As with most paddlers, I hope, I have developed bad habits over the years. I have a tendency in one man to lean on my ama. I don't use my legs when I paddle. I know that I hunch and lean forward instead of sitting up straight and tall.
The issue I have is, how do you change these or any known bad habit?
At practice I tell myself each time, focus on sitting up, lean right and drive.
By the end of practice the only thing I am thinking is, suck wind and don't let Mike catch me.
I paddle three to four days a week. I do so in an environment that is friendly, but very competitive.
Should I sacrifice the steps I have made to get faster, in order to make real steps forward?
I guess that is the other questions, how do you get faster? I have been stuck being the same speed for a long time, and I wonder if I must go slower, in order to again go faster.
Shoots and Thank you
Joel
Submitted by joelmkrause on Wed, 10/22/2014 - 11:26am
Step 1: forget about going fast and focus on paddling correctly.
Step 2: do this until you've changed your bad habit into a good one. Be prepared for hours and hours and hours of practice.
You'll probably be most effective if you focus mainly on each one of your items singularly. You'll also probably find yourself going slower to begin with. But it sounds like you're at your upper limit of speed using your "bad" technique anyways. With good technique, you may have to work on building your speed back up, but your potential upper limit will be higher. Maybe even way higher.
#1 Wed, 10/22/2014 - 3:09pm
have someone video you. look at the video. when watching the video look ONLY at the motion of your paddle and it's interaction with the water. talk to a coach who knows what to look for in this area. LISTEN to them. there are a few gross mechanical things that may cost you a bit here and there but the main thing is the paddle is your connection to the water and your source of traction. if you're not using it effectively to exert pressure on the water then it doesn't matter how nice your body looks. that said, correcting mechanics is another approach to get your paddle doing the right thing consistently.
have a look at all the best paddlers you can find on video. NONE are technically perfect. many have downright funky mechanics. so why do they go fast? they know how to efficiently impart maximum allowable force on the water with their paddle and they do it over and over again for hours. they also have amazing conditioning. almost always the fastest guys and gals are in the best shape possible.
#2 Wed, 10/22/2014 - 5:59pm