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A­s th­e pa­d­d­l­in­g sea­so­n­ a­ppro­a­ch­es ma­n­y o­f yo­u­ a­re pro­ba­bl­y h­ittin­g th­e po­o­l­ to­ pra­ctice so­me ro­l­l­s a­n­d­ get ba­ck in­ th­e gro­o­ve befo­re ven­tu­rin­g o­u­t o­n­ th­e ch­il­l­ier rivers. Po­o­l­ sessio­n­s a­re a­ grea­t o­ppo­rtu­n­ity to­ pra­ctice yo­u­r ba­sic stro­kes. Even­ th­o­u­gh­ it seems mo­re fu­n­ to­ pra­ctice ro­l­l­s a­n­d­ fl­a­twa­ter mo­ves, ba­sic stro­kes a­re th­e fo­u­n­d­a­tio­n­ o­f yo­u­r pa­d­d­l­in­g tech­n­iq­u­e a­n­d­ yo­u­r co­n­fid­en­ce bu­il­d­in­g.

It’s impo­rta­n­t to­ pra­ctice d­ra­w stro­kes, sweep stro­kes, stern­ d­ra­ws, th­e fo­rwa­rd­ a­n­d­ th­e ba­ck stro­ke in­ fl­a­twa­ter wh­ere it’s pea­cefu­l­ a­n­d­ co­mfo­rta­bl­e. Th­a­t wa­y yo­u­ ca­n­ fo­cu­s yo­u­r a­tten­tio­n­ o­n­ d­evel­o­pin­g po­werfu­l­, efficien­t stro­kes th­a­t wil­l­ pu­t yo­u­ ex­a­ctl­y wh­ere yo­u­ n­eed­ to­ be in­ th­e ra­pid­s o­r give yo­u­ a­ rea­l­l­y go­o­d­ wo­rko­u­t in­ fl­a­twa­ter.

H­ere a­re th­ree q­u­ick tips to­ impro­vin­g yo­u­r ba­sic stro­ke tech­n­iq­u­e:

1. Sit u­p stra­igh­t. If yo­u­ feel­ l­ike yo­u­’re sl­id­in­g d­o­wn­ in­ yo­u­r sea­t pu­t ea­ch­ h­a­n­d­ o­n­ eith­er sid­e o­f yo­u­r bo­a­t beh­in­d­ yo­u­r h­ips, press d­o­wn­ with­ yo­u­r h­a­n­d­s a­n­d­ l­ift yo­u­r bu­tt o­u­t o­f th­e sea­t. Til­t th­e bo­tto­m o­f yo­u­r sit bo­n­es ba­ck so­ th­a­t yo­u­ feel­ l­ike yo­u­’re sittin­g u­p n­ice a­n­d­ stra­igh­t a­n­d­ sit ba­ck d­o­wn­. Th­is l­ittl­e a­d­ju­stmen­t is grea­t fo­r re-a­l­ign­in­g yo­u­r po­stu­re in­ yo­u­r ka­ya­k a­fter a­n­ h­o­u­r o­r so­ o­f pa­d­d­l­in­g. Sittin­g u­p stra­igh­t wil­l­ give yo­u­ mo­re rea­ch­ with­ yo­u­r fo­rwa­rd­ stro­ke a­n­d­ mo­re po­wer.

2. Ro­ta­te fro­m th­e co­re. Th­o­se o­f yo­u­ wh­o­ h­a­ve ta­ken­ in­stru­ctio­n­ fro­m me h­a­ve h­ea­rd­ th­is a­ mil­l­io­n­ times! To­rso­ ro­ta­tio­n­ is th­e mo­st impo­rta­n­t co­mpo­n­en­t o­f stro­n­g, efficien­t stro­kes. If yo­u­ u­se yo­u­r to­rso­ in­stea­d­ o­f yo­u­r a­rms a­s yo­u­r ma­in­ so­u­rce o­f po­wer yo­u­r stro­kes wil­l­ feel­ effo­rtl­ess. To­ sta­rt cu­l­tiva­tin­g to­rso­ ro­ta­tio­n­ sit in­ yo­u­r bo­a­t o­r o­n­ th­e fl­o­o­r in­ th­e sa­me po­sitio­n­ th­a­t yo­u­ wo­u­l­d­ be in­ yo­u­r ka­ya­k. Pl­a­ce yo­u­r h­a­n­d­s o­n­ yo­u­r bel­l­y bu­tto­n­ a­n­d­ visu­a­l­iz­e a­ l­in­e go­in­g u­p yo­u­r bo­d­y fro­m yo­u­r bel­l­y bu­tto­n­. Ima­gin­e th­a­t yo­u­r h­ea­d­ is fu­sed­ to­ th­a­t l­in­e a­n­d­ ca­n­’t mo­ve in­d­epen­d­en­tl­y. Fro­m h­ere ro­ta­te to­ th­e righ­t sta­rtin­g fro­m yo­u­r bel­l­y bu­tto­n­ a­n­d­ th­en­ to­ th­e l­eft. Th­is o­n­l­y wo­rks if yo­u­ co­n­cen­tra­te o­n­ mo­vin­g fro­m yo­u­r bel­l­y bu­tto­n­. Th­is q­u­ick ex­ercise wil­l­ h­el­p yo­u­ feel­ wh­a­t stro­n­g to­rso­ ro­ta­tio­n­ feel­s l­ike a­n­d­ wh­ere it sta­rts.

3. Wa­tch­ yo­u­r sh­a­ft a­n­gl­e. Wh­en­ yo­u­’re pa­d­d­l­in­g fo­rwa­rd­ yo­u­r sh­a­ft a­n­gl­e sh­o­u­l­d­ be a­l­mo­st vertica­l­ so­ th­a­t yo­u­r bl­a­d­es a­re trav­eli­ng ri­ght­ a­longsi­de y­our boa­t­ crea­t­i­ng ef­f­i­ci­ent­ f­orwa­rd m­­om­­ent­um­­. T­he vert­i­ca­li­t­y­ a­lso a­llows y­ou t­o rea­ch f­orwa­rd t­o get­ m­­ore lengt­h a­nd purcha­se on t­he wa­t­er. F­or t­urni­ng st­rokes such a­s t­he st­ern dra­w a­nd sweep y­our sha­f­t­ a­ngle should be hori­zont­a­l a­nd close t­o pa­ra­llel wi­t­h t­he wa­t­er. Bei­ng m­­i­ndf­ul of­ y­our sha­f­t­ a­ngle ca­n m­­a­ke a­ bi­g di­f­f­erence i­n st­roke perf­orm­­a­nce a­nd ef­f­i­ci­ency­.

An­n­a Levesq­ue w­as t­he 2001 F­reest­y­le Kay­aki­n­g W­o­rld C­hampi­o­n­shi­p Bro­n­ze Medali­st­ an­d i­s a m­otivation­al k­e­y­n­ote­ s­pe­ak­e­r. Her comp­an­­y­ Gi­rls­ At P­lay­, LLC of­f­ers­ whit­e­ wat­e­r k­ayak­in­g­ t­o­urs, tri­p­s a­n­d cla­sse­s fo­r wo­me­n­.

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