Coaching Advice

Coaching Updates

The following coaching advice has been passed to our current racing paddlers. All new paddlers will receive similar coaching advice on how to improve their paddling technique and marathon racing knowledge.

Since sending out the links to the videos in my message below, I realized that I had assumed that everyone would be familiar with the coaching advice on forward paddling provided in the Flat Water Racing section of the BCCC website https://www.b3c.org.uk/club-activities/flatwater-racing/coaching-advice/ Those unfamiliar with this advice may not have understood some of the terms used in my comments and in the videos such as “forming a pivot in the top hand” and the importance of the glide phase in each stroke

I have attached two diagrams which can be found in the presentation on the website entitled “ BCCC Forward Paddling Technique Powerpoint Presentation” at slides 17 (The Pivot Point) and 24 (Paddling Action).

Form the pivot in the top hand. The slide describing the Pivot Point indicates a smiley face for the pivot being formed in the top hand and a sad face where the pivot is formed in the bottom (“pulling”) hand. The diagram indicates that this bottom hand pivot is due to the top hand pushing forward whilst the bottom hand “pulls” whilst the blade is in the water (the Push/Pull technique is the term I tend to use). It is a sad face because the force is being applied by the “pulling” hand at the pivot point. This results in a very inefficient lever which requires a great deal of strength to cope with the resistance created by the blade in the water. The happy face is where the top hand moves across to the opposite shoulder but does not move forward whilst the blade is in the water. At the same time, this diagram indicates that the top elbow moves forward with the rotation of the body around the fixed point of the blade in the water. This creates a very efficient lever where the force (the “pulling” hand) is approximately midway between the fulcrum (top hand) and the blade. It requires less strength and improves strength endurance. In the lower divisions at Hasler races there are many examples to be seen of this inefficient push/pull technique and most beginners adopt this technique

Glide Phase. Every stroke results in a power/drive phase where the boat moves forward directly from the power being applied to the blade and a glide phase where the boat continues to move forward during the transfer of the paddle action from one side to the other whilst both blades are out of the water. The slide entitled “Paddling Action” illustrates the difference between a paddler (A) who can paddle 500m in 1min 40sec and one (B) who takes 1min 50sec. The faster paddler (A) has a shorter but more powerful drive phase and a longer glide phase and therefore maximises the distance travelled for each stroke. The slower paddler (B) has a longer but less powerful drive phase which reduces the time available for the glide before the next stroke begins. Some of the videos deal with this by mentioning the need to avoid rushing in to the next stroke or to produce a clear separation between each stroke. This is achieved by going through the set up position with the shaft at shoulder height and parallel to the water where both blades out of the water. This allows time for maximising the glide. It also allows more time for recovery between each stroke. The effect is that fewer strokes are required to cover a set distance and both speed and strength endurance are improved.

FORWARD PADDLING TECHNIQUE ETC

No doubt many of you will have already found some of the videos below on YouTube. My views on each video are given alongside. All demonstrate the achievement of a pivot in the top hand but only the Nikonorov video “Make the Pivot” mentions it specifically. The advantage of YouTube videos is that you can slow down the speed to 25% of normal so it easier to spot the pivot point in the top hand. For those who are new to the sport, I recommend watching all of these to help understand the advice that I have been putting across. Further advice on all aspects of paddling can be found on the BCCC website in the Flat Water Racing section https://www.b3c.org.uk/club-activities/flatwater-racing/coaching-advice/ The important point is that efficient forward paddling technique is not just for racing paddlers but is of benefit for sea and river tours so some of the videos use sea kayaks or surf skis to demonstrate good technique. Two of the videos do not deal with forward paddling but with the footrest/leg drive and setting the correct angle of feather on a split paddle

Van Koeveron Sprint Technique https://youtu.be/HB753_ZEZU0 This video reinforces the need to go through the Set Up position on each stroke and provides some indications on how to check this. By going through this Set Up position, he achieves a pivot in the top hand even though he does not mention this

Set Up https://youtu.be/NIOHko8FV18 This is the first video in a series published by Alexandre Nikonorov on Sprint Racing Technique. The others are “Lock the Blade” and “Make a Pivot”. All three are on the club website. The set up is essential to achieve the pivot point in the top hand

