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.
