Success in Athletics and how to obtain it

226 SUCCESS IN ATHLETICS training methods, the camera, if manipulated by a skilful operator who can be made to realise one's requirements, is probably more useful than the cine– matograph in some ways ; but just before the war one heard from France of a new kind of cinematograph machine which takes the pictures at such an abnormal speed that the very slightest body movements are recorded. These pictures are then projected on to the screen at a greatly reduced speed, so that the evolutions may be analysed detail by detail. If these pictures are taken in the nude, they must be of the greatest value to athlete and trainer alike, as showing the muscles brought into play, and to what extent they are used. Moreover, if the trainer has cinematograph photo– graphs taken of his charges at work, he can at once see if there is any misapplication of their efforts, and where it occurs; he is then able to correct it the next time the athlete comes out. Without the aid of the cinematograph this is impossible, for no matter how experienced the trainer may be, he cannot follow every detail of the rapidly carried out movements with his eyes. So far from the trainer's point of view. Now as to the athlete's. Burns's famous lines,"'Oh wad some power the giftie gie us, to see oursels as others see us ! " express something which has been the athlete's need ever since athletics first c'ommenced. It is all very well for the trainer to tell the jumper that he is "not getting his lay-out flat enough," but it is very diffi– cult for the athlete to realise just how flat he is laying out when he is in mid-air; but now he can actually see himself by means of the cinematograph,