Nikonorov Manage the Rotation Videos 4, 5 and 6 https://youtu.be/F-loKVDA9Tw These follow on from the first three mentioned above. The single video covers “Rotate around the Blade”, “Drive with the Hips” and “Lock the Frame”. Even though I knew what he was trying to explain, I found it difficult to follow as there is a lot of technical jargon so it may take a few watches to understand the points being put across

Stroke and Body Technique – Canoe Sprint https://youtu.be/y_0G9GPi8D0 This deals with the four phases of the stroke (Catch, Drive, Exit and Recovery) and mentions some common mistakes made by beginners. In slow motion the pivot in the top hand is clearly demonstrated even though not mentioned

Paddling technique https://youtu.be/cnFwRUFP91A The explanation of the Catch, Lock and Exit is not as good as the illustrations. However, the key bit is what they refer to as the Separation (ie the Set up) which allows relaxation between each stroke and maximises the glide phase. They also emphasise the need to avoid the Push/Pull technique and rushing into the next stroke

Ivan’s Masterclass at Richmond CC https://youtu.be/VqXIF4ToUcE This video is on the BCCC website which also has a transcript of the main points he his making which is a useful summary as the whole video is nearly 90 minutes. Quite early on he makes the crucial point that once the top hand has pushed forward to place the opposite blade in the water it must not be motivated to push further forward whilst the blade is in the water. This is essential if the pivot is to form in the top hand. If the top hand pushes forward after the opposite blade has entered the water, the pivot forms in the bottom hand which creates a very inefficient lever and results in the Push/Pull technique

Ivan Lawler Foot Drive https://youtu.be/2BYRlT9lYoA This video covers some aspects of technique that cannot be seen from the bank including the setup of the feet on the footrest, different types of footrest, modifications to the footrest and how correct positioning of the feet is essential to an efficient leg drive. You can search YouTube for further advice from Ivan in this lockdown series

Efficient Forward Paddling Technique https://youtu.be/ojYYl2Rcm_I This video demonstrates that efficient forward paddling is not just for racing paddlers but enables sea paddlers to paddle further for less effort and have something in reserve for emergencies. It is annoying that when demonstrating rotation on land he allows his head to move with the rotation However, he keeps his head looking straight forward when demonstrating in the boat and illustrates a top hand pivot even though he does not mention it

Common paddling technique mistakes and tips https://youtu.be/pKJil0xA9kQ This video uses the surf ski. It is useful for avoiding common mistakes made by beginners such as not keeping the head still , bobbing the body forward and back, paddling too close to the side of the boat, not gripping the water on the non-control hand side, allowing the grip to change, looking at the paddle when it is in the water and others

Palm Forward Paddling Top Tips https://youtu.be/n5hvCNTcrO4 This makes some good points about posture, relaxed grip on the shaft, keeping the top hand at shoulder height and he demonstrates the pivot in the top hand without mentioning it

How to set the paddle feather angle for optimum performance https://youtu.be/1p7EW04RKAk A very useful video for those with split paddle shafts who want to know how to finds the optimum angle for an efficient paddle technique without the need to angle the wrist to achieve a good entry on the non-control hand side. First time I have come across such advice!

David Howie
Race Captain

Below is the outcome of an experimental training session I conducted. I paddled round Potters at 32 spm (75% - DW pace) (Nb counting one side only), 34 spm (80% - Waterside D pace), 36 spm (85% - H&H pace) and 38spm (90% - 2000+m pace). The timings were: 32 spm (3’ 45” and 3’44”); 34 spm (3’ 35” and 3’33”); 36 spm (3’ 25”); and 38 spm (3’ 13”). In my experience as an elderly paddler, stroke rates of 40 and 42 spm are only obtainable over shorter distances of 500m and 250m (assuming that maximum power is applied to the blade throughout). It is possible to achieve these and higher stroke rates by “cheating” (ie not applying maximum power to each stroke or not applying maximum power from the Catch all the way through to the Exit caused by not fully immersing the blade or only gradually immersing the blade through the stroke). This explains why I could go faster at 36 spm than the LWC K2s who were paddling at 44 spm.

