…but not too tight…
Often the issue of how firmly to grip the paddle is raised. Sometimes it comes about during teaching of the J stroke, as a student struggles with cocking his or her shaft hand in a painful rotation. Occasionally it’s the grip hand, suffering a similar fate. Often I observe students holding their paddles in death grips while their hands tire and cramp. Recently I received a phone call from a knowledgeable paddler, who was comparing notes and teaching techniques of various instructors. He had a long list of questions, but one intrigued me. It was simply; “how firmly should one grip the blade”. The question was generic. It didn’t apply to any one stroke or maneuver. The question was raised by an intermediate, perhaps advanced paddler. It was then that it hit me. This basic issue needed to be addressed in a generic manner, not simply as an answer about this or that specific application.
At the entry and perhaps intermediate level it’s fine to teach the basics of each stroke/maneuver in a very mechanical fashion. The paddle placement is in thus and thus a position, the angle of the blade is thus and thus, the conclusion of the stroke/maneuver is thus and thus … well you get the idea. This gives students a starting point and with some practice they’ll likely be able to do the basic maneuver. If they’ve been introduced to and understand the basic physics behind what they are doing, so much the better. If that’s as far as it goes, they will never progress to the next level. In order to become a top notch paddler, the candidate must develop feel. They must acquire that tactile sensation, that brain, hand, paddle, boat connection that translates directly from the desire for the canoe to move in a certain direction to the appropriate movement of the paddle and body that will make it happen. Years ago, I spent several days learning from Mark Molina. During our time together he mentioned the “Florida Wave,” a reference to my open grip hand and a “Glarosian Wedge,” referring to my not letting the blade contact the hull during a wedge. Apparently Lou Glaros was a stickler for avoiding blade/boat contact. At the time, I didn’t recognize the true importance of either. I do now.
When we walk, do we think about moving our legs forward and back? Do we think about the subtle weight shifts necessary to maintain balance? To change direction do we contemplate the changes in our gait that will cause us to turn left or right? I couldn’t begin to adequately explain how my thoughts are translated into the myriad nuanced movements of my body that result in smooth, seamless walking. Try thinking through and executing the components of a few steps and I guarantee you’ll be walking like a robot. We all began, at a very early stage, learning to walk by attempting balance, imitating others, trial and error and lots of practice. Fluency in a language is similar as is excellency in driving, etc. Those who perform any of those tasks in a stiff, mechanical like process, concentrating intently on the various, individual elements of the task, will never progress far from the robotic state. Thus it is with paddling, and to excel, one must progress beyond a rigid, strained grasp on the shaft or grip.
A loose yet controlled grasp of the grip and shaft allows one to feel the pressure of the water on the blade or blade against the water (there is a difference). If the canoeist is dynamically moving the paddle so as to create water pressure against the blade, the pressure is of the paddle against the water. If the canoeist is holding the paddle in a static placement to convert the forward or backward momentum of the canoe to a lateral or turning movement, then it is pressure of the water against the paddle. Occasionally, as in a loaded recovery, both occur simultaneously. A paddler needs to understand and feel the difference before moving to the next level.
Developing a feel for what the paddle is doing allows the canoeist to make subtle adjustments to maneuvers. Opening or closing the angle of the blade may increase or slow the rate of rotation or the length of time that the placement may be ridden before it stalls or it becomes necessary to begin the conclusion. In functional settings, an increase in angle may provide a bit of additional stability (at the expense of some momentum). A vertical shaft/blade is generally most efficient, however wind and waves may suggest a bit lower angle, providing a bit of bracing. A loaded recovery may be used to extend a turn, or to intentionally stall it. Speed and length of side slips may be adjusted. The list of possibilities is endless. Unless one can feel the changes in pressure between the blade and water, these fine adjustments are impossible.
Top drivers keep a light touch on the steering wheel. They develop a feel for just how far to turn it. They automatically compensate for speed, sharpness of turn, pavement texture, whether the roadway is banked and a host of other factors. They develop that feel through endless hours of practice as they commute to work and their other daily destinations. So it must be if one is to excel as a canoeist, only we get to do it while enjoying our favorite pastime.
Marc Ornstein