1938-39

SWIMMING
535
BREAST STROKE
Arm Action
Beginning with the arms stretched forward, hands together flat
on the surface of the water, shoulders in line with the surface,
palms downwards, fingers closed, care being taken that the muscles
are not tensed until the arms have been fully extended, the head
being held with the face partially submerged and the eyes at water
level, the arm pull is made by turning the hands slightly, palms
outward, the arms taking an outward and downward sweep until
they form with each other an angle of go degrees ; in this latter
position the hands should not be more than
18
ins. below the
surface.
The. arms are recovered by bringing the hands below the chin,
the elbows being held close to the body and the arms then stretched
out to their original position.
Breathing
When the arms are thrust forward into their stretched out
position, described at the beginning of the preceding paragraph,
the swimmer should exhale—(breathe out)—slowly through nose or
mouth, or both ; this operation should be completed before the arm
pull begins ; while the latter is taking place the head will be raised
above the surface, and a full breath should be taken steadily through
the nose and mouth. The correct timing of the complete breathing
operation is most important.
Leg Action
The leg action begins with the body held straight and close to
the surface of the water with toes pointing backwards, heels to-
gether. The legs are then drawn upward, with the knees bent
and pointing outwards, till the space between the legs is diamond
shape ; the legs should then be thrust outwards and then backwards
to the limit of their reach and closed with full vigour until the
original position is attained.
• The correct timing of the leg action is also most important and
the movement should be carried out as follows :
Immediately the arms have performed their pull, the legs should
be drawn up into the diamond shaped position ready to make their
outward thrust. The leg thrust is begun as the arms start their
recovery, and finished as the arms are about to start their pull.
Learning and Practice
The arm action can be learnt and practised while the swimmer
is standing in the water, close to the side of the bath, with his
back against the wall, and then while he walks across the bath,
chest deep in the water.
The leg action can be carried out while the swimmer takes hold
of the bath rail' with one hand, the other being placed against the
wall below the surface of the water, the body being held out close
to the surface. Further practice of the leg action can be obtained
by resting the hands on a water polo ball at arms' length and by
moving backwards and forwards across the bath.
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