I passed the information below on Pacing to the LWC and Cranleigh DW crews in order to illustrate how these stroke rates will relate to the time taken for Waterside D. Many paddlers, even those in the higher divisions, assume that they can maintain the same pace they achieve in training over shorter distances that can be covered in one hour even when the distances increase. and the time taken is over 5 hours

PACING

Getting the pace right over distances longer than you are used to in training is important. Go too fast at the start and you will exhaust yourself before half way and struggle to finish. On the other hand, if you go too slowly you will not achieve your potential. Pace on the Basingstoke Canal can be judged from the metal posts (with green tips) every 500m. My fastest time over 500m on the canal in my K1 is 2’ 35”. This was in summer 2017 – it will be less in Winter when the water is colder and therefore denser. In our Club monthly 6 mile H&H Time Trial I covered 500m in 2’ 55” (total time 58’ 42”) at a stroke rate of 36 spm. During a 16 mile paddle I was covering 500m in 3’ 15” at a stroke rate of 34 spm. This is an illustration of the rather obvious conclusion that the further the distance the slower the speed and the lower the stroke rate required. The table below will provides some guidance on the pace that you should be doing for Waterside D and DW Day 1 if you are to achieve your potential.

Distance	Time per 500m	SPM	Speed (mph)	Waterside D Time	%
500m	2’ 35”	>42	7.22	4hr 46’	100
10K (6 mile)	2’ 55”	36	6.4	5hr 23’	88
16 miles	3’ 15”	34	5.73	6hr 08’	79
34.5 miles	3’ 30”	32	5.32	6hr 28’	73
34.5 miles	3’ 45”	30	4.97	6hr 56’	68
34.5 miles	4’ 00”	28	4.66	7hr 24’	64

Based on the above, I would try to maintain my 16 mile pace over the full 34.5 miles (ie an easy 3’ 15”/500m) knowing that my stroke rate was only a low 32-34 spm and my technique would enable me to maintain that degree of effort (80%) over the full distance. The top paddlers would be working at the top end of their aerobic zone (ie 85-90%) so 80% effort is good to start with. I would therefore be looking for a time close to 6 hours for Waterside D. I usually achieve a time of 3’ 30”/500 in my warm up over the first 500m in training. It feels very slow and easy but would still achieve a time of 6.5 hours for Waterside D. If I tried to paddle at 3’ 45” or 4’/per 500m it would be so slow I would probably fall in! The mistake that most inexperienced paddlers make (and many experienced paddlers who should know better) is to go off too fast just because they can and it is what they are used to in short training sessions of 60 minutes duration. Instead of setting off at your normal pace you should set off at a pace (ie 80%) that you know you can sustain over the full distance. You will eventually overtake those who miscalculated, and set off too fast, in the second half of the race. This principle has been proved in my own experience over 1000m (allowed the other 9 to obtain a lead of several lengths over the first 250m and then worked through to win) and 8 miles (gave the other 20 Div 5 paddlers a 300m start before working through the field to finish 4^th) and Duncan Blyth, a Div 3 paddler (but ex World Cup Champion), has proved it over 12 miles in fields of 25 and 45 paddlers where he was last after 100m yet still came 1^st or 2nd. The key is to know from training what your 85%, 80% and 75% represents and what pace you are able to sustain over the distance. All you need to measure spm is a cheap waterproof watch attached to your boat. An expensive HRM is useful to indicate your percentage HR but spm works almost as well and was the only method before HRMs were readily available in the late 1990s. If you get to half or three quarter distance, and feel that you are able to, that is the time to try to increase your effort to 85% so that you increase your speed (at a time when others are slowing down). You should finish the race feeling exhausted but it would be much worse if that feeling is felt before half way.

David Howie
Race Captain

USING THE PADDLE AS AN EFFICIENT LEVER

The paddle is used to lever you and your kayak past the paddle blade, which is locked in the water to create a resistance. It helps to understand a lever. It consists of:

• a rigid structure (the paddle)

• a force or effort acting upon it (the arms)

• a fulcrum which is a fixed point on the shaft

• a load or resistance that is placed on the rigid structure (the resistance is located at the blade in the water and the load to be moved is the kayak and the paddler which is linked to the paddle via the hand/arms)

There are three types of lever.

• First class lever. The fulcrum (bottom hand on the shaft) is located between the effort (the upper pushing hand) and the resistance (the blade). Video analysis of many club paddlers reflect this “push/pull” technique with the top hand pushing forward after the blade has been placed in the water

• Second class lever. The load is located between the fulcrum and the effort. An example would be a wheelbarrow. This type of lever does not apply to paddling.

