Re: [Paddlewise] A new way to teach the forward stroke?

Jim wrote:

> Count me as a third.

Fourth or fifth, actually. :-)

  I have a racing background and paddle hard a lot.
> It is literally painful for me to paddle slowly. Fellow paddlers get
> annoyed when I paddle circles around them, but it is a good way for me
> to stay comfortable.
Do they ever ask you to circle the other way round, so they won't get 
dizzy? I asked that of an ice-skater once. She tried, but couldn't: 
She'd only learned to turn left.

> Some students understand and learn from technical explanations and some
> can't stand them. For the techies the kind of analysis that has been in
> this thread would be useful. I have, however, been able to teach and to
> coach some very successful kayakers without ever getting too analytical
> in the beginning.

I don't get technical either during my sessions, for 2 reasons:
- 99% of my audience won't understand;
- ALL of my audience has come to PADDLE and not to listen to physics.

However, I think that what little I tell them should be based on solid 
facts. That's just me and my ethics: I don't like to mislead people, not 
even in their own interest. That's mostly why I bring the topic to 
Paddlewise: To check my facts.

During sessions, I want to give my students the simplest, shortest, most 
intuitive advice that I can, without straying from the facts. My usual 
advice (paddle vertical, keep it high, keep it far, rotate your torso) 
is already too much advice: I have to repeat it dozens of times before 
it starts to sink in.
If my vertical-rest stands up to scrutiny, it might be a very simple and 
fast way to teach the forward stroke: "Find the position of rest!" 
instead of "paddle vertical, keep it high, keep it far, rotate your torso."

  When I do get technical is in the process of
> perfecting their natural stroke. Since people are put together
> differently they will paddle differently. In my opinion.

I agree. As I said in my video: "The concessions are your own to make."

> I've learned a lot from this thread and want to send my appreciation to
> everyone to has contributed.

I'm glad I'm not the only one enjoying this discussion.

Niels
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