Broadwater Dragons Paddling Technique

BASIC SETUP
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1. GRIP ON PADDLE

a. Bottom hand

i. Grip 2-3 fingers above neck of paddle.
ii. Thumb wrapped around opposite side from fingers
iii. Grip should be firm but not tight, with all fingers around shaft.

b. Top hand

i. Hand loosely placed on top of T-grip.
ii. Thumb under or over the T-grip.

2. SEATING POSITION

a. Torso angled slightly forward, chin over mid-thigh region.
b. Both legs braced against seat in front permitting hip rotation


STROKE MECHANISM
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1. ROTATION

a. Rotation is all initiated through the hips by letting inside knee rotate outwards, pushing inside hip back
b. Rotation extends from hips through lumbar and thoracic vertebrae, NOT into cervical vertebrae
c. Keep head looking straight ahead through paddle shaft or up and across for timing cues.
d. Gunwale side shoulder should now be leading

2. REACH/EXTENSION

a. Reach is achieved from the shoulders and arms
b. Torso position and angle remain unchanged in boat (no diving forward from waist, or by flexing back)
c. Top arm extends forward to keep paddle angle closer to vertical
d. Arm is relaxed in reach, torso is stretched

3. TOP ARM DRIVE

a. Top arm initiates paddle entry into water at angle between 70-80º
b. Bottom shoulder pivots allowing both arms to drop towards the water simultaneously
c. Paddle travels along path continuous with shaft of paddle, not vertically
d. Once blade of paddle is submerged up to neck, top arm drive ceases, stabilizes and becomes HIGH PIVOT POINT
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4. CATCH

a. Catch is moment immediately after top arm drive ceases,
stabilization is begun and pull is initiated
b. This is a crucial point in the stroke and should be controlled
c. Once top arm stabilizes, gunwale leg initiates push that puts pressure on blade by starting rotation in torso then transmitted into arm- arm is relaxed and pull absorbed on shoulder and wrist

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5. PULL

a. Water pressure on paddle increases dramatically as rotation increases in speed
b. Pull on bottom shoulder matches and slightly exceeds hull speed
c. Top arm (shoulder, elbow, wrist) height about equal to shoulder
d. Top hand position (vertical and horizontal) remains stable during  first half to two-thirds of the stroke
e. Torso position does not change- rotation around long axis of spine
f. Top arm may drop slightly at exit
g. Gunwale shoulder does not come behind spine: finish square to direction of boat travel/long axis of hull
h. One element that it is essential to convey to paddlers is the importance of a vertical and square blade through the pull.

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6. EXIT

a. Exit initiated at knee,
b. At end of stroke bottom arm relaxes,
c. There is a slight external elbow rotation and upper arm is lifted up to side,
d. Top hand remains relatively fixed in space,
e. Elbow leads the exit to outside,
f. Wrist curls inwards "around the paddle" pushing blade out of water to side,
g. Exit should be clean and relaxed,
h. Exit completed by mid thigh.



7.  RECOVERY

a. Gunwale side leg bends slightly at knee to "reload"
b. Inside leg pushes back to initiate rotation
c. Emphasis on relaxed recovery