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stroke [2025/11/19 14:18] pstureavley |
stroke [2026/02/23 14:50] (current) pstureavley |
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| - | **Below are stroke tips** picked up from fellow paddlers, blogs, videos, etc. This is an attempt at detailing the ideal stroke. Given the differences in paddling philosophies, bodies and abilities this is **not meant to be how we should all paddle**. It's a framework to think about the stroke as we all find what works best for each of us. For more expert advice, visit the resources and video sections below and/or seek out acknowledged experts for lessons. And maybe **keep in mind** that there has been a fair amount of **variety in the stroke technique of the very best** and most successful surfski open ocean racers. Note also that a good part of the advice below is coming from sprint kayak instructors. Their emphasis on effective power can be helpful in general in terms of good technique, but keep in mind that while your technique may be basically the same, if may only be natural to scale back how much power is applied at the catch and early part of your stroke when you are going for much greater distances than sprint kayakers typically race. | + | **Below are stroke tips** picked up from fellow paddlers, blogs, videos, etc. This is an attempt at detailing the ideal stroke. Given the differences in paddling philosophies, bodies and abilities this is **not meant to be how we should all paddle**. It's a framework to think about the stroke as we all find what works best for each of us. For more expert advice, visit the resources and video sections below and/or seek out acknowledged experts for lessons. And maybe **keep in mind** that there has been a fair amount of **variety in the stroke technique of the very best** and most successful surfski open ocean racers. Note also that a good part of the advice below is** coming from sprint kayak instructors**. Their emphasis on effective power can be helpful in general in terms of good technique, but keep in mind that while your technique may be basically the same, if may only be natural to scale back how much power you apply at the catch and early part of your stroke when you are **going for much greater distances** than sprint kayakers typically race. |
| <WRAP center round tip 95%>\\ | <WRAP center round tip 95%>\\ | ||
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| * Shoulders still in their sockets - don't overextend as this can lose power and lead to injury | * Shoulders still in their sockets - don't overextend as this can lose power and lead to injury | ||
| - | * [[https://youtu.be/VqXIF4ToUcE?t=1627|Force is down with weight]]; not backward with pull. This is how Ivan Lawler likes to describe the power phase. We suspect it is more accurate to describe it as a combination of down and back. Your legs are in front of you, not under you, and your rotation is automatically feeding into backward motion. You can generate some downward force as long as your paddle blade has not reached perpendicular. Lawler is probably focusing on this first force part of the stroke/catch as downward because that is where the blade should be most positively angled and the most downward force can be briefly applied. But don't be fooled into thinking most of your force can be directed downward after your catch. | + | * [[https://youtu.be/VqXIF4ToUcE?t=1627|Force is down with weight]]; not backward with pull. This is how Ivan Lawler likes to describe the power phase. We suspect it is more accurate to describe it as a combination of down and back. Your legs are in front of you, not under you, and your rotation is automatically feeding into backward motion. You can generate downward force as long as your paddle blade has not reached perpendicular. Lawler may be focusing on this first force part of the stroke/catch as downward because that is where the blade should be most positively angled and the most downward force can be applied. |
| * The catch arm should be almost straight. (some bend is okay - see what we say below in the Drive section about arm bend. The catch arm may be straight or close to straight at the end of setup, but as the blade reaches submersion there can be/should be some arm bend as soon as Drive is beginning) | * The catch arm should be almost straight. (some bend is okay - see what we say below in the Drive section about arm bend. The catch arm may be straight or close to straight at the end of setup, but as the blade reaches submersion there can be/should be some arm bend as soon as Drive is beginning) | ||
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| * Key to a powerful stroke is power at the beginning of the stroke. | * Key to a powerful stroke is power at the beginning of the stroke. | ||
| - | * <del>Keep lower arm straight or almost straight. Imagine you are pivoting around the spot with the blade stationary in the water; boat moves past the blade, not vice a versa.</del> This advice is a bit off… You do not want to be bending your power side arm excessively or arm paddling (trying to use your biceps too much instead of rotating (but the biceps are definitely engaged)), but as soon as power starts to be applied for most paddlers there is a slight bit of bend in the arm. Max power from the legs and rotation cannot be fully applied by most paddlers with an arm that stays completely straight. Also you want the wing blade to follow its natural drift outward while staying perpendicular to your boat. If you force a completely straight arm throughout your power phase, are you still letting your blade follow its most efficient path? And how smoothly can you make a rapid transition between completely straight and the fairly bent recovery position? The explanation and visual from Ivan Lawler's video ([[https://youtu.be/CL_h6lLaNMM|Day Six Lower Arm]]) is better than we can explain with text. He calls this slight arm bend "somewhere between straight and (//what he calls//) broken". This arm bend can be a little hard to see in paddler videos between the catch and exit, but if you slow down technique videos (e.g. with youtube playback speed settings) you should be able to see it more easily and how quickly the transition occurs between this slight bend (where Mr. Lawler says you are basically "holding on" with the lower arm) during power application and when the lower arm rapidly bends during recovery. | + | * <del>Keep lower arm straight or almost straight. Imagine you are pivoting around the spot with the blade stationary in the water; boat moves past the blade, not vice a versa.</del> This advice is a bit off… You do not want to be bending your power side arm excessively or arm paddling (trying to use your biceps too much instead of rotating (but the biceps are definitely engaged)), but as soon as power starts to be applied for most paddlers there is a slight bit of bend in the arm. Max power from the legs and rotation cannot be fully applied by most paddlers with an arm that stays completely straight. Also you want the wing blade to follow its natural drift outward while staying perpendicular to your boat. If you force a completely straight arm throughout your power phase, are you still letting your blade follow its most efficient path? And how smoothly can you make a rapid transition between completely straight and the fairly bent recovery position? The explanation and visual from Ivan Lawler's video ([[https://youtu.be/CL_h6lLaNMM|Day Six Lower Arm]]) is better than we can explain with text. He calls this slight arm bend "somewhere between straight and (//what he calls//) broken". This arm bend can be a little hard to see in paddler videos between the catch and exit, but if you slow down technique videos (e.g. with youtube playback speed settings) you should be able to see it more easily and how quickly the transition occurs between this slight bend (where Mr. Lawler says you are basically "holding on" with the lower arm) during power application and when the lower arm rapidly bends during recovery. Also watch [[https://www.facebook.com/reel/1214198593979015|paddle2fitness]] (facebook reel) |
| * When driving heel down hold toes back - don't tap your steering with each stroke. | * When driving heel down hold toes back - don't tap your steering with each stroke. | ||
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