• Third class lever. The effort (bottom “pulling” hand) is located between the fulcrum (top hand) and the resistance (the blade). This technique is illustrated by most of the top paddlers as any viewing of the marathon or sprint world championships will indicate. It is this sort of lever that club paddlers need to develop in order to maximise their ability given their fitness and the amount of time they can commit to training

Mechanical advantages of levers

When a lever's effort arm (ie the distance between the fulcrum and the effort) is longer than its load arm (ie the distance between the fulcrum and the load), it is said to have high mechanical advantage. Levers with high mechanical advantage can move large loads with a relatively small amount of effort.

Second class levers always have high mechanical advantage – but this type of lever does not apply to the paddle stroke.

First class levers can have high mechanical advantage if the fulcrum is close to the load. In paddling, this is illustrated by the long distance between the top “pushing” hand and the fulcrum (at the bottom “pulling” hand) compared with the distance between the bottom hand and the top of the blade. The weakness of this form of lever for efficient paddling is that most of the force is being applied at the bottom “pulling” hand and only 10% is applied at the top “pushing” hand. This means that 90% of the force being applied to the lever is being applied in the same place as the fulcrum thus making it a very inefficient lever which requires brute strength to work.

Third class levers are most efficient for the paddling technique – they make racing more effective and recreational paddling more fun. The fulcrum is located at the top hand which must be fixed in relation to the body from the point where the blade locks in the water at the completion of the Catch (ie where the blade is fully covered) until the start of the Exit of the blade from the water. This means that the fulcrum must not move forward (ie increase the distance from the body) during the drive phase. However, although fixed in relation to its distance from the body, the fulcrum is not fixed in space as it will move across from in front of one shoulder to in front of the other shoulder in response to the rotation of the torso during the Drive phase of the stroke.

Currently, no paddlers at the Club in my experience are using a 3rd class lever. In my recent videos of club paddlers some have shown a first class lever from the Catch to the point where the shaft is vertical and from that point to the Exit they use a 3rd class lever. Unfortunately, by then the drive phase of the stroke is over half completed. The trick is to develop a 3rd class lever from the Catch to the Exit

The principle of the 3rd class lever also applies to single bladed paddles.

If anyone (racing paddler or recreational paddler) needs help with developing a 3rd class lever in their paddle stroke, I am willing to help with video and coaching

David Howie
Race Captain

Reading Hasler - 29 May

Full details of the event on 29 May can be found at the link below. Please note that entries received online close at 12 noon on Friday 27 May. Late entries can be accepted online at an extra £3 entry fee until 12 noon on 28 May. No entries will be received after that time. Only name changes to those already entered online will be accepted from Team Leaders on the day. Please ensure you bring your BC membership card with you in case the organisers request to see it. Online entries are only accepted from BC On The Water (OTW) members, BC Club Associate Members or by purchasing an Event Ticket (£5) (but only one event ticket per person per year is allowed).

Race Entries - Reading Circuit 2022 (gbcanoemarathon.co.uk)

In order to maximise the Hasler points earned for the Club at the event, paddlers should consider entering in a doubles event rather than a single. We need to target Div 8 and 9 doubles in particular as these tend to have very few entries so even a crew who come last can earn over 45 Hasler points each. To assess who can join in a crew in these events, the division of each paddler is added together and divided by 2 with halves rounded down (eg Div 7 Doubles can be “Div 5 and Div 9” or “Div 6 and Div 8/9” or both in Div 7; Div 8 Doubles can be “Div 7 and Div 9 or Div 8 and Div 8/9”). It is not advisable to enter a double before you have practiced with your partner and agreed on the type of boat that is suitable

If you entered the BCCC Hasler online your BC Membership will already have been accepted and you will be familiar with the process of entering. It seems that the Club has not yet registered any members who are not BC OTW members with BC as Club Associate members despite being warned of the potential problem last year. I am working with the Membership Secretary to try to rectify this. If you want to race at Reading or any other Hasler race and you are not a BC OTW member, please contact me urgently. The only alternative is to purchase an Event Ticket (£5) with your entry – see below

As a reminder for those who have not done this before, the procedure for Online entry is as follows:

