Today I went for a paddle where I was trying to figure out how to improve my catch. It’s been pointed out to me a few times that I don’t get my paddle blade fully “buried” in the water by the time I start pulling, which means I’m not getting full advantage of the most powerful part of the stroke. In part, that’s because I chose a very long paddle blade in order to make the catch a bit more gentle on my elbows, so I’m not sure I want to fix this entirely. But that said, if I want to get faster, I’m going to have to put more power down.
[youtube poxEhBJcEO4]
Here’s some stills from that video. I’ve tried to catch each one just as some whirlpools show up around the blade, indicating that power is being applied to the paddle.
I have to say, looking at the stills, I’m not sure that there is any advantage to extending the shaft. I think maybe I need to try extending it further.