Paddles Up!. Arlene Chan
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Название: Paddles Up!

Автор: Arlene Chan

Издательство: Ingram

Жанр: Спорт, фитнес

Серия:

isbn: 9781770706071

isbn:

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      Remember: The paddler creates resistance on the blade with the water and pulls the boat up to the paddle, not the paddle to the boat.

      3. PULL PHASE (FOOT PUSH)

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      The catch begins the pull phase of the actual stroke. The front half of the stroke is the pulling phase from the catch to about the knee.

      At this point, the body begins to unwind or counter rotate, keeping the arms as straight as possible, while pulling the water back with the big muscles in the back and the midsection or core of the body. If the paddler is rotated at the catch, the counter rotation occurs simply by sitting up and keeping constant pressure with the top arm.

      The top arm pushes down on the paddle while the bottom arm acts as a guide moving with the body and pulling back at the same time. When the bottom hand pulls back, it keeps the top hand from driving the paddle too deep. The blade should be buried completely in the water but the bottom hand should not enter the water. The counter rotation is what actually moves the boat forward, not the bottom arm.

      At the same time, the paddler pushes with the feet to get more connection with the water and to create more resistance. Constant pressure on your heels against the rib is important as you sit up. This movement allows you to press your hips forward and “slide” the boat. For beginners, this is a difficult skill, but if they use foot pressure at an early stage they will develop this skill with more experience. At a beginner level, paddlers need to sit up tall and not “collapse” forward.

      The paddle position remains vertical and close to the side of the boat throughout the entire stroke. This is important if the paddler wants to avoid scooping the water, like you would shovel dirt or snow, resulting in downward, not forward, boat run.

      At the back half of the stroke, the paddler wants to focus on maintaining the push with the feet and the connection with the water while sitting up hard just as the paddle comes out of the water. It is important to maintain top arm pressure while sitting up.

      Remember: Press down while sitting up. Try to connect your stomach by pressing with your feet. You are pulling your body to the paddle, not the paddle to your body.

      EXIT AND RECOVERY

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      Begin the exit mid-thigh and do not bring the paddle back past your seat or buttocks.

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       Timing

      Timing is the most important aspect of generating boat speed. All 20 paddlers must paddle in unison to create optimum boat run. Paddlers, on the left and right sides, and from the front to the back of the boat, need to put their paddles in the water simultaneously and exit simultaneously. For timing to be effective, there are four important elements:

      • First, the paddles must enter the water at the same time and at the same speed. Paddlers can look up the boat at the paddle in front of them, they can use the movement of the person beside them, and they can use the sound or rhythm of the water and the paddles connecting.

      • Second, the catch and pull phases need to happen at the same time. Matching the torso movements of the paddler in front helps to check this.

      • Third, paddles should all exit the water together.This is probably the most important aspect of timing and boat run.

      • Fourth, the torso, hip, leg, and paddle movements on the recovery occur together.

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      Remember: There are many cues to use to help with timing. Ultimately, paddlers will be able to use only the feel of the boat to stay in rhythm. Exercises, such as “20 strokes eyes closed, 20 strokes eyes open,” help to achieve this feel.

      Stroke Rate and Power

      Each crew must find its optimal stroke rate, the speed at which each stroke occurs. This rate will differ slightly from crew to crew. Some world class crews have very fast stroke rates while others have slower ones. Essentially, the key is finding the rate where all paddlers can get full rotation and power each time the paddle enters the water. If the rate is too fast then the power can suffer and boat speed will decline. If the rate is too slow then boat speed can also suffer. The rate will change based on the length of a race or timed piece. Shorter distances and times will generally be more sprint-like and have a faster pace because paddlers only have to maintain the fast rate for a short distance and maintain the power for a shorter period of time. Longer pieces generally have longer and slower stroke rates so that the force on the paddle can be maintained equally throughout the race. Stroke rate is a factor of the following: fitness and skill level; size of the athletes; and strength of the athletes.

      Remember: The rate is generally dictated by the paddlers who sit in the middle of the boat and usually have the longest range of motion and power transmission. The people in the front and back of the boat need to take the extra time that they have to ensure maximum rotation during the recovery phase of the stroke.

      SUMMARY

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      Always start with the basics - position in the boat, correct paddle grip and size, hand position at paddle entry and exit, breathing (inhale on recovery), and rotation and timing.

      Relax on the recovery (when you are not moving the boat) and relax the non-pulling muscles (face, neck, wrists, hands).

      Try to paddle on both sides to prevent injury and to correct bad habits.

      Use your core muscle groups. Engage in СКАЧАТЬ