This must first be practised on a bar reaching not higher than the waist. The feat is to clear the bar as shown in Fig. 29. Some amount of confidence will be required for the performance of this exercise, and there must be no hesitation in the matter, or over you will come on your nose. First practise jumping on to the bar, so as to touch with both feet _inside_ the hands; then try outside, and, when you have become accustomed to this movement, you may make your attempt to go clean over. You must be careful to let go with the hands at the proper moment when in position shown in Fig. 29.
The exercise is usually first acquired on the ‘horse’ (an apparatus which we shall describe in due course), and is much more difficult on the horizontal bar, but as it is a very pretty finish to a series of combined movements, we have introduced it here.
We should recommend your having some one standing in front of the bar when you commence to practise this movement, to catch you in case your feet do not quite clear.
This is perhaps the most difficult of all the exercises on the bar, and requires great strength and nerve for its accomplishment. There are very few gymnasts who can do it properly, which is not to be wondered at, considering the amount of practice that it involves. Only the advanced gymnasts, those who have completely mastered all the foregoing exercises (especially the clear circle, which is the preliminary to the long swing), should attempt it.
Start from position as in Fig. 6, and raise the body up (Fig. 30), then descend with a dashing swing (Fig. 31), bending the body backward, and just as you are underneath the bar throw the legs forward and the head back. This will have the effect of bringing you up above the bar. You must now bend the arms slightly, to bring you nearer the bar, over which you should come with the chest thrown out. This position is the most awkward part of the whole swing, for the hands will be found too far over the bar. To rectify this you must make what is known as the shift, which consists of making a rapid turn with the hands, bringing the palms on to the top of the bar, when you can straighten the arms (Fig. 32), ready for another circle.
The long swing can also be performed forward, but it is even more difficult than the one just described.