Wing paddle question

Table tennis began in Victorian England as a parlor game for the upper-middle class . Since that time the game reached worldwide popularity (and contributed to "Ping-Pong diplomacy" between the USA and China during the Nixon administration). The photographer Alec Soth printed a book consisting of vintage table-tennis photos gathered from elsewhere and eBay, accompanied by a conversation between the authors Geoff Dyer and Pico Iyer. Table tennis is "a way to do a physical game that has actual athletic qualities but is kind of included," says Soth, who plays every day in his studio. " There's a true element for this. It is not chess, but your brain is engaged. It's a break from neuroses." Provisional patent issued to Englishman for "table tennis": 1885 Celluloid versions are replaced by balls: 1900 Table tennis introduced to China: 1901 Year table tennis became an Olympic game: www.scoop.it/t/ping-pong-sporthttps://ww...it/t/ping-pong-sport

There's paddle feather angle (blade angle in relation to each other), blade twist

(sometimes called pitch), and blade to shaft offset (sometimes called bend, like a bent canoe paddle). These are all different, but the terms are frequently interchanged, so it can be very confusing. I'm assuming you are talking about the latter, which is similar but less pronounced than in bent-shaft canoe paddles.

My understanding is that this offset keeps the blade vertical, longer, during the power phase.

According to one source:

Offset is less common today than it was years ago. The offset angle refers to a deviation from the long axis of the paddle shaft, usually in the forward direction.
I believe the theory was to allow greater forward propulsion in the middle and back of the stroke....

The kayakforum wiki site provides the following explanation:

If you look more closely at a wing paddle, you'll see that the blades usually have a slight twist and are bent up away from the shaft. The twist gives the paddle a tendency to push out away from the boat during the stroke. It may also contribute to a better angle of attack as the twist accommodates the increase in blade velocity relative to the water outboard. The bend gives the stroke a more powerful catch.

Note that one source claims the "bend" helps with the catch, and the other, the power phase and exit, so there is some confusion about this.

You are right that this shape can cause the paddle blades to roll forward in your hands if you completely relax your grip, while holding the paddle horizontally. However, the forces during an actual stroke make this a non-issue in use.

That said, unlike some other blade types that just "fall" into the correct orientation when you relax your grip, you have to take care to orient and hold the paddle properly or you can capsize if not careful (I have only had an issue with this at night after taking a break). Some tape along the shaft or a kayak paddle index grip (aka fingerboard), can help you to find the correct orientation by feel. Oval shafts help too.