By
Louis C. Dalton

THE SIDE STROKES

The side stroke is used for long distance swimming and is easy to learn on either side. The pupil should count the movements and be deliberate while doing the strokes. Splashing and fast strokes always denote an indifferent swimmer. Easy and graceful swimming can only be acquired by taking slow strokes and keeping the hands under the surface, thereby obviating all tendency of pushing the arms through the air instead of the water. While practising these movements the head must be kept down so as to be supported by the water.

Right Side.—Practise these movements on the floor. Arm Strokes.—The beginner extends the right arm until it straightens in front, keeping it in this position, thus making it easier to acquire balance. Place the left hand at the left side. Movement I.—Draw the left arm slowly up to the chest, palm out. Movement II.—Extend the left arm as far forward as possible.

Movement III.—Draw the left arm down to the side of the upper (left) leg, being careful not to bend the elbow. Leg Strokes. Movement I.—Bend both legs back together from the knees down. Movement II.—Extend the left leg backward from the hip as far as possible, and the right leg forward from the hip as far as possible.

Movement III.—Snap the legs, which should then be perfectly straight, together. Now combine both Movements I. as in Fig. 17, then Movements II. as in Fig. 18, and Movements III. as in Fig. 19. After the pupil is more advanced he may use his right arm by extending it out from and bringing it back to the right side of the body.

Breathing.—Inhale as the left arm is swept alongside the body. Exhale when left arm is extended forward.

Left Side.—The same procedure as for the right side may be followed lying on the left side. This is important to learn as the pupil should swim equally well on either side. It will also help him to acquire good form. Arm Strokes. Movement I.—Draw the right arm forward close to the chest, palm out, elbow at the side. Movement II.—Extend the right arm forward as far as possible, keeping the hand about six inches below the surface. Movement III.—Sweep the right arm sharply down to the right side, then rest. The left arm is not used, but held straight in front to help balance the body. When the pupil is proficient the left arm may be extended out and brought back as on the right side.

Leg Strokes. Movement I.—Bend both legs back, from the knees down. Movement II.—Spread the legs as wide apart as possible, the right back from the hip and the left forward from the hip. Movement III.—Snap the straightened out legs together. Combine the Arm Movements with the Leg Movements. Movement I.—Draw the right arm close to the chest, palm out; bend both legs back, from the knees down. Movement II.—Extend the right arm forward and spread the legs wide apart. Movement III.—Sweep the right arm down to right side and snap the legs together, then rest while your body is being propelled through the water. Hold the head so the mouth is above the surface, and breathe as on the right side.

THE TRUDGEON STROKE

This was one of the racing strokes before the advent of the Crawl, and was considered by some swimmers the fastest stroke. It is quite tiring and should only be used for short distances. A great many swimmers modify this stroke to suit themselves, but there is only one scientific way. The arms are held perfectly stiff, and lifted well above the water on every stroke. First practise with the arms alone. Lie on right side with the right arm extended forward at full length, left arm perfectly rigid at left side. Draw the right arm sharply down through the water to the right side, turning the body at the same time, lifting the left arm out of the water and extending it straight in front.

The legs should be drawn up, heels together, knees spread as the right arm starts to come forward (Fig. 20). Then spread the legs apart as the right arm is extended forward. Snap the legs together as the right arm is swept below the surface to the right thigh. These three leg movements must be done very quickly. The head rests on the water, the mouth just above the surface for breathing.

When the left arm is brought forward and later down to the side, the legs remain motionless (Fig. 21). For racing purposes, the arms may be bent at the elbows.

THE SINGLE OVER-ARM STROKES

Pupils after mastering the side and trudgeon strokes take to this stroke very quickly, because in reality it is a combination of both.

Right Single Over-Arm Stroke. Arm Strokes. Movement I.—Lie on the right side, right arm drawn in toward the body, hand pointing forward, left arm resting at the left side of body, palm out. Movement II.—Lift the left arm out of the water and extend forward, but at arm's length, away from the head, the right arm motionless. Movement III.—Sweep the left arm sharply down to the side and extend the right arm straight ahead. Leg Strokes. Movement I.—Bend both legs back from the knees down, keeping the knees and ankles together. Movement II.—Place the right leg back from the hip, and the left leg forward from the hip. Be sure the legs are perfectly rigid.

Movement III.—Snap both straightened out legs sharply together, then rest.

Combine with the Arms. Lie on right side. Movement I.—Hold the left arm down to the side, palm out, right arm drawn in toward the body, hand pointed forward, legs bent back from the knees down.

