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stroke [2025/05/07 12:03] 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. | + | **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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| * Chest open and shoulders down firmly in sockets. Don't over-reach; this can lead to injury. | * Chest open and shoulders down firmly in sockets. Don't over-reach; this can lead to injury. | ||
| - | //Comments: As with many technique elements, you will notice significant differences even in successful paddlers. Cory Hill is a [[https://youtu.be/8W0OlMOazGw?t=19|good example]] of a surfskier who employs more forward lean than most. Some surfski buckets are more conducive to slumping than others are. // | + | //Comments: As with many technique elements, you will notice significant differences even in successful paddlers. Cory Hill is a [[https://youtu.be/8W0OlMOazGw?t=19|good example]] of a surfskier who employs more forward lean than most. Also, be aware that some surfski buckets are more conducive to slumping than others are. Surfski.info [[https://surfski.info/forum/2-announcements/17945-slouching-not-sitting-up-straight.html#20283|discussion about posture]]// |
| ==== Setup ==== | ==== Setup ==== | ||
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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. | + | * [[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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| * **Low Brace **- typically putting the non-power side of one blade (occasionally low braces are done with the blade's power side in canoes) more or less flat on the water surface at a 45 degree angle behind you. Your [[:paddles|wing paddle]] will generally be as close to horizontal as practical given that it has to angle over your boat. Both hands are kept low vertically. Sometimes people rest the paddle on their legs or lap. (one of Oscar Chalupsky's energy saving tips and how Boyan Zlatarev teaches it) . Boyan teaches a slight lean to the side that you brace on. You can lean more to the brace side if you need to apply more weight on the brace, but the point is to keep your boat upright - generally you do not lean a lot and you just apply very light pressure to maintain contact to sense the available support while minimizing drag and speed loss. This is the kind of brace used by surfskiers (OC's also use a low brace with their single blade paddles). You need to practice and get **completely** comfortable with both sides (if you [[:terminology#feather|feather]] your blade angles, bracing on one side will likely seem more awkward at first). This brace is also often used for support on the side you are turning toward if you are on a wave. With more pressure it can act more like a rudder assisting side wise turning but also reducing speed more. | * **Low Brace **- typically putting the non-power side of one blade (occasionally low braces are done with the blade's power side in canoes) more or less flat on the water surface at a 45 degree angle behind you. Your [[:paddles|wing paddle]] will generally be as close to horizontal as practical given that it has to angle over your boat. Both hands are kept low vertically. Sometimes people rest the paddle on their legs or lap. (one of Oscar Chalupsky's energy saving tips and how Boyan Zlatarev teaches it) . Boyan teaches a slight lean to the side that you brace on. You can lean more to the brace side if you need to apply more weight on the brace, but the point is to keep your boat upright - generally you do not lean a lot and you just apply very light pressure to maintain contact to sense the available support while minimizing drag and speed loss. This is the kind of brace used by surfskiers (OC's also use a low brace with their single blade paddles). You need to practice and get **completely** comfortable with both sides (if you [[:terminology#feather|feather]] your blade angles, bracing on one side will likely seem more awkward at first). This brace is also often used for support on the side you are turning toward if you are on a wave. With more pressure it can act more like a rudder assisting side wise turning but also reducing speed more. | ||
| + | * **Exceptions: **As with many things, there can be exceptions to the brace position just described. If you are in very choppy water and/or in waves that are coming from one or both sides behind you, when you brace you may want to keep your blade farther forward rather than behind you at a 45 degree angle, so your paddle is less likely to get submerged/surprised by side/backside waves which would otherwise cause you to pull yourself into the water when you try to recover your bracing blade. Similarly in such conditions it is also a good idea to concentrate on keeping your forward stroke blade recovery no later than beside your body (or earlier) to reduce the likelihood of the finish of your stroke coinciding with a wave landing on top of and trapping your recovering blade. | ||
| * **High Brace **- recovery support and sharp turn stroke (high brace turn) on one side with higher (vertically) hand positions using the power side of blade. Commonly used by sea and white water kayakers - proper technique is critical (take care about not letting your hands get too high or too far away from your body - watch video immediately below) because it can put significant stress on your shoulders. | * **High Brace **- recovery support and sharp turn stroke (high brace turn) on one side with higher (vertically) hand positions using the power side of blade. Commonly used by sea and white water kayakers - proper technique is critical (take care about not letting your hands get too high or too far away from your body - watch video immediately below) because it can put significant stress on your shoulders. | ||
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