Re: [Paddlewise] Bad forward sweep

Hi folks.  This is gonna be long -- I got carried away  ;->

Peter O wrote:
When stationary I can get a forward sweep to move a sea kayak about 45
degrees but when moving the forward sweep gives only about 20 degrees - less
on choppy water unless I'm on top of a wave. This compares with 90 degrees
rotation for a reverse sweep whether moving or stationary. Attempts to do
better wind up improving nothing but my roll:~).

Jim T's response included:
....a stationary boat turns better with a forward sweep than a reverse
   <and>
The bow forward sweep is quite strong if the legs are engaged - push the
feet away from the paddle using your waist muscles.

 A different Jim added:
A slow sweep seems more productive than a fast one.

John's response included:
If you place the paddle in the water and think of rotating the boat with
your
torso rather than pulling the paddle through the water it works well but
it's a lot easier to do from a stationary position.  There are a couple of
other things to think about.  Keep a low paddle angle and extend the
outside arm to draw a "C" in the water.  Finish the stroke by making sure
that the paddle blade comes all the way back near the stern.

he adds:
Probably the most effective addition to a sweep stroke is a good amount of
edging.  That usually involves tilting the blade back just a little to
provide a little bracing support. [You may or may not want to do this --
it's a good thing to do if it adds to your sense of security -bv]
One exercise that I like is to do a
forward sweep with the boat edged toward the side with the paddle in the
water.  At the end of the sweep flip the blade over to a low brace position
and skim it across the surface toward the bow for another sweep without
changing the boat edging.

Bob writing now:
This is all very good stuff!  Permit me to summarize and explain some of
these points (with deference to the many superior paddlers on this list).

Let's start with edging.  When you edge a boat (by raising one knee and
lowering the opposite butt), you keep your center of gravity over the boat.
The hips are slanted relative to the upper body, which is upright. Often the
head acts as a counterweight, keeping the center of gravity over the boat by
cocking over to the side of the raised knee.  If you're capsizing a lot
while sweeping agressively, you're probably *leaning* -- tilting hips, upper
body and head in line such that your center of gravity is no longer over the
boat.  If this fits what you are doing, then you'll benefit greatly from
edging practice until you are perfectly comfortable with it.
The technical advantage of edging is that it changes your hull shape.  It
partially removes the sharp bow and stern keels, which are designed to help
your boat track straight, from the water. That's why it's easier to turn on
the crest of a wave.  In addition, your edged hull has a shorter waterline
and has more rocker than does the vertical hull.  This also makes it easier
to turn the boat.

Jim T mentioned your legs and John talked about torso rotation.  When done
effectively, they're part of the same action.  Most beginners, and many
not-so-new paddlers, keep their upper bodies more or less aligned with their
kayaks when attempting to sweep.  This results in an awkward finishing
position and an ineffective sweep.  As John says, think about planting your
paddle close to your feet and then using your BODY to sweep it around to the
stern.  That means that at the end of a full sweep your torso will be turned
to about 90 degrees relative to the boat, and your paddle shaft will be
parallel to the boat, extended a few inches over the water.  While you
rotate your whole upper body to move the paddle from bow to stern, your
sweep will be highly effective if you push your legs in the opposite
direction! This gives you major torso rotation and firmly imparts the effect
of the paddle movement to the boat.

Jim (not T) mentioned that for him, a slow sweep is more effective than a
fast one.  I'm sure that's because he rotates his body well on the slow
sweep, but forces with his arms and shoulders on the fast attempt.  Seen it
many times, and done it many more!

Finally, let's talk about paddle shaft and blade angles.  For a full sweep,
you want to extent the paddle as far as you can without compromising your
balance.  To do that, keep the sweeping arm straight (you can lock your
elbow during the sweep), and at the same time place your offside hand low
and firmly at your midsection.  Placing the offside hand here helps the
sweep by keeping the paddle shaft low (thus placing the paddle further away
from the boat), and it forces the paddler to rotate the body rather than
muscle with arms. If you finish a sweep with your offside hand high and away
from your body, you know it was an inefficient sweep.
As for blade angle:  the most effective angle for the sweep would be
perpendicular to the water.  However, if you angle the top of the blade back
just a few degrees, you will get a bit of support without losing significant
turning power.  This support, in turn, allows you to sweep even more
agressively when you need or want to.

This is a lot to digest, but it boils down to:
Begin by edging (usually to the side opposite the direction of the intended
turn -- to the side on which you will sweep the paddle)
Place the paddle blade perpendicular to the water, next to your foot.
Keep your onside arm straight, even stiff.
Keep your offside hand next to your midsection.
Move the paddle by rotating the body, not the shoulder girdle.
Maintain the edge!
Keep rotating until the paddle is close to the stern (you get the most power
when the paddle is between your hip and the stern).
Finish with your body facing the sweep side and the paddle shaft over the
water and parallel to your kayak.  As you finish, bring the boat back off
the edge for stability.

The above describes a full sweep.  In real life, you will usually use a
stroke that combines elements of the sweep and the forward stroke.  For
that, the most important and effective component is the edge.

Cheers
    bv


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