Peter Osmun said that he'd been told that <<it doesn't seem to be necessary to rotate the wrist provided the paddle length and forward stroke are adjusted appropriately.>> And he asked for thoughts on paddle length. I'll bet it's true that longer paddles are more often associated with a higher incidence of wrist problems - but whether that's because of the paddle length itself or the style of paddling is not as clear to me. Around here, I I don't see many people using paddles of greater than 220 cm length and it seems that most folks are using 210 cm almost regardless of upper body height - but I still run into people who complain about wrist problems from paddles, feathered or otherwise. I do think it has more to do with technique than with paddle length. It has seemed to me, as I've worked through my own wrist "problems" (fortunately never severe or permanent ones) and as I've observed wrist problems in others - that the most important things are how tightly the paddle is gripped, and whether the paddler feels committed to a never-changing paddle grip. I think we all tend to grip the paddle too tightly, especially when conditions get a bit more difficult. With practice and some attention, that tendency can be overcome. To me, it seems this too-tight paddle grip is one of the biggest cause of wrist problems. Second, and maybe almost as important, is that it really is *not* necessary to bend wrists, if one is willing to allow a relaxed paddle grip and also to rotate the paddle *minimally* as one shifts the on-water side of the paddle from left to right and back again. This tiny bit of paddle rotation helps a lot! Paddle rotation - not wrist or elbow rotation. I know that some very good paddlers like to rotate their wrists, and/or bend their elbows, during the stroke. I've been taught that one should aim for an almost-straight elbow, with just a flick of elbow flexion as the on-water side of the paddle comes out of the water. This "straight" elbow paddling increases potential power and endurance, because one is using back and abdominal muscles, which are much larger than anyone's arm muscles, and this is true whether you're paddling "Greenland-style" or "Euro-style". If we're citing well-know British paddling instructors, Nigel Foster of the BCU makes this point repeatedly during his classes. He also emphasizes torso rotation, which encourages or permits the straight-elbow paddling technique. Whitney Smith and Cathy Piffath, both wonderful ACA instructors for H2Outfitters, make this same point. Am I able to do all these things all the time? Of course not. But when I do pay attention to them, I have more power, more stamina, and fewer wrist problems. Bill Hansen Ithaca NY not a formal instructor *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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