We will use this space to provide information to augment what was covered at practice, announce roster crews, provide information designed to help you in some aspect of dragon boating, and maybe provide a little levity to your day.
~Coaches Anita & Pat
In this edition
- Key learnings from this week
- Focus for next week
- FAQs
- Off water workout
- Embracing our stroke
We have focused on the three main areas of the stroke: Planting the blade, Pulling the blade, and Exiting the blade. Whether you're a new paddler or a veteran of many years, reviewing these concepts can help advance your paddling skills.
Key Learnings
Notice the paddler's arms have not moved and instead her body has hinged forward to plant
the blade in the water.
PULL
Sitting up moves the body up to the paddle (rather than the bottom arm pulling the paddle back)
Arm position doesn’t change when sitting up
Top hand provides pressure on top of paddle to sit up against
Straight outside arm helps provide resistance in water (i.e. gives you something to sit up against)
Keeping the arms firm and static allows the paddle to remain as vertical as possible through the stroke
Inside hip moves forward when sitting up - this allows you to use the strength of your body instead of just your arms, which feels harder because more power is being applied
Torso should be slightly forward with hips square at the end of the stroke
The movement in this sequence is the paddler's body. The positioning of her arms doesn't change. Her body went from a hinged position to a sitting up position which brought her body up to the paddle. Her straight outside arm and firm top hand provide the resistance to pull her body up.
EXIT
Top arm lifts as the inside hip moves back
The bottom arm moves slightly away from the body and side of the boat
The bottom elbow draws a half circle against the side of the boat as the top arm and hip pull the paddle and body forward to the set up position
Top arm moves up and down like a piston through the stroke maintaining a slight bend throughout
Note: The paddlers pictured are very flexible and they have a big range of motion. With practice and experience, flexibility can be increased.
Focus in the Upcoming Week
The focus for the upcoming week is increasing intensity while maintaining a focus on technique. We'll be working at 80% intensity, which is hard work.
Your mental work is to stay positive about your abilities, gentle with yourself as you learn, and maintain a belief that success is built through repetition and working together.
FAQs
Q: You haven't talked about the pause at the front of the stroke. Do we not do that anymore?
A: We still have a slight pause at the front of the stroke, which allows for everyone to enter their blades at the same time. We are working on the sequencing and cadence of the stroke, which naturally creates a slight pause at the front of the stroke.
Q: What do you mean by cadence of the stroke?
A: Cadence is the pacing of how we move through the stroke. We want to enter the blade, have an oh so slight pause after it's buried, sit up, and immediately and smoothly exit the blade back up to the set up of the next stroke. The rhythm is smooth without any pause at the back of the stroke. A smooth rhythm does not have a jerking forward of the paddle after the exit.
Q: How far back should I be going in the stroke?
A: You want to exit your blade at your hip, so the exit action actually starts around your mid-thigh. The paddle should not get behind your body.
Q: Do we still chicken wing to get the blade out of the water?
A: While the terminology is different it is essentially the same thing: we move the bottom arm away from the body in the exit.
Q: Where should my top hand be at set up?
A: Your top arm should have a slight bend in it keeping your top hand away from your forehead when you are rotated forward and your bottom arm is extended straight out.
Q: You move your wrist when you're demonstrating the exit but then you said not to. Which is it?
A: Your top wrist should remain flat or slightly flexed throughout the piston movement of your top arm. You are correct: in my demonstration I was flapping my wrist around like an orchestra conductor! Bad!! The movement comes from your top arm, not your wrist.
Q: Why is a short paddle problematic?
A: If a paddle is too short for a paddler she has to hinge very far to get the blade buried in the water. If she doesn't have the range of motion to get it buried, she starts her stroke without having her blade fully buried which it is not a powerful stroke.
…Anita
For those of you looking for another workout during the week here is one that is a good compliment to paddling.
As you have the chance to watch other dragon boat teams in action, you will notice the differences between strokes used even by our local teams. "A" frame , "J" stroke, hinge, rotate , leg drive ? All of these can differ. For each team one stroke may be better than another. Women's teams may look different than mixed teams. If you start down the path of "Google" be aware, and beware that what you see may not show you how to move your body for our stroke.
Pink Phoenix uses a "A" frame stroke that is based on a Western Canadian stroke. It differs from the stroke used in Eastern Canada and again from the stroke used in NE United States and elsewhere in the US and New Zealand. That should give you an idea that there are many varieties.
My recommendation to see how other boats run is to come to the womens' scrimmage on August 15th. Here you will have an opportunity to see and experience different strokes with different crews. Always I come back to loving our stroke , because it maximizes my strength and allows me to protect my vulnerable shoulders and arms.
...Pat
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1 comments:
Thanks Pat, great review of stroke. See you next week, we are in upstate NY visiting family.
Trish Sheie
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