Go to the web page above and “Enter Now”
Indicate the crew type eg K1, Mini K1 etc. Select “Next”
On the Add Entry page there are two tabs marked “Search” and “New Entry”. If you are a BC OTW member select “Search”. If you are not a BC OTW member select “New Entry”.
If you have selected the “Search” tab, enter your name and select “Search”. (Nb Although I am David Howie on my BC card this produces no results, so I have to enter Dave Howie or D Howie before the system recognises me!) Once your details are shown correctly select “Next”
If you have selected “New Entry” you will be taken to a page where you are asked to provide your Surname, First name, Class (Junior, Senior, Veteran)(Male, Female) and (Kayak, Canoe), Club (select BAS from the drop down menu), Division (select from the drop down menu). Once completed select “Next”
The correct Division will be indicated for the Crew Type you have previously selected. You can choose to race in a higher Division but not in a lower. If you have not raced before you should start in Div 9 and work your way up as appropriate. Select “Add to Basket” once satisfied
You will be taken to the Add Entry page again. This will allow you to enter another person such as your K2 partner and go through the procedure above again. If you are only entering yourself, select “Checkout”
If you are a BC OTW member, you will be asked to review your entry with the opportunity to amend or delete it. If satisfied that it is correct, select “Next”. If you are not a BC OTW member, your membership details will be shown as incomplete or invalid. Select “Update”
If you are a New Entry, you will be asked to indicate Membership Type and select from a Drop Down menu. The choices are:

Full Membership. If you have not raced before and used the New Entry tab, you can select this if you are a BC OTW member

Associate Membership. Once the Club has registered your details with BC as an Associate member, you can select this. To date no club members have been registered as such. If you wish to be registered as a BC Club Associate member to allow you to enter Div 7-9 races or Geoff Sanders Under 14 races, you must contact the membership secretary who has access to the BC portal

Club Junior Section Membership. (I have questioned why this has been included as it has been replaced by the Associate Membership. If selected, you will be asked for a membership number which would be eg BAS/009 but no one in the club has a list of membership numbers and it almost certainly has not been registered with BC so will not be recognised)

Event Ticket. (This will cost £5 and will cover the event only. It can only be used once each year but can allow time for the Membership Secretary to register your Associate Membership with BC for the next event)

Your details will be displayed and there are 4 statements to respond to. Please note that I will be Team Leader on the day. You must respond to the 3^rd and 4^th statement before you can continue. Once completed select “Next”
You will be asked to pay now using credit/debit card via Stripe. Select “Next”
Select “Go to Stripe”
Insert your card details and select “Pay”

David Howie
Race Captain

BCCC Hasler - Race Captain's Report

With only 8 entries on the Wednesday before the race, it did not bode well for the Club’s chances of qualifying for the Hasler Final on 25^th September at Runnymede. However, on the day there were 18 club boats entered. This meant that some of the lower scoring results could be discounted. Our 12 highest scoring paddlers ranged from 50 to 44 points. The Club came 5^th in the Regional Inter Club qualifying competition with 568 points being beaten by Banbury (582), Reading (585), Southampton (586) and Falcon (592). The maximum points total for the top 12 highest scoring paddlers in each Club is 600 as each paddler can earn 50 points for 1^st place, 49 for second etc. Paddlers from Clubs outside the Southern Region do not score points.

We had 9 paddlers in the Div 9 K1 event which had to be split into two races due to the large number of entries. This makes it difficult to judge where you are overall as you only know how well you are doing in your race. Nick Howarth, in his first Hasler race, finished 1^st and Alex Christie, also in his first race, finished 5^th. Unfortunately, neither scored any Hasler points for the Club because their times were good enough for promotion to Div 7. It is not generally realised that those who are promoted two divisions are “penalised” in this way for entering at the wrong level. As this was their first race, it is not clear what is the right level until they have raced. It did mean that Ross Phillips who came 7^th in Div 9 and promoted to Div 8 was awarded 50 points as the first 6 paddlers were all promoted to Div 7. Zoe Griffiths came 10^th earning 48 points and was the highest placed paddler not promoted. She was followed by Rick Covell in 13^th place (46 points), Arran Steel in 15^th (45 points), Peter Fotheringham in 17th (44 points), Tim Clover in 20^th (41 points) and Geoff Campbell-Brady in 23^rd (39 points) – all competing for the first time. In Div 8 K1 David Bales came 12th scoring 43 points and in Div 7 K1 Stuart Skeldon came 8^th scoring 45 points. In Div 5 K1 Jamie Cox came 22 and Bryan Godfrey 23^rd earning 1 point each (ie all paddlers who finish outside 110% of the fastest boat not promoted only score 1 point) and both were awarded a D (Demotion) notice to Div 6 which has still to be confirmed by the Regional Marathon Adviser. Sarah Francis came 14^th in Div 6 K1 and also received one point and a D notice but does not want demotion to Div 7 (too short!)