Movement II.—Lift the left arm out of the water, at the same time spreading the legs apart, keeping the right arm motionless (Fig. 22). Movement III.—This movement must be done sharply. Draw the left arm down to the side, extending the right arm straight ahead, while snapping the legs straight together as in Fig. 23.

Left Single Over-Arm Stroke. Arm Strokes.—Lie on left side. Movement I.—Place the right arm at right side of body, palm out, the left arm held close to the side. Movement II.—Lift the right arm out of the water, being careful to hold it as far away as possible to avoid splashing, the left arm motionless.

Movement III.—Sweep the right arm sharply down to the right side, and extend the left arm straight ahead. Leg Strokes. Movement I.—Bend the legs back from the knees down, knees and ankles together. Movement II.—Bring the right leg back from the hip, and extend the left forward from the hip. Movement III.—Snap the straightened out legs sharply together.

Combine the Arms and Legs. Movement I.—Hold the right arm at full length to right side, palm out; the left hand should be held well in toward the body, pointing forward; bend both legs back from the knees down, knees and ankles together. Movement II.—Lift the right arm out of the water and spread the legs apart; while doing this movement the left arm is motionless. Movement III.—Bring the right arm sharply down to the right side, extending the left arm forward, and snapping the legs quickly together.

Breathing.—Inhale through the mouth, at the moment when each arm is performing the downward stroke on either side, as the mouth will then be clear of the water. Exhale immediately the arm is extended forward.

Anybody who is ambidexterous will find it easier to learn the left single over-arm stroke before the right.

THE ENGLISH RACING STROKE

The English Racing Stroke is a great deal more difficult to learn than any of the advanced strokes that we have reached so far, but once the student is proficient, it is one of the prettiest strokes. My brother, Prof. F.E. Dalton, swims this stroke faster than some swimmers do the crawl, and in action he does it most gracefully (Fig. 24). The Arm Movements should first be learned. Lie on the right side (but if the pupil prefers it can be done equally as well on the left). Hold the left arm at the left side. Then raise it out of the water, bending the elbow; the hand should enter palm out, and about six inches below the surface, then extending it as far forward as possible. Next sweep the left arm down to the side sharply. Extend the right arm straight ahead, drawing it in toward the body with a semi-circular scoop.

The leg movements are very difficult and a great deal of practise is necessary before the pupil will be ready to combine with the arms.

The legs are spread apart and snapped together as in the side stroke, but instead of stopping with this scissors kick make an extra small circle kick.

Breathing.—Inhale by turning the head as the left arm is swept down to the left side; exhale under water when the left arm is extended forward. Pay great attention to breathing on each stroke, as this is a great deal more essential than acquiring a little speed, if you wish to swim any distance. Because of improper breathing people who can not swim very well complain more about getting winded quickly, than they do of anything else.

THE DOUBLE OVER-ARM STROKE

The Double Over-Arm Stroke, while difficult to master, will not prove so for the student who has learned the English racing stroke. Learn the double over-arm to acquire form. For racing the Crawl will answer.

Arm Strokes.—Place the left arm at the left side, then lift it out of the water, bending the elbow and stretching it as far forward as possible; now draw the hand down through the water so it is swept to the side. The right arm should be at the right side in position to come forward perfectly rigid at third movement of left arm. There must be enough roll of the body to allow the right arm to come out of the water to insure proper breathing. Sweep the right arm down through the water as the left arm is raised out of the water.

Hold the face under the water excepting when you inhale after the left arm has passed the mouth; exhale when under as the right arm comes forward.

Leg Strokes.—The legs perform the regular scissors kick at the same time with left arm action, then cross them over and make a smaller scissors kick in conjunction with right arm action while the body is rolling, as in Fig. 25. The arms and legs should be relaxed except when the arms are making their sweep and the legs are snapping together, otherwise the pupil will be under a constant strain which is not conducive to good form in swimming. The pupil may find it very difficult at the start to time this stroke.

THE CRAWL STROKE

The Crawl and Trudgeon Crawl are by all means the fastest strokes for propelling the human body through the water up to date. The crawl stroke as originally introduced was a combination of the trudgeon arm stroke with a leg drive used by the natives of the South Sea Islands. This stroke has since been so changed by leading swimmers, it is probably entirely different from that originally introduced. A great many amateur and professional coaches advocate the teaching of the crawl to beginners. I would have the pupil note the difference between a Coach and Swimming Instructor. The Coach's pupil knows how to swim, but the Instructor must first teach his pupil. The coaches are so much in favor of the crawl they advocate everybody being taught it when first learning. On the other hand, the Instructor knows that it would take twice as long to teach the crawl to a nervous beginner.

