroke competitive swimming can bb divided into two distinct styles —the “Courtman” and the “Rademacher” (both styles being named after tw'o great breaststroke students and incidentally, champions). The Courtman style is used mostly in England and America and has some very successful followers. The popularity of this style is possibly due to the fact that it is very much easier to learn thoroughly, and appears to suit practically all physiques, whereas the Rademacher style, although somewhat faster and used by almost all competitors of world championship class, is definitely harder to perform correctly and is decidedly a more strenuous stroke.

The Courtman style is performer as follows, says Gilbert Collins:—“Keeping the arms perfectly straight, sweep them outwards and downward, keeping the palms turned slightly outwards. This movement should finish when the arms are at right angles to one another and at the conclusion the hands should be about eighteen inches below the surface. The recovery is then made by bringing the hands under the chin and the elbows against the sides, of the chest. The hands are then pushed forward to their initial position in front of the head with arms perfectly straight, thus narrowing thn width.

the shoulders and increasing resistance to the glide. The recovery should be performed with, the arms us limp as possible. The leg action should be mauc with thes-e limbs as near to the suriace as possible. During the glide the legs should be pointed out behind the swimmer and perfectly straight. Then keeping the he-els together, the legs should be bent double, the knees being opened wide. The feet part company on approuching the bullocks, but the kne\.s are drawn on up, as far as they will go wnile still keeping wide and close to the surface. Next, me legs should be soot out straight and wide. At the viul of this kick tiie legs should be at riglitangics to one another, quite straight, fairly near the surface still. Thirdly, the legs should be swept together, keeping them straight, but bending the feet downward and backward so Inal by the time the ankles meet the toes point rearward. The combining of the leg and arm movements is gen* erally the most difficult part of the stroke to acquire thoroughly. Correct liming between the two is essential to attain speed. After pushing off with arms and legs both extended, the former should be swept apart, al the same time the pulling up of tiu legs should be started (Wanganui coaches should note this point, as most local swimmers do not start pulling the legs up, until the arms have completed their pull and are making recovery). When the hands are in position for the next lunge the legs are ready for the kick. Kick and lunge should start simultaneously, and when the hands reach full extension ahead of the face, they remain there until the legs have completed their inward sweeps, sometimes a little longer. Inbreathing should be performed towards the conclusion of the arm movement — not the commencement.” (Local swimmers should take note of this point as premature in-breathing is a very common error). It is not advisable to forsake 'the splendid Courtman style too soon, although the Rademacher method is decidedly faster. • A swimmer of good physique using the former stroke perfectly, would be well “in the running” for any British championship, although probably not fast enough to win a world's title. The above description by one of the coaches in Britain should be studied carefully by local exponents of the breaststroke and their styles and timing should be modified accordingly. Coaches should also take particular notice of the timing and breathing, as most local swimmers err on these two points. The golden rule to lemember in connection with the timing is that the negative movement of the legs should be made during (not after) the positive movement of the arms. Most local swimmers only draw their legs up after completion of the arm* pull—which is a big mistake. Also inbreathing • is frequently performed at the beginning of the arm stroke instead of towards the completion of the pull. Great improvement could be expected if coaches were to check and correct the above points.