It is impossible to describe the perfect technique since each and every paddler has a unique style and way of performing the kayaking stroke. There are however a few basic guidelines that could be followed in order to perform the kayaking stroke as efficiently as possible. In this article I am going to discuss the 4 most essential elements of an efficient stroke, that if followed will certainly assist in getting the biggest return from your effort in the water and ultimately help you go further and faster from each stroke taken.

1. CATCHING FAR FORWARD Probably the most essential element of a good kayaking stroke is catching the water as far forward as possible. The further forward you are able to place your blade in the water, the more powerful and efficient your stroke will be and therefore you must focus on your catch and be careful not to pull the blade back before it has been placed in the water. As far as possible, you should try to keep the entire stroke infront of you, by placing the blade in the water at full extension to begin the stroke and also to end the stroke before the blade gets pulled too far back. There is no more power on the blade when the pull hand reaches your hip, therefore it is important to start taking the blade out the water by the time your pull hand reaches your knee and to ensure that the blade is out the water before the pull hand reaches the hip.

2.ROTATION A good rotation plays a dual role. Firstly, the more you can rotate your torso and stretch your arm out in front of you, the further forward you will be able to place the blade in the water. Secondly, you should not pull the blade through the water with your arms, but rather focus on rotating your torso while keeping your arms locked, in order to pull the blade through the water. You are able to generate a lot more power by using your whole torso than just your arms to pull the blade since your arm muscles are tiny in comparison to the power that you can generate from your whole trunk. Not only can you generate more power, but you will use a lot less energy. Once again it is vitally important to make sure that the blade has been placed in the water before you start your rotation.

3.LEG DRIVE By using your legs to drive your rotation, you will be able to extend a little bit further by concentrating on rotating your hip forward in order to increase your ability to improve your catch. In order to do this, straiten your one leg while you bend the other so that your hips will twist. If you are about to take a right stroke, your left leg will be straitened while your right will be bent, with your pulling your hip forward which will assist in rotating your trunk as far as possible. With your right arm fully extended you are now ready to catch the water and begin the right stroke. As you rotate your torso through the stroke, your bent leg will push hard against the foot rest, driving your right hip back, while your left leg bends and prepares for the next stroke.

4.HAND HEIGHT The next important aspect of your technique is your hand height. The shape of the wing paddle is long and narrow in comparison to the old conventional blades, which means that the most efficient stroke will be with the blade as vertical as possible. In order to keep the paddle vertical throughout the stroke, your top hand needs to be kept at or slightly above eye level. If you drop your push hand as you perform your stroke, the blade will be pushed out and it will start to lose its vertical angle in the water. You should focus on keeping the blade close to the boat and as vertical as possible throughout the stroke.

If you are able to use the 4 elements discussed above in conjunction, you will be able to get a whole lot more out of your stroke.

E-Coach.co.za is finally up and running. While I have been coaching a few clients already, I have been working on getting the website up and running. Now all my clients will log onto their training peaks account through the website Login section. From there they will be redirected to their personal E-Coach training page. The new software is really awesome and I am able to coach and understand my clients needs a whole lot better. I am very excited about the way E-Coach is growing and I look forward to an exciting 2010 with lots of new features coming along!

I have spent the last few weeks playing with different ideas for my E-Coach website and I finally feel as if the website and its functionality is taking shape. The plan for the website is for me to write a weekly post on a topic  related to training or racing that will hopefully be of value to the majority of paddlers out there. This website is not for the top 3-4% of the paddlers out there, but rather to the general paddler who loves training and competing and wants to get the best out of their time on the water. I hope to share my passion for paddling with as many paddlers out there as possible, whether its sharing tips in my weekly post or creating training programs for paddlers of all ability. All comments are certainly welcomed as I get my website up and running. I need feedback and ideas from as many people as possible to ensure that I am creating a website that the majority of paddlers would find useful and enjoy.