Monday, February 18, 2013

Kayak Flat Water Technique - Stroke Phases

It has been some time since I presented anything relating to one of my passions ... coaching kayak technique. So here goes ...

There are four phases to each paddle stroke. This is not anything radical and is consistent with the approach that I have seen quite a few people advocate with one change of emphasis.

I will discuss each of the four phases in more detail in later posts. To start, the four phases are:

- Start Position
This correlates with what is often spoken of as the recovery or airwork and is commonly expressed as the last of the four phases. I very consciously place this as the first phase because I believe it is vital in establishing the effectiveness of the stroke. As such I want paddlers to be conscious of starting the stroke well and that is why I speak of it as the "Start Position". I relate the Start Position to the backswing in golf. If you have a lousy backswing you're going to have a lousy swing. If you have a lousy Start Position you're going to have a lousy stroke. A good Start Position does not guarantee a good stroke but a lousy Start Position pretty much ensures a lousy stroke.

- Catch
They key here is getting the paddle in the water to take best advantage of what the paddle is designed to do. It is vital is to get the paddle "locked" in the water to set up an optimal Power phase.

- Power
Here is where the paddler takes advantage of the biomechanical set up established in the Start Position together with the optimal "paddle lock" established by the Catch to project the boat forward.

- Exit
This phase is undervalued by most paddlers. The value of a good Exit is not in propulsion but is in conserving energy, retaining momentum and not interfering with the paddler's balance. A good Exit is key in lifting stroke rate without losing stroke effectiveness and efficiency.

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