I hope I haven't sent this twice. I sent another version yesterday but it hasn't appeared. Anyway... The push vs pull for the forward stroke: Put the blade in the water at about your knee or so. Hold the lower hand and arm absolutely still and push hard with the top arm. Use the lower hand as a fulcrum, don't pull at all. What happens? The boat creeps forward about ten inches. Now take a stroke using only the lower arm and no push. Start the stroke with the top arm straight and don't bend it at all. A clumsy stroke, but the boat jumps about a boat length forward. So which does the most work? When I raced and coached sprint kayak [in the 1960s] the Scandinavian style stroke had no push at all. It was called the "sway-impulse" stroke. Both arms were pretty much locked straight, the shaft never went higher than an inch or so off the cockpit rim and the seat was very high, almost to the deck in some cases. The guys who paddled this way, with no push, won a lot of world championships. But so did Stefan Kaplanik, the Polish 500 meter specialist. He told me that the push was 75% of his power. And he was so powerful that he sometimes broke his footbraces or snapped the seat off its mounting. The sermon is: There is no such thing as a perfect forward stroke. Different body types, different musculature, sense or lack of balance; these all affect the forward stroke. In rowing there is a perfect technique because the oar is fixed. Paddles are free ranging, like those tasty chickens. A good instructor/coach will be flexible in this area and not try to shoe horn everyone into an idealized technique. Watch the racers, you'll see some really ugly strokes done by the guys wearing the gold medals. Analysis might show that the ugly technique is perfect for the individual using it. End of today's sermon. Bless us all. Jim Tibensky _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
In a message dated 5/9/01 1:13:58 PM Pacific Daylight Time, dkruger_at_pacifier.com writes: > > The paddle I use has a smaller blade face than the Camano, so I doubt > switching > from a 235 SJ to a 235 Camano would have been OK. I understand. I think that's the problem with the "any 'ol paddle will do jes fine" approach to paddle selection that some advocate (not attributing anything to you here, Dave -- it's just that you got me thinking). Sure, you can make the boat go and even get used to any paddle you use. But at some point there is the tendency to overdo it, and using a paddle which is much too big for your individual body type and conditioning can reek havoc on you. Then, once the damage is done, remedial measures are called for -- such as an appropriately-sized or even smaller paddle. Injury is nature's way of telling us we have more to learn about ... paddle sizing? For the record, the only > time I wish I had that San Juan back is in surf. That small Lightning stick > just does not give me enough push on bracing and steering, _quick enough!_ > > It's hell getting old! > Amen, Brother. Though even ten years ago, I could pull my body apart with a 220 Camano. My body is built more for the 220 Little Dipper. Anything larger and I have to be careful or I'll strip my gears. Harold *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:33:22 PDT