Forward stroke

The forward stroke, paddling's most fundamental motion, involves more than arm power. A well-executed forward stroke is a collaborative effort that combines upper arms and core muscles (back, abdomen and glutes). Intertwining these muscle groups allows you to efficiently propel your boat while minimizing arm and shoulder fatigue.

Tip: Think of the forward stroke as putting your blade in the water and moving past it rather than pulling a paddle's blade through the water. This allows greater paddling efficiency.

There are several ways commonly used to describe the stages of a forward stroke. This is described one way on the video (i.e., wind-up, catch and unwind). Here's another popular way:

Phase 1 (catch): Wind your torso into the stroke. Dip your paddle on one side of the boat and "catch" a blade's worth of water. (Note: Sometimes the "catch" is considered part of the second, "unwinding" phase.) If placing the blade on the boat's right side, the right side of your rib cage should be angled toward the bow (front).

Tip: The best place to dip your paddle is in an area roughly parallel to your feet.

Phase 2 (propulsion): Unwind, or rotate, your torso as the blade pushes the water behind you. Use core muscles to push past the blade rather than pulling the blade through the water with your arms. This boosts efficiency and reduces fatigue.

Phase 3 (recovery): As the paddle pops out of the water, you're now wound up for the next stroke, with the opposite side of your rib cage angled toward the boat's bow.

Overall, the forward stroke is a continuous, simultaneous push-and-pull motion—a push with the upper hand, a pull with the lower, all resulting in smooth torso rotation.

 

To add power to your forward stroke:

Think of your hands as extensions of your body.

Imagine throwing a punch with one hand.

Gripping the paddle, position one hand about shoulder height.

From your shoulder, throw an imaginary punch for an extra burst of power. Add aggressive torso rotation for an extra power boost.

In paddling, good technique is more beneficial overall than sheer upper body strength.