Forward stroke efficiency is about maximizing the power that goes into every forward stroke and minimizing movements and forces that are not contributing to moving the boat forward. The more efficient you become in your stroke, the further you go while expending the same amount of energy, which is important in kayaking, both racing and recreational.
A common breakdown of the kayak stroke is into four connected phases: the catch, the pull, the exit, and the recovery. While it can be valuable to separate these components when adjusting your stroke to maximize efficiency, it is more important to look at the stroke as a continuous movement. To allow for optimal boat glide during the forward stroke, the process requires the smoothness and fluidity of a “connected” stroke.
The concept of boat glide allows us to look at the stroke from the finish forward… The recovery phase follows the exit phase; it is the time between when you lift the blade of the paddle out of the water and prepare to place the opposite blade into the water on the opposite side of the kayak. The recovery phase is complete upon blade entry on this opposite side.
Recognize that the boat speed at this moment is at its fastest and the glide sensation at this speed should be maintained as long as possible. Therefore, efficiency prescribes that you do not return the paddle to the water until the boat speed is near to slowing down; as soon as the paddle interrupts the water, it acts as a brake. That said, it is still quite necessary to keep the strokes coming, and strong.
After the recovery, we move to set-up for the catch. The catch is the moment in the stroke where you make the initial contact with the water. One way to achieve maximal efficiency at this point in the stroke is to ensure that the blade is entering the water as far in front of you as possible. Since you will be pulling back with (essentially) the same amount of force and effort if the blade enters the water an arm’s length in front of you or all the way forward at your toes, you get more of the effort translated to the forward direction of the boat if the catch is as far forward as (reasonably) possible. I almost never hear myself saying, “You’re reaching too far!” while coaching, so go ahead and challenge yourself to reach further for the catch.
To get even more from your reach, maintain a straight arm on the pulling side; even the slightest bend takes inches from the position of your catch. With that straight arm, do not just reach forward from the shoulder joint–incorporate some body rotation. Turn your torso so that your chest is parallel to the shaft of your paddle. Your shoulder itself is now several inches forward and, therefore, so is your reach for the catch further forward.
Posture is another element that comes into play with reaching for an optimal catch, but this does not mean you must sit up straight, a 90 degree angle between your torso and boat deck. Keep your straight back, but try leaning forward a few degrees and watch your reach extend another few inches.
If you have worked hard to get an efficient amount of reach for the catch, make sure you keep as much of the work involved in the stroke by aggressively driving the paddle into the water. To prevent the paddle slipping through the water, spear your paddle into the water so that the full blade is immersed as soon as possible (this can be more of a challenge with the inherently less efficient flat blade, but it is important to note that wing paddles are designed to work well only when they are fully immersed in water, so get there early on in the stroke).
To create further strength at the catch, press firmly on the footrest or footboard on the same side as the pulling blade. There are several benefits from this action, mainly providing you an anchored limb to brace against as the body rotates through the stroke, allowing more of the larger muscle groups in the back, abs and even legs to participate in the stroke. This “strong” catch must be established before you begin to pull on the blade.
Efficiency refers to getting the same amount of work completed with less effort or force. In the pull phase, this efficiency is reflected with which muscles are recruited as you propel your kayak forward. There are larger groups of muscles in the body aside from the biceps in your arms, which I often see as the source of power behind many novice paddlers’ “engines.” In kayaking we aptly rely upon the large muscle group of the latissimus dorsi, a group originating along the hip and ribs and inserting on the humerus of the arm, making it an ideal vehicle of energy transfer as the torso rotates during the pull phase, bringing the arm and paddle with strength through the water. If we are successful in a strong catch, the blade should remain planted in the water while the lats engage and pull our body past the blade position in the water. To keep our solid position, we also engage the abdominals, obliques, and erector spinae groups. Also, the deltoids and trapezius around the shoulder region help with the pushing component to the pull phase.
The rotation achieved when the chest is turned parallel to the shaft of the blade just prior to the catch must be repeated for strokes on each side, so this parallel positioning must be maintained throughout the stroke. As the body uncoils and energy is transferring from the engaged muscles to the blade in the water, the top arm should not carry along with a free ride; the bottom arm “pulls” while the top arm “pushes”. The punching action of the top arm is straight out in front of you from a bent elbow until the punching arm fully straightens, ready to become the pulling arm on the other side.
This transition period (yes, we are back at the recovery phase) begins with the exit phase, which is the moment when the blade is lifted from the water. The key things to note at this stage are that the exit must be “clean,” meaning splash must be minimized (any water coming up with the blade is water that you have used energy to lift. The clean exit can be achieved by ensuring that you are taking the blade out of the water appropriately soon enough. Paddlers commonly keep the blade in the water for longer than necessary, scooping up water in an exit behind the hip. It is ideal to take the blade from the water at the hip. After this point, the blade is just drag in the water, slowing you down. Any extra length to a stroke should be achieved by a further reach, not a later exit.
Whew, information overload… but I do encourage you to take some time to figure out the technique behind the stroke. This will help you. You will go faster and more efficiently.
