I'm curious about whether there's much support for the following comment, from Lightning Paddle's Web site: Budding competitive paddlers might want to think about left control if they are right handed (and vice versa) as there is informal (unsubstantiated?) anatomical / physiological and kinesthetic evidence that paddling with the "wrong" hand as control hand is most efficient. As a left-hander, I've been advised to switch to right control anyway because (a) it better positions me to use loaners and (b) makes my paddle more useful as a loaner or for resale. Efficiency gain would be a lot more persuasive, though. ...I can paddle right control in a pinch. Just haven't done it with enthusiasm, to date. Best, Margot *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
"Margot Pantalone" <mpantalo_at_tennessee.edu> wrote: > I'm curious about whether there's much support for the following comment, > from Lightning Paddle's Web site: Budding competitive paddlers might want > to think about left control if they are right handed (and vice versa) as > there is informal (unsubstantiated?) anatomical / physiological and > kinesthetic evidence that paddling with the "wrong" hand as control hand is > most efficient. Margot, it might be good to read what the Broze Bros have to say about control on the Mariner web site, under "PADDLING YOUR KAYAK" about halfway down (many screens) this portion: http://www.marinerkayaks.com/mkhtml/MKMANUW.html I suspect using less "control" may be in your best interests. -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Margot said: I'm curious about whether there's much support for the following comment, from Lightning Paddle's Web site: Budding competitive paddlers might want to think about left control if they are right handed (and vice versa) as there is informal (unsubstantiated?) anatomical / physiological and kinesthetic evidence that paddling with the "wrong" hand as control hand is most efficient. When I learned to kayak it was to be a sprint racer. The two Hungarian guys who were my coaches both said that a person whose right arm is stronger should use a left-handed paddle. They, being old-fashioned Hungarians, would not give an explanantion. Someone else, though, told me it was because it took a teeny amount of time to flip the paddle with the control hand. It was assumed that a right-handed person would take his or her first stroke on the right at the start of the race. By using a left-handed paddle, one would take two strokes before having to change blade angle with the control hand. To this day, forty years later, I still use a left-handed paddle. What was funny was that when I went to the sprint World Championships in 1970, all the Hungarian paddlers, and they were great racers, were using right-handed blades. So it's really amazing to see that old idea pop up again. Jim Tibensky *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
On Tuesday 26 April 2005 20.41, Jim Tibensky wrote: > When I learned to kayak it was to be a sprint racer. The two Hungarian > guys who were my coaches both said that a person whose right arm is > stronger should use a left-handed paddle. Interesting! I have better control of my right arm, but raw power of the left is a wee bit better, and I use right hand control, but am right-handed. My wife is right-handed, but has a stronger right arm, thus she uses left hand control :-)! Tord *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Here is a bit of an article I wrote back in the early 1990's for Sea Kayaker: Right or left hand control? This refers to the hand that (according to traditional instruction) controls the rotation of the paddle shaft on a feathered paddle. The control hand stayed fixed on the shaft and the shaft rotates in the other hand. Spoon blades, asymmetrical blades, and feathers other than 0` or 90`, all make a paddle either right control or left control (a two piece paddle can usually accommodate both feathers as well as unfeathered). If you are already a paddler you have probably made your choice and will stick to it. More than 90% of those using feathered paddles paddle right feathered. If you want to be in the majority or like the idea that you can trade paddles with most other paddler's choose right hand control or a two piece paddle. I assume that this preponderance of right control began because of the confusion between right control and right handedness. Since right handed people have more dexterity with their right hand that would logically be the hand that changes position on the paddle, leaving the left hand to become the control hand. Also, if one is prone to getting a sore wrist on the control side it might as well not affect the best hand. A kayak school did a (not totally rigorous) study of beginning kayaker's by starting their students with feathers either the same or opposite their handedness. They reported that those using a feather opposite their handedness learned quicker, stayed with kayaking longer, and once they had learned to Eskimo roll to one side also could roll on the other. Those with a feather the same as their handedness had to learn to roll to the opposite side much the same as they did the first time. I don't advocate switching feathers (except as a last resort to overcome a wrist problem) because this will (at least temporarily) throw off ones reflexive paddle brace. Most people stick with the way they first learned since that has become comfortable and any change feels awkward. [Note: the information on the paddling school was reported in, I believe, the mid to late 1970's in Canoe magazine (in a section of short pieces near the front). I read it when it first came out but have been unable to find it since. The paddling school that did the study had a name something like Sundance, I think.} Matt Broze www.marinerkayaks.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/ ***************************************************************************
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