Information in this Edition
- Focus on Fundamentals: The Pull cont.
- As a Paddler
The Pull Continued.
by Coach Anita
Our arms are important in paddling. Together with the hands, the arms position and stabilize the paddle. Energy generated through the core and large muscles of the posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes, lats, rhomboids, traps, and the erector spinae muscles) is transferred to our arms and hands to apply force against the paddle.
The paddle is a tool. Force is applied against it to propel the boat against the water. Simply moving the paddle doesn’t create movement. If a paddler puts her blade in the water and swishes it around, water is moved, but not much of anything else.
For a paddler to move the craft she is sitting in, she must apply force against the paddle and pull the craft in the direction she wants it to move. The pull comes from the muscles of the posterior chain, the core, and lastly the arms. The goal is to move the boat, not the paddle.
A picture is worth a thousand words so Coach Pat and I took a camera down to the dock. A shout out to Annette Johnson for helping us with filming.
https://vimeo.com/594192872 (link to higher resolution)
As a Paddler
... Pat
I would say my most "AHA" moment was when I was able to keep my bottom arm straight through the stroke. Here's a hint, it's easy to go in straight and keep it for the first 1/3 of the stroke. It made every inch count and boy did I feel it. When I add in the hinge and rotation with hip movement I again feel this in my body. I feel strong, but it is also tiring. I know that if I wake up after a practice night and feel fatigue in my lats and abs I did something right. I can also have tired quads from pushing my hip back with my leg and foot. If my shoulders ache a bit thats probably ok, but if I feel like there is impingement or pain in the small shoulder muscles, that means my shoulders were not back and I let my arms and shoulders do too much of the work. I need to keep my shoulders back and work on the movement of the stroke with good posture. The same is true if I get any lower back pain. This tells me I'm not synchronized with my hinge and rotation.
Listen to your body,on the water and then off. Question your soreness and what it means. Is it because you are buildling skill with your stroke or because of posture or sequencing of movement. As you develop your stroke and start to work harder you will feel fatique and some muscle soreness. If you are sore, keep paddling, it goes away when you move and dial it back for a session to make sure it's your increased work and not a posture issue. If you are never tired or a little sore, ask what more you can put into the stroke.
In dragon boat racing, technique will triumph over strength. Yes, you need to be your strongest self, but teams with less overall strength often triumph over very physically strong teams because of their focus on technique.
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See you on the water
