CHARLTON’S SWIMMING.

Shannon News, 8 April 1924, Page 4

CHARLTON’S SWIMMING.

boy CHAMPION ”S interesting CAREER. ADVICE TO YOUNG SWIMMERS. I have ■of ter been asked how I learned to. swim, (wrote Andrew (Boy) Charlton for the Syndey Sun). As a matter of fact, I do not remember having ..learned —that is, with proper instruction. Mq home as situated near the Manly baths, so, when I was old enough to go swimming. I suppose 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 are 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 ourselves that they are enjoying it when they are nott Unless a bay or girl simply loves the water he or-.-she has not a. chance on earth of developing into a cham-l pion. ! How often do we laugh at little kid- : dies apparently flopping 1 about hope-! less in baths ? Yet sometimes among| the worst of them there may be a> future champion overcoming the. novelty of it,: and gaining confldencej that may later on prove the factor in a great international con-j test. Who knows? i

If we see a youngster enjoying him-,; self in the water we can bet that he) has some soft 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 Jhappy time,- though he may flounder*' awkwardly, watch him seriously and give advice if it is tn 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 confident of himself, and this is not easy 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 sixty fathoms. This is confidence. He then should 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 free-style 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 hav e practically lived in the water, especially during school holidays. Playing about in the water and diving la all the training that a young boy requires. I visited the baths frequently with my father arid 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 of 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 oppor tunity. My most important success before I swam in the State championship wia*s 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 d could break the late Barney Kieran's hialfmile 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 -i ßay baths. It took Adrian some time to convince me that the time was correct. ARM AND LEG ACTIONS.

It frequently has been stated that my favourite long distance ftl 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 d swimmer executes two downward movements to each stroke, which is, course, two movements of the arms, it is termed a two-beat kick. If four or six downward movements are perform ed 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 tum| I breathe'With nay 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 I is executed at the extension of the/ right arm and the finish of the pull of j the left . After inhaling and performing the scissors, the body is rolled-hack flat, ! or “face on” during-the recovery of I the left arm At the same time the head is turned back, being straight | when the arm reach its extension; and the face almost immersed, exhal- j ling 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 1 the'left leg back simul-, • tan eously. This movement can be de-j veloped 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 executed slowly,, because -a quick movement when separating the legs impedes propulsion. / , The reach of my arm stroke is com-; fortable, 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 xS : exactly the same as the one just described except that I employ 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 ail equal distribution of leg drive 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 aim, making in all six complete scissoring movements, the timing being distribution of leg drive to each pull of the right are, and arid 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 of this kick is difficult for a novice to acquire, so I would advise a learner to- try the slower two-beat movcpient 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 pointetd, 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 cham-, pions are 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 summery sport or pastime. Swimming is a pleasant exercise, even when training. Nearly all other branches of sport become monotonous. Apart from strenuous swimming can be indulged in by middleaged and elderly people without injury to their hemth. 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 course 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 any other forms of exercise. The muscles of runners, cyclists, boxers, rowers, aud other athletes tend to stand out. A swimmer’s muscles, on the other hand, arc smooth and loose. In fact it is often said that a 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 m'*tural 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 ono of the reasons why I don’t reepiro

regular 'massage, like, many other swimmers. It is my that a young swimmer shotild be trained on natural lines.

To the youngster who cannot resist the attraction of the water my advice —no matter how crude a beginner he or she may bo—is to stick at it anid grasp tihe 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.