RE: [Paddlewise] Forward stroke

I won't be in the kayak until the weekend/holiday so will wait until
then to try out and respond to some of the comments made.  I will take
the canoe out again tonight for a spin and try out of plant, punch, hip
thrust, etc.

I can make a couple of comments now, though:

I use torso rotation and try to push with the upper hand when I think of
it but that lasts 2-3 minutes and then I get distracted and forget about
it.  When I start getting tired I think of it more so do it more.
Otherwise, I would say most of the strain is in my forearms, and I
consciously try to put tension on my middle back by leaning forward for
longer, more exaggerated strokes.

When I paddle with stiff arms at chest height, I fatigue quickly.  I've
been doing weight work on arms, back and shoulders for a year and a half
so it's not like I'm terribly weak or anything like that. I don't know
if its because my arms and shoulders are too tense or what.  

When I push with the upper hand, I feel clumsy and the paddle seems
awkward and I feel unstable.  It's like there's not enough resistance to
the blade from the water so maybe what's been said about a deep paddle
is the problem.  I know I usually have at least 2/3 in the water and my
hands are closer to my belly than my chest which means the paddle is
more horizontal than verticle.  That is a comfortable position for me.

To put me in perspective, I took a week long course with MaineSport in
Maine (imagine that) where I was with ACA certified instructors 24 hours
a day so was on the water all day and got lectured in the evenings.
 
I'm ok with the way I paddle now.  I enjoy the workout and don't plan on
long passages or even trips of more than 15-20 miles which I can handle
with not much problem.  I would just like to know I can do it the 'right
way' even if I choose to do it my way.

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