I have had, in consequence, a deluge of requests from novices that they be taught the crawl, so I wish to spread broadcast the fact that it is absolutely essential for pupils to acquire confidence by first learning the simple Back and Dalton strokes. The principal reason for this is the fact that beginners, 85% of whom are nervous, extremely so, will naturally not immerse their faces, and as this stroke must be swum with the face under water it will readily be seen why I differ with the coaches referred to. The crawl, like all other strokes in swimming, must be done slowly to attain speed, and the body relaxed.

Bend all your efforts to acquiring form; speed will come later with constant practise, patience and perseverance. The crawl may be done correctly with varying details, depending on the physique of the swimmer, and ability of the coach to apply the proper methods to his pupil. I have swum the crawl in all its various details, and will explain the method I have found fastest and easiest for the pupil. The crawl, except for short distances, is not the stroke used for racing. The trudgeon crawl is the stroke par excellence for racing purposes.

Leg Strokes.—Extend the arms at full length in front of the head with face under water, while practising with the legs. While doing this hold the breath, but not after you have learned the completed stroke. When practising these movements you must kick the legs a trifle faster than will be necessary when combining with the arm movements.

The legs must be relaxed, especially at the hips, kicking them up and down alternately; in doing this do not open them more than from about ten to fifteen inches as in Fig. 29. This will depend a great deal on the physique and buoyancy of the swimmer. The toes should be pointed behind and the feet turned inward. Be careful that you do not make the mistake of kicking them too high or opening them too much, also that they do not come out of the water. In doing this thrash stroke you will readily know if you are making these mistakes, because the legs will become tired and cramped very quickly. Some fast swimmers bend their legs at the knees as illustrated in Fig. 27, others take a sort of pedalling motion by bending the ankles back and forth.

This is done by bringing the toes up as the leg rises, and pointing them down as the leg snaps back. At the present time the fastest sprinters swim without the great bend in the knee; some bend them slightly to help relax the legs.

The trudgeon crawl kick is a combination of the crawl and the trudgeon, and the reason it is used for sprinting in preference to the crawl is because it is less tiring, thus affording greater speed for long distances. This may be swum in either two, four, six, or eight beats. The eight-beat is not used very often. The six-beat is used by most of the fastest swimmers, but the four-beat is the easiest for pupils to learn and time; it also is very speedy. The legs should be kept close together at all times and after taking two, four, six or eight beats, whichever the case may be, the kick should be formed that the first and fourth kicks amount to narrow scissors kicks, then follow with the regular thrash kick, which is straight up and down, as illustrated in Fig. 28. Point the legs and turn the feet in slightly.

Quite a few swimmers believe their legs are of little assistance, but you will find, if you practise the movements alone the way I suggest, the legs will play a very prominent part in your stroke.

You will be able to make good speed without using the arms. When these movements are thoroughly mastered, after trying all the different variations to discover which suits your particular need, you may then turn your attention to learning the arm stroke.

The Arm Strokes.—The arms should be practised with the face under water, moving the legs only sufficiently to prevent them sinking too low, and also so you can obtain the correct position in the water. The arms should be bent at the elbows after they are brought out of the water. The reach should be straight out from the shoulders, placing the hands as far forward as possible before entering the water; by so doing you will conserve your energy. Hold the hands like a scoop; they should be about six inches below the surface before taking the sweep. While doing this the elbows must be perfectly stiff, sweeping the arms with considerable force under the surface as far back as the thighs, the body being propelled forward by the powerful force. Swing the arms from the shoulders and just lift them enough so they clear the water. Relax the arms at all times excepting when they take the sweep through the water.

Some swimmers draw the arms under the stomach, others use the arms entirely straight, a few place the arms in close to the head and extend to full length under water. As in the leg stroke, if the pupil tries the different methods he will find which stroke is the easiest to accomplish. Having mastered the arms, combine with the legs before attempting to breathe, as this in itself is quite difficult.

Breathing.—The breathing must be done entirely through the mouth. On the crawl the head and not the body must be turned, and just sufficiently to allow the mouth coming above the water as the left arm passes the head, and a deep breath can then be taken. When the left arm comes forward, turn the face under the water and exhale; repeat on every stroke.

Do not raise your head when breathing or hold your breath for a consecutive number of strokes. Constant practise will loosen the muscles of the neck, when you will find it much easier. In the trudgeon crawl there is a greater roll to the body, and you breathe when rolling toward the right side, as in Fig. 30.

Having learned the arm and leg movements with the breathing, it is now essential that the position of the body be correct (see Fig. 26). Do not make the mistake of burying your head too deep or the legs, either; hollow the back so as to present a slight slant to the water. If the legs and back come too high raise the head a trifle.

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