Harper's Round Table, August 25, 1896

by Various

FIG. 6.—THE DETAIL OF DIVING.

Punching the bag is another good exercise, and of course a certain amount of swimming should be done, though it is not necessary by any means to swim every day. Mr. Arthur T. Kenney, the champion amateur swimmer of America, swims only three times a week, and manages, in that way, to keep himself in first-rate condition. He believes in keeping the muscles pliant and in preventing them from becoming hard. Therefore it is well for the swimmer not to indulge in much rowing, for that is the exercise which hardens the muscles of the arms.

It goes without saying that when training for a race the swimming should be done in a stream or lake, and not in a tank in-doors, for the open air is much better to exercise in than the close air of the tank or gymnasium. Young swimmers should practise short swims in order to develop a speedy stroke, and not attempt long distances until they have acquired the leg action necessary for racing. Short swims of 50 or 100 yards are the best distances.

Furthermore, it should be remembered that fast and hard work should not be attempted before the body has been gotten into perfect condition, otherwise the swimmer becomes overwearied, and is unable to perform the work which he otherwise could.

It is only natural to suppose that any one who expects to enter a swimming race has been swimming enough during the summer to be in fair condition. Therefore if he follows the course of training briefly described above for about a week—which is Mr. Kenney's method, and has made him the champion of American amateurs—he will then be in condition to work systematically in the water.

As in every other kind of athletic sport, a swimmer must give the greatest attention to form. Do not allow yourself to be carried away by the desire to acquire speed, but try so to master the action of the arms and legs that presently they will work almost automatically, and perform to the best advantage for the expenditure of energy. It is well to swim half the distance of the race about three times a week, but no more, and after this has been done for about two weeks it will be noticed that the action of the body has become much easier, and that speed has increased. Then a certain amount of time should be devoted to the practice of starting.

A start in a swimming race is very much like the action of a standing broad jump; it is a spring from a mark. The proper attitude to assume at the starting-line is to have the legs bent, the arms held back, the body leaning forward just as far as equilibrium will allow. As soon as the pistol is fired, or the word to start is given, swing the arms forward, and spring with all the strength of your legs as far out into the water as possible. Pay no attention to the other competitors, and do not look forward into the course, but give all your thoughts to making a long leap. This start should be a low dive (what swimmers call a "skip-jack"), and the head should be brought to the surface as quickly as possible by taking a stroke under water.

An important thing to remember is to have the arms in position to take a strong, steady stroke as soon as the head comes above the surface. It will require a great deal of practice to master all these details of the start, and therefore it is advisable to practise these things on the intermediate days of swimming. For instance, swim half your distance one day, practise starting the next, and then swim half your distance the next day, and so on.

After coming out of the water the swimmer should be well rubbed down with a coarse towel, and he should, if possible, have somebody to knead his muscles, for this sort of massage helps greatly to limber the tissues.

The football season will open in the colleges in a very few weeks, and the schools will follow their elders shortly afterwards. The question of summer training for football-players has been more or less mooted for the past few years. I believe that the best opinion among athletes is that for young players it is not advisable to try to get into training much before September. The summer is intended for recreation and not for work, and sport is a pastime, not a business.