Teaching forward stroke better - A challenge for instructors

Simon

|2007-08-12 04:36:20

I'm not an instructor, but I thought telling people new to kayaking to 'follow
the paddle with your body' when paddling might help.

seanie - Not so quick....

|2007-08-12 05:21:50

I find that teach it in blocks works far better than try to teach the perfect
forward stroke in one go, it would just overload them.

I demo what the perfect
forward stroke technique looks like.

Then I just break it down into simplistic
steps:

1. Push equal amounts of water on either side of your kayak, so it goes
straight. Have correct grip, posture and put the paddle in at your toes out at
your hip.
Then I leave them paddle around for 5 Mins. and maybe a simple
game.

2. I get them back to and ask them what they noticed, usually something
about not going straight. I then show them the difference between a wide stroke
and a stroke close to your kayak.
Then I leave them paddle around for 5 Mins.
and maybe a simple game.

3. I continue teaching them other strokes and skills,
at the start of each session I recap the technique used. On about the forth or
fifth session/lesson I go into depth about torso rotation.

I believe that
there is no point in teaching torso rotation until the very basics of paddling
and balance are covered.

Bryan Hansel

|2007-08-12 07:55:01

You haven't actually taught anything until the student can demonstrate the skill
naturally and unconsciously. Until they show that, you have to figure out a way
to remind them to do torso rotation.

Give them a beach ball to hold on deck,
make them paddle like Frankenstein, etc...

richud

|2007-08-12 09:10:23

Just get them paddling in a straight line and manouvring first. When they can do
that reasonably (probably within about 30mins of just paddling about and
learning other stuff), get them to paddle with their arms locked straight, let
them try that out then give them the explanation.

NB Im not a coach, this just
a guess at something that might help.

Otterboy1

|2007-08-12 15:38:18

Some very good advice I got from a slalom racer is to pull with the lower arm
and punch with the upper arm. If you can get students focused on a
"punch" with follow through they'll naturally begin to rotate their
torsos.

DR	\|2007-08-13 01:38:48

Make them paddle with elbows locked straight. This way there is no choise, but
to use the rotation.
Works for white water kayaking...

Clare - Challenge them to paddle with straight arms.

|2007-08-13 02:53:43

What I tend to do is wait until theyÂ´re looking comfortable in the kayak
(half way through day 2) and then playfully challenge them to try paddling
without bending their arms.

So I let them play around and show them I can do
it. Then I point out that our arms are not so strong and it is therefore good
to use the whole body when paddling.

RJ	\|2007-08-13 16:41:06

I second what DR and Bryan Hansel said - lock elbows and paddle like
Frankenstein to exaggerate and make the point. No rotation = no movement.
Also, Otterboy1's advice to pull on the lower arm/punch with the upper is
helpful. Finally, the forward stroke is one of the last strokes I teach.

BTW,
I find that if I don't take time to warm up and focus on rotation, I end up
"arming" it and tiring out early.

Tim_Dyer - Teaching Ideas

|2007-09-24 15:25:59

Using the term torso rotation is not bad-itâ€™s just one way of describing
a movement that weâ€™re trying to achieve with all paddlers, whether
beginner or advanced. Other words can be used and begs the question "who
cares?" An instructor and coach needs to find many different ways of
teaching and demonstrating according to the needs and learning style of the
learner. Thatâ€™s a motherhood statement, but I find many paddling
instructors only pay lip service to it. They get locked into one way of
teaching-one way of speaking-one way of demonstrating......and look down with
disdain should someone try a different set of words, metaphors or motions.
So....thereâ€™s a pile of ways to get your students to paddle using the
lower core muscles. Right off the bat-before getting on the water-have everyone
"air paddle" and go round, explaining what it is youâ€™re looking
for. On the water.....use a "phantom stroke" ie a properly executed
forward stroke but with little power behind it. The others will see you using
good form (not being lazy simply because the group is slow) and they are going
to want to copy you-and will! Encouraging everyone to paddle in slow motion
will help identify some key points. Talk about the bum, and how itâ€™s
going to wiggle in the seat if the torso is twisting. Talk about the arms, and
how they need to be shock absorbers and transmitters of energy from your whole
body-the arms need to work too, but their main job is to take the power from the
engine and send it out to the paddle. Push the legs into the foot pegs-left
stroke, left push etc. It's loading the muscle and driving the boat
forward.

Some random words and phrases and metaphors-

"if your bum is sore
from moving by the end of the day, thatâ€™s great!"
"the body is
the motor and the paddle is the propeller."
"weâ€™re paddling front
wheel drive boats, so everything happens out front"
"long arms-in at the
toes and out at the hips"
-"watch your elbows and donâ€™t let them
bend very much-you donâ€™t want to be like a choo choo train"
"let
your paddle follow the bow wake"
"get a song in your head and sing while
you paddle-itâ€™s all about rhythm"
â€˜feel the sweet spot in the
blade, and hang on to it"
"always keep some distance between the shaft
and your chest, as if youâ€™re holding a box of potato chips between
them-you just donâ€™t want to crush chips, that would be a wee bit
silly"
"face your work" (in other words if youâ€™re drawing to
the side, then face the side!)
"let your upper hand come across in front of
your body, parallel to the water-pretend youâ€™re swinging at a punching
bag"
"think of centering your power down low in your tummy and hips-this
is where it needs to be"

Kari - Instructor

|2007-09-30 08:32:56

In general, one of the best concepts that I have used over the years to teach
the forward stroke is this: imagine there are vertical posts sticking out of the
water in a line on both sides of the kayak. You don't have a paddle. Instead,
you must grip and pull yourself forward by reaching for the posts and propelling
yourself forward. This reinforces the idea of planting the paddle and using your
torso to move forward.

mclstr - No Elbow Paddling

|2007-11-14 14:00:25

As a game, have paddlers paddle with the arms extended with hands near the
blades, kind of like a scarecrow. This really get's the point across.
Keep
refering to the scarecrow stroke when you see paddlers arm paddling.

Peter Kasurak

|2008-01-10 15:40:13

I'm not an instructor and not even a kayaker -- I paddle an open canoe. I had
the same problem with torso rotation for years -- didn't really mean anything.
However, last year a did a course with Bob Foote who is Mr. Forward Stroke in
open boats.

Bob taught two concepts that force you to use torso rotation
without thinking about it:
* vertical paddle
* "the wall" -- an area
parallel to the gunnel and extending from the gunnel out six inches.

To go
straight, the paddle has to be vertical, otherwise it is a sweep.

To be
vertical, BOTH your hands need to be "in the wall" alongside the
gunnel.

This forces you to both rotate your torso and to extend your top
forearm so your elbow is at your forehead.

Does this make sense to kayakers?
(why the extra blade?)

Jim Kennedy - Forward Paddling

|2008-04-01 12:12:27

Just read with intrest all the comments.
I think there is no one secret in the
teaching of forward paddling.
I have been doing workshope onit for years now
and I have to design new tactics almost every course.

So keep on breaking it
down and discussing it .
We will all benefit.
Here are two tips see if they
work?
Hold your paddle tight against your rib cage and then paddle while
keeping it there.
Tip two ask people to back paddle and see if they rotate
automatically?

Anon	\|2008-09-13 10:36:29

I go for the whole paddling with your arms locked for 5 minutes or so to see how
the bigger muscles take the load.

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