The best results as a Club were in Doubles. Mike Oliver and Dave Hansford decided to take part in Div 6 Doubles and decided to use the very stable Civet Cat K2. Unfortunately, they capsized at the Ash Wharf turn whilst in the lead in their Div 6 K2 and finished in second place (49 points each) a minute behind the eventual winners. In Div 9 Doubles Brett Jones was persuaded to jump into a touring C2 with Paul Jeffs. They were up against a K2 and another C2 but earned 48 points each for coming third (and last!). Neil Mathews and Tina Looi also earned 48 points each with a 3^rd place in Div 7 K2. For future events, we need to ensure that we have entries in Div 8 and Div 9 doubles as these tend to have only small numbers so even if a crew comes last it can still earn the Club over 45 points per paddler. However, doubles crews need to be trialled in training to ensure they are compatible and are in the correct type of boat

Of the 10 Clubs in the Southern Region taking part, BCCC came 5^th with 568 points behind Falcon CC (592 points), Southampton CC (586 points), Reading CC (585 points) and Banbury CC (582 points) and well clear of 6^th place Pangbourne CC (270 points). This earned the Club six Hasler qualifying points (10 for the highest placed club, 9 for 2^nd etc) With currently 13 active Clubs in the region (ie who have taken part in at least one Hasler qualifying event in this Hasler year) only the top 5 clubs in the Southern Region will qualify for the Hasler Final on 25 September at Runnymede on the River Thames. After two Hasler qualifying races, BCCC is lying in equal 6^th place with 8 points (alongside Poole Harbour also with 8 points) thanks to a poor result at Pangbourne last September where the three Club paddlers who attended were only able to earn two Hasler qualifying points for the Club. Pangbourne CC is currently in the 5^th qualifying slot so we need to ensure that our results in future Hasler qualifying races are at least as good as at our own event, where we easily outpointed Pangbourne CC, if we are to qualify for the biggest event in the marathon racing year – and it is not far to travel.

David Howie
Race Captain

Forward Paddling Technique

Forward Paddling Technique
A lot has been written over the years or published on the internet on forward paddling technique and a summary of the advice as it applies to flat water racing is contained in the document Paddling Technique.

Common Faults
In analysing the technique of club paddlers after the annual video session, a summary of the common faults observed has been produced.

Ivan Lawler's Masterclass
Ivan’s masterclass on Forward Paddling Technique was delivered at Richmond Canoe Club. It reinforces all that is explained in the Paddling Technique document above but explains it in a different way. At an hour and 12 minutes, it will take some time to watch but it is worth it. He was World Champion in marathon 12 times between 1988 and 1999 so knows what he is talking about. As this is an amateur video and you have to concentrate quite hard to hear what he is saying, the captions used in the video have been summarised and some explanatory comments added.

BCCC Forward Paddling Technique Powerpoint Presentation
This presentation on forward paddling technique is based on the one provided to those who attended the British Canoeing Racing Module. It was amended for a planned presentation to the 2017 Lord Wandsworth College DW team (hence the background photos in the slides are taken from their crews taking part in our Charles Hicks Canal Challenge in 2016). If you view the Notes Pages you will see the commentary on each slide.

Technique - Knut Holman
An example of good technique executed as part of a race (so not posed!) by Knut Holman (Olympic 1000m Champion Barcelona) can be viewed here. Please note he is using left handed paddles so his control hand is on his left. There is a very useful slow motion view at the end.

Technique - Tim Brabants
Another illustration, with more analysis, is of Tim Brabants (Olympic 1000m Champion Beijing) and can be found here. A summary of the points to look out for based on the captions in the video are here. Another video of Tim is here.

Technique Evaluation
For those who would like to analyse their own technique we have produced a Technique Evaluation form which can be completed and discussed with one of the coaches. It is based on one issued at a recent Sprint Discipline Support Module and used by the national racing squad coaches suitably adapted. The cover sheet attached to it illustrated the key stroke phases.

Sprint Paddling Technique
Here is a transcript of the commentary in three videos produced by Alexandre Nikonorov the successful 2012 200m Coach. One is “The Set Up” and the other is “Lock the Blade”. A third video in the series is "Make a Pivot". There are still more videos to come to complete the series.

Forward Paddling incl Power Circles
This covers information on technique based on the theories of Imre Kemecscy which was provided in the Racing Module for Level 1 and 2 coaches and covers much of the same information in a different way.

