RE: [Paddlewise] Improving the Forward Stroke [was: Real life rolling]

I'd toss in my 2 cents here: one comment on Brent's "chicken wing" concept.
Yes, the elbow on the upper arm should be elevated during the rotation, but
those of us with touchy shoulders (and I stress this point with my students)
need to make sure the elbow stays a touch below, or at least no higher than
the wrist.  If the elbow is elevated above the wrist, stress is placed on
the rotator cuff.  Brent stresses elbow above wrist for the idealized racer
stroke.  In my case, this causes instant painful feedback.  Lowering the
elbow to wrist level, or just a smidge below, eliminates that pain.

I would consider that this is just a matter of my own particular shoulders
(I was considering shoulder surgery at one point, having been diagnosed with
bone spurs in my rotator cuffs, but eliminated the problem by really
refining my rotation and arm position).  But working with a broad range of
students has shown that many people experience pain when the elbow is
elevated above the wrist, no matter how good the rest of the mechanics are.

Mitch
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net 
> [mailto:owner-paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net] On Behalf Of Joshua 
> Teitelbaum
> Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2004 2:45 AM
> To: mkayaks_at_oz.net; Paddlewise
> Subject: [Paddlewise] Improving the Forward Stroke [was: Real 
> life rolling]
> 
> 4.  TAKING THE PADDLE OUT OF THE WATER.  When you hand 
> reaches your hip 
> (Brent Reitz's "chicken wing").  In order to try to get good 
> rotation, I 
> used to think I had to take it out of the water much further 
> back than 
> that.  But if you draw it through the water at a 45 degree 
> angle, you still 
> get good rotation.
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