Читать книгу Paddles Up!. Dragon Boat Racing in Canada онлайн

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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.