The Three phases of the kayak stroke
When learning proper technique for the kayak forward stroke, it’s helpful to break it down into separate phases. In practice, the stroke is one fluid motion, where each phase blends subtly into the next, but by focusing on one at a time, we can emphasize key elements that lead to more efficient paddling.
The three phases are the Catch, Power, and Release. As we go through these phases, we want to keep in mind the two foundational concepts that apply to all of our paddling: Our goal is 1) Secure the blade in the water and pull ourselves past it (rather than the blade past us) and 2) Use the large muscle groups in our body to power our craft forward. This first article will serve as an overview of the three phases, and future articles will dive more fully into each part. And with that:
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Catch: This is the initiating phase of the stroke, where you secure the blade in the water to give you something to pull against. The most important ideas in this phase are that you submerge the entire blade fully, before applying any pressure against it, and that the blade is set at a forward angle. This is what allows you to pull yourself past the rotating blade, rather than having the blade slip backward through the water. (When done correctly, the paddle actually comes out of the water in the same place you put it in.)
When setting the blade, you should reach comfortably forward, without overreaching, which can negatively affect your balance and ability to generate power. For most paddlers, this means aiming to get the paddle submerged in line with your toes, though this depends on paddle length, the width of your kayak, and general mobility. The reach should come from rotating the paddling-side hip and shoulder forward as a unit, not from reaching with your arm. When submerging the blade, it’s helpful to think of using the top hand to control the paddle depth.
In many ways, the catch is the most important part of the stroke. While you can still go wrong even with a good catch, it’s really hard to get a good, efficient stroke with a poor catch. For this reason, it’s helpful to really take your time to work on this skill.
Power: The power phase is when we use as much of our body as possible to pull our kayak past our submerged blade. With our torso already wound forward from the catch, we can now think about unwinding the torso to drive ourselves forward. Focusing on using our lats, core, and hips to derive power keeps us from pulling too hard with the bicep and using the relatively weaker muscles in our arms.
A good cue for proper power is to notice if the elbow on your bottom arm is bending during the stroke. While the elbow should have a small amount of bend, that angle should not change during the power phase, and only bends during the exit, or release stage. If you find the elbow bending during the stroke, you will likely also find your bicep and forearm getting tired.
It is also helpful to think about pressing the top hand forward. Pressing forward allows the body to rotate as a unit, and prevents the paddle from collapsing toward the body, which will cause you to lose power. Note, PRESSING forward is different than PUSHING forward. We’ll discuss this in more detail in a future article, but in general, and similar to the bottom arm, the bend in the top arm should not change during the power phase of the stroke.
Release: The release is simply the part of the stroke where we take the blade out of the water, but by focusing a bit on some key aspects, we can increase the amount of glide between strokes, as well as set ourselves up properly for the next stroke. We should be finishing the power phase as our lower elbow passes our torso, for two reasons.
The first is that as the blade starts to pass our body, it is rotating into a negative orientation, meaning the tip of the blade is behind the shaft, which will direct force upward rather than backward. (Effectively, you push “up” against the water, pulling your kayak down into the water, increasing drag through resistance. While you’ll still be traveling forward, it is not as efficient, and can be thought of in some ways as wasted effort.)
The second reason for getting the blade out as your elbow passes your torso is that at this point, the stroke becomes a pushing rather than pulling stroke. . It is more powerful to pull from in front of you rather than try to push behind you. As you transition from pulling to pushing, you want to exit the blade from the water to minimize how much energy you’re putting into this less efficient part of the stroke.
As you exit the blade from the water, try to allow the tension to come out of your body, as this is your only time to rest while paddling constantly. Allow an easy and natural rotation forward of your paddling-side hips and shoulders, setting up up for the next catch.
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I hope this overview has given you a better understanding of the structure of the stroke. While each part may seem detailed, it’s important to remember that any effort taken toward improving any one of these phases will improve your efficiency. And while a proper forward stroke should focus on the above phases, it’s also important to remember that because each of us is built different, has different mobility, and is likely paddling a slightly different kayak , each of our strokes will look different. While learning, it is helpful to focus on each phase separately, after this skill work, you should move toward incorporating each phase into a fluid motion that works with your body’s strengths and limitations.
I’d love to invite you to join the conversation! Share your thoughts, ask questions, or offer your tips on mastering the phases of the stroke—because together, we make our paddling community stronger.
Happy Paddling!
Aaron
