Perception vs Facilitation of Efficiency

When paddling what forces cause the boat to move? As a paddler what do you do that impacts how efficiently the boat moves? How does the energy you expend translate into forward boat movement? How does your preception of what you are doing actually affect the boat? These are some of the questions we'll be addressing at the next seminar.

What separates a good stroke from a bad stroke is the amount of work (or power) that goes into moving the boat forward. If the boat bounces up and down, this is waste. If the boat turns, and you are wanting to go straight, this is waste. If your body absorbs the energy rather than passing it to the boat that is waste.

A paddlers goal is to maximizing the amount of energy that pushes the boat forward while minimizing waste. One can imagine the power flowing through the body in order to push the boat forward. In order to maintain structural integrity the paddle must obey Newton’s third law ("To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction") – conceptually this leads to there being Power Circles within the body when we paddle.

By talking through the power circles during the upcoming seminar, doing some visualization and isometric training, individuals will be able to connect the power generated efficiently pushing the boat forward. The connection is intuitive. Your goal is to feel.