SWIMMING ON THE BACK.
This style of progression in the water is useful to the swimmer in many circumstances in which he may find himself. It is of benefit as a means of rest ing, and in case of cramp; and it is also of the greatest service in cases of rescue, as will be shown in the chapter devoted to that part of the subject; while to learn it is as easy as it may afterwards be found to be useful. Many pupils learn to swim on the back before making any progress at all in the ordinary stroke.
A certain amount of confidence is necessary for the first trial; and the learner need not be afraid to lay himself well out on his back in the water. The first inclination is to crouch, and draw the legs up; now the pupil should remember that immediately the limbs are drawn up, and the body bent forward, the chest becomes contracted, air is expelled from the lungs, the centre of gravity is destroyed, and naturally the body will sink. The learner must therefore make up his mind to stretch the legs well out, lean the head back, expand the chest, and hollow the back, put the hands on the waist, kick slowly, steadily, and with precision, the same in every detail as in ordinary swimming, that is, when kicking wide to clip the legs together, and finish the movement by bringing the feet up to the body, turning the knees and toes outward when so doing.
Be careful not to bring the weight of the knees on the body, else that will cause it to sink; do not kick downward, nor hitch the body in any way.
It will become apparent to the pupil that strong or vigorous movements can be more easily dispensed with while on the back than with any of the other branches of swimming. At first the movement must be performed gently, the slightest motion of the legs, when neatly done, will sustain and at the same time propel the body. This is known as the plain back stroke.