In a message dated 7/13/00 1:45:07 PM, MJAkayaker writes: << Did learning the hand roll first cure the pulling down problem when they tried rolling with the paddle or did they still have that problem when they restarted using the paddle?>> No, but they did feel a little more guilty for having pulled on the paddle after learning that they didn't even need the paddle to roll. I suspect (I pray) that over time they will merge the two roll techniques to arrive at my idea of perfect paddle roll form. << I have seen the hand-roll in the "Grace Under Pressure" video. It is a C-to-C roll but I am not sure what you mean by a two-handed C-to-C. Is this different from what is in the "Grace Under Pressure" video (if you have seen the video)? >> Only slightly, the one I teach sweeps down with the left hand (for a right hand roll) as the right arm reaches out away from the boat. At maximum extension, the hip snap starts, the hip snap is followed with a layback. This seems to be easier for people who are not extremely flexible. << Are you teaching in a pool? In a pool I was not bothered with trying and missing rolls. When I was being taught in salt-water I liked it a lot better when the instructors did things in real small steps such that I never spent much time flailing away under water. Does the hand-roll first method result in more initial "failures" than the "holding hand-supporting paddle at 90 deg -guide paddle sweep" progression that many instructors use? Are you using some kind of progression in teaching the hand roll?>> I teach in fresh / flat water. Students are encouraged to wear face masks or goggles and nose plugs. I actual find I can teach, using the helping hands, without initial failure. As the student learns to lift themselves higher, I move my helping hands closer to the water surface and further away from the paddler. This way the difficulty factor is slowly increased as they approach proper form. I teach via a retro-progression, meaning I teach the last step first, then the second to last step and on and on. We start with hip flicks with me supporting their elbows, then they learn to extend their arms resting their fingers on my hand. Then I put hand paddles on them and I support them again while they get comfortable with the hand paddles. After several iterations I remove my hands (without their knowing) and they perform their first unassisted hand paddle roll. After much cheering and congratulations we remove one of the hand paddles. This is where they experience their first failure if their technique slips. So they try again and are successful as long as technique is solid. Then we remove the other hand paddle and I spot their hand with my fingers. If they push too hard their hand falls off my fingers. At some point when I expect success I reduce my support until they are confident they can do it without me. Now I spot from the end of the boat and only help if they blow the roll. But I don't pull them all the way up, they must hipsnap to get up. I just assist with the turning of the boat but not enough to bring them fully upright. Once they can C to C handroll, I can put a paddle in their hands and show them how to sweep, maintaining that feeling of pulling yourself to the surface. If they hipsnap just like they learned for the hand roll all is good and they then have a C to C roll. For the record, I much prefer the Screw Roll. I find it faster and more powerful. But the C to C helps people learn to pull themselves up rather than pull down on the paddle during the sweep. My Screw Roll became much more powerful once I learned to approach it from a C to C type of mentality. Forgive me if this is old hat to the veterans out there, but since I never had any instruction (other than reading) in rolling, I'm guess I'm reinventing the wheel. My recent success with this technique may just be a fluke, but it is a major revelation to me and my success rate teaching the screw roll has been low recently. Jed (still not gonna reveal my real name) Luby Goffstown, NH *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Thu Jul 13 2000 - 12:33:59 PDT
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