Technique Critique

Fire away and let me know what you think:



Balance sucks, rotation could be much better, my pushing knee drops before its time (and so does my body rotation), I think I might be dragging the paddle a bit past where it needs to come out... At one point I lenghtened my paddle - which do you think looks better (the first part, with the shorter paddle, or the second part, with the longer paddle)? What else and how to improve it?

Thanks!

Firstly my technique sucks. However your top hand looks like it is too late in coming across. This stops the paddle from being vertical enough in the stroke.

I would probably say you don't seem to have any prep time between each stroke. Giving the impression of a propeller.
So when your paddle enters the water it is no where near verticals and you end up using your arms to power yourself instead of your core. Hence no rotation.
For me the fix would be to slow it down a bit. When you lift your paddle out of the water lead with your el ow not your lower hand. Your paddle should come up vertical.
As a drill when the paddle is out of the water hold it for a fraction of a second in the parallel position before spearing the blade forward into the water.
My two cents.
Cheers
Chris

Thanks for the thoughts. Some questions: you both say "vertical" and if understand you correctly, you both imply that I should be planting my paddle vertically (as seen from the side, I presume). I was intentionally not planting it vertically, with he idea that by the time I get it fully underwater it would be about vertical and I would then unwind and pull. Another reason for not planting it fully vertically is that I'm under the impression that if there is a slight angle, I could benefit from the lift generated when the paddle enters the water, before it is fully submerged. I've read anout this and I think it works. This is different from pulling back before the paddle is fully submerged (which would result in lots of splashing and turbulence).

I did work on taking the paddle out of the water more through the rotation and less with my lower arms. I think thick as helpful. I also worke on taking the paddle a bit sooner out of the water so that I did not pull to the rear past where it is useful.

Next I worked on keeping my torso rotated during the catch (is seem to be unwinding a bit too early in this video here). This seems to help too, but is not easy, especially when it gets a bit bumpier. Lifting the pushing arm's elbow a bit up seems to help with this a it lines-up my joints better for the pushing arm in the catch phase and the power phase.

Lastly, I lengthened my paddle a bit. It seems to allow me to do a better catch.

Oh,and pausing for the prep time - I do they to slow down sometimes, but I don't want to do it artificially - I try to be more fluid from stroke to stroke, though I guess a bit of a pause will not hurt to practice while I try to get things under control

I'll shoot another video shortly and wanted to work on some of these points a bit before I check progress. But, if you have other comments in the mean time, please share.

You need to spear the blade into the water, not slap it onto the water. The blade needs to be fully immersed before you pull.

Yup. Someone else I paddle with commented that I might not be submerging the paddle deep enough at the catch. Are you seeing this too?

But in the process of spearing it down, I've read that it does help to do it at a slight angle relative to the direction of spearing, so that it generates forward lift while entering the water. Not too much as it would splash otherwise, but enough to feel it. Once in, comes the pull.

I recommend attending a paddle clinic. Helped me a lot!
Found out what a hack I was, and probably still am.

Dave Hunter posted this drill on the catch a wee while ago on youtube.
If I've screwed up the link , which is very likely , his username on ]you tube is "makofenn"

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Hope it helps

Thanks!

This is the link:


And his 2nd drill is this (the last few seconds are interesting, about not to over rotate, although I've been given exactly the opposite drill by a coach - to over rotate, touch the cross-side of he boat, then do the catch):

Fath2o wrote: I recommend attending a paddle clinic. Helped me a lot!
Found out what a hack I was, and probably still am.

I couldn't agree more... There is no substitute for on (and off) the water one on one professional help.