Really good explanation, I'll try it tomorrow. For me, the improvement of the forward stroke is often overlooked when you think about improving whitewater skills. Thank you very much.
Thanks for the great advice, I was going to practice my technique anyway but this provides a much appreciate clear and easy to follow guide. This will really help me prepare for kayaking the recently reopened LA River. Really looking forward to it and again thanks. Now I am a subscriber.
Great stuff Jamie - any chance you could do one on how to roll which is what I was expecting to see? It might mean renaming this to 'How to train your kayak forward paddling technique on dry land'. I think there is scope for several rolling ones if you're up for a series. Well done anyway - I will send it on
Thanks for your feedback I'm glad you liked it. I guess I haven't made a rolling video because RU-vid is literally filled with them. I do keep meaning to make some more tutorial content though. Life is very busy at our kayak school at the moment. It may be a job for the winter. Have you tried Eric Jackson's new rolling videos? I think they should be pretty effective and he goes into a lot of detail.
Thanks Dan. Obviously movement isn't quite as free when properly fitted into a kayak as you trade-off body freedom for connection to the boat. When outfitting I try to get connected to all the key spots in the boat whilst keeping enough space in key areas to allow me to rotate, which in practice means elongating each side in turn. Its a bit of a balancing act. Too loose and you're not connected, too tight and my movement is overly constricted. Sometimes takes a bit of experimentation and multiple goes before its fully sorted. I have to make sure I can always apply and release pressure through the footplate on either side as a minimum. This style has also led me to favour kayaks that allow me the sort of sitting position you see in the video, the Pyranha 9r is a prime example. Some kayaks pin your legs in a sort of lotus position, and I'm really not a fan of that.
@@jamiegreenhalgh8769 Interesting. I have been keeping my backbend just a touch looser, and like to paddle on my toes (rather than on flat feet)--I made both adjustments by instinct, feeling I could activate my body more (for pivot turns, for instance). Sounds like this may have to do with enabling more rotation. Thanks!
Sure why not? We have plenty of time and space right now to get creative so its great to experiment and see what works and helps us. The reason I wasn't keen to use a boat this time is that we are really prioritising the body movement with an emphasis on your paddling being powered by full body rotation, centred from the core and transmitting out to the feet and to the upper body. That's not to say you might not find something useful in sitting in a boat for this exercise. I think doing a little of both could help you transition so that you are able to put this fwd paddling technique into practice when you get on the river. I'd love to hear how you get on!