Forward Paddling and Functional Stability
The following were issued to all those attending the Racing Module for coaches:

Developing the catch
Developing the legs and buttocks connection
Developing the top arm connection
Developing trunk rotation
Moving the boat past the paddle

Crewboat Technique

There is a lot to think about and concentrate on when paddling and, inevitably, concentrating on one aspect can cause faults in others which can be frustrating. If you focus on getting the Catch right then many other aspects of good technique will follow.

Paddling in a crew boat complicates matters even further. Ideally, each crew member will have a similar style and technique. It is also essential that each paddler completes the Catch at the same time. Failure to do this means that for a part of every stroke each K2 paddler is taking the full weight of both paddlers and the boat. Completing the Catch at the same time means that each paddler only has to take half the weight of the crew and boat on each stroke with obvious advantages for strength endurance. In general, it is better for the more experienced paddler to be in front and the taller or heavier paddler to be in the rear.

The NZ Ladies K4 can be seen working on their technique and timing before the Rio Olympics. You can practice these exercises to improve your technique and timing in a crew boat when not involved in a timed effort.

ICF Canoe Sprint Coaching Manual

The International Canoe Federation Sprint Coaching Manual covers all aspects of canoeing including kayak and canoe, sprint and marathon. It has useful information for all racing coaches, aspiring racing coaches, paddlers who want to coach themselves and those, including parents of paddlers, who would like to improve their knowledge of the sport. Topics include:

Safety & Rescue
Equipment
Technique and Hydrodynamics
Kayak Paddling Technique
Crew boat technique
Physiology
Nutrition
Endurance
Speed
Strength development
Training principles, methods and intensity
Planning a training programme
Racing – both sprint and marathon
Psychology
200m specialism

The Science of Canoeing

The Science of Canoeing by Richard Cox (ISBN 0 951 8931 1 4). The Science of Canoeing is now out of print but still available in some libraries and obtainable through the inter library loan system. Although it was published in 1992, this book is still a valuable document for coaches, aspiring coaches and for paddlers who just want to find out more about their sport and how they can improve their performance. It was the first book in English to cover the subject matter for canoeing. There is still no book that covers the same subject matter for kayaking but the ICF Sprint Coaching Manual covers some of the subject area and is more recent.

Other Coaching Advice

Marathon Racing Advice This Powerpoint presentation on Marathon Racing Tactics was produced for a proposed course at BCCC. The information in the presentation was based on the course handout.

Portaging This is a summary of the advice available on portaging.

The following handouts were issued to a recent Sprint Discipline Support Module and provide useful advice for anyone who wishes to improve their performance. One is on the setting of SMART goals; another is on land based warmups using RAMP principles; the third is on designing a race day plan; and the 4th is on how to reflect on your performance.

Race Psychology Understanding race psychology (before, during and after a race) is an important part of competing effectively. This advice was originally distributed to the Junior Development Squad in the 1990s and this version was adapted for a club course on Marathon Racing.

Nutrition and Hydration General advice on Nutrition and Performance has been produced by Edel Duffy. A Powerpoint presentation prepared for a club coaching session gives advice on nutrition and hydration for club paddlers. The notes page view contains the detailed advice which is based on the more detailed advice contained in Nutrition and Hydration tips for marathon paddlers.

Core Stability These core stability exercises using Swiss and Medicine balls have been designed to improve core stability as an aid to balance in a racing kayak.

Paddling Machines The BCCC has two KayakPro paddling machines (ergos) which can be used for fitness training on land or to practice technique as well as many other uses. Advice on how to calibrate the on-board console to take into account the paddler's weight, damper setting and shaft length and also advice on all the many uses of the ergo can be found here. The Paddling Ergo Resource Pack was distributed to those attending the Racing Module for coaches. In addition, BCCC has a Lawler Single Arm Incline Ergo. Details on how to use it effectively are here.

Boat Fittings This powerpoint presentation on boat fittings was included in the Racing Module course for Level 1 and 2 coaches.

Rudders This detailed technical information on the selection and care of rudders was requested by GB canoeing.

Boat Preparation Some advice on how to look after your kayak produced by GB Canoeing.

Boat Trim Some advice on how to trim your kayak.

Paddles There is a lot of detailed advice on paddles on the Braca website concerning the characteristics of their paddles and how to maintain them paddles. Some general points about choosing the correct length and size of paddle was produced by the World Class Programme.

The Start This advice on starting was produced by GB Canoeing.