Technique Archives - The Kayak House

NOT ALL ROTATION IS CREATED EQUAL: Backward vs. Forward Rotation

or as Orwell would say (if he’d been a paddler):

‘Not all rotation is created equal, some is more equal than others’

And if the goal is to be fast and efficient on the water, then Forward Rotation is the ‘most equal’.

When we talk about rotation, just because the hips move backwards and forwards, and the legs go up and down, doesn’t mean the rotational pattern is forward. When we refer to the direction of rotation, we are talking about:

the direction of inertia generated by the stroke
position and movement of bodyweight throughout the stroke cycle
the direction of the internal energy flow

If we want to move the boat forward, then ideally we also want all of these moving forward.

I say ideally because there are plenty of athletes at all levels of the sport, who can win races using a backwards rotational pattern.

So does having a forward rotation pattern really matter? and is it worth spending the time to develop?

That depends… On the athlete’s body type and their long-term goals.

Forward rotation

the most efficient rotational pattern. If the athlete has suffucient core integration and correct timing with the legs, they will convert the majority of force applied to the paddle into forward movement of the boat, wasting little power and energy.
allows lighter athletes (and those with less upper body strength) to generate higher speeds compared with using a backwards rotational pattern
generally places less stress on the shoulders (due to a higher level of core integration and therefore better distribution of forces throughout the body)
more complex/time consuming to develop (with most athletes) as it requires extremely good connection, timing, and control between the legs & torso, and legs & blade, and a fully integrated and functional core and ‘frame’.

Backward rotation

extremely inefficient. Backwards rotation generates backwards intertia/energy (and often also excessive downwards force) which create extra resistance and act as a brake to moving the boat forward. To overcome these forces requires considerable upper body strength, often coupled with a large consumption of energy
often places excessive stress on the shoulders due to a lack of core support and integration
very easy to develop and extremely common as it requires little core integration and little connection to the blade and footrest (just pull with the arms and push backwards with the leg or hip)
senior athletes will only have interntional podium success with this pattern if they:
–have incredible upper body strength and bullet-proof shoulders
–are incredibly fit and enjoy regular sufferfests.

Neutral Rotation

The third, less common type of rotational pattern is neutral rotation. With this rotational pattern, the athlete rotates around a central axis on the seat without generating either forward or backwards inertia. In this rotational pattern, the athlete moves empty legs up and down, generating little to no power from them.

Backward Rotation Styles

There are many individual variations of backwards rotation depending on the strength and experience of the athlete. In the following video you’ll see some of the most common styles, followed by forward rotation for comparison.

General Technical Differences between Backward vs. Forward rotation

Before we get into the details of each specific variation, let’s look at the underlying technical features that are common to all backward rotational patterns, and how they differ in forward rotators.

Backward rotation

The stroke-side leg pushes strongly backwards off the footrest, or hip drives the leg strongly backwards
Energy is sent backwards through the leg and out the back of the boat
In the examples with a longer seat-footrest distance (to allow for full hip rotation), the stroke-side leg empties completely leaving no stored elasticity to keep the body connected and working as a whole
Bodyweight gets stuck on the seat in the back/stroke-side hip on the exit (weight doesn’t shift forward with the hip to the footrest). This makes it very difficult to apply pressure to the footrest with the front foot (leaving the catch unsupported), and will also cause boat roll.
Weak blade-lock, often combined with unwound rotation
Majority of power is generally generated in the 2nd half of the water phase
Poor grip in the first half of the stroke
Power generated mostly by arms and upper body, with a narrower stroke
Little to no power contribution from the core
Generates backwards inertia which needs to be overcome with extra force
Rotation follows the stroke rather than driving it, and rarely starts from the footrest, blade and core

Forward Rotation

The stroke side leg drives the footrest forward
Energy is transferred from the footrest and blade-lock around the lower body U back to the footrest, with
Some elasticity remaining in the stroke-side leg
Bodyweight finishes forward on the exit
Quick, strong, blade lock supported by the whole body
Strong first half of the stroke
Good grip throughout the whole stroke
Power generated using the whole body as one connected unit, with an integrated core
High level of core torque, and power generated by the core
Generates forward inertia = ‘free’ energy
Rotation drives the stroke
Rotation is generated off the locked blade/water using the footrest and core

Technical features unique to the specific variations

Backward rotation – beginner/youth

Weak/unengaged core
Poor upper back and shoulder stiffness and stabilisation
Whole body reacts to the backwards inertia and consequent rebounding forces (created during the 2nd half of the stroke), creating the ‘rodeo’ or ‘camel’ effect.
Backwards rotation is often coupled with excessive downwards force, digging the boat deep into the water.

Backward rotation – Intermediate upright

Core is engaged, but is primarily being used to stabilise/control the ‘rodeo’ effect from the backwards inertia, rather than being used to generate power
Pull-side shoulder drives strongly backwards with the hip (instead of the opposite shoulder moving forward)
If the athlete moves the paddle straight into the water from this position the blade would hit the boat, to solve this most athletes unwind the rotation in the air losing torque and stroke length
Short, unwound, unsupported catch
Top hand often ‘shoots’ or ‘punches’ due to lack of real grip and support for the stroke, and extreme force from the pull arm in the 2nd half of the stroke

Backward Rotation – Elite Upright
(Not shown as I don’t have the upper body strength to recreate it without injuring myself…)

Weak grip in the first half of the stroke is masked by applying excessive tension and power from the arms and upper body (‘killing’ rather than ‘feeling’ the water). This provides artificial support for the catch from the body (rather than the water). The backwards rotator oftens paddles from the mindset ‘Let me show you what can I do to the water!’ rather than thinking ‘What can the water do for me?’..
This athlete often has dysfunctional core and/or shoulder stabilisation strategies
Extremely high energy usage

Leaning forward – Rotating backwards

Athlete tries to negate the backwards inertia (and rodeo effect) by leaning forward excessively
Less stress on the shoulders than rotating backwards in an upright position (as the shoulders are much closer to the water and the blade entry angle differs)
Stroke is very long, and flat but weak with A LOT of slip, that is unsupported by the core and legs
‘Pull’-side leg goes completely empty
Core is completely collapsed providing little support and generating little torque (athlete may feel the compression as the core working)
Diaphragm is compressed making deep breathing more (very) difficult

Faster Backward rotation – Close Seat

Tries to negate the backwards inertia with extra power from the upper body
Seat-footrest distance is short to prevent the leg emptying as the athlete pulls strongly backwards with the arms (often using the back of the seat rather than a locked blade, to pull against). This reduces (but not stops) backwards energy loss
Short seat-footrest distance creates an artificial/fake feeling of leg tension and use (the legs are compressed rather than being elastic, and contribute little power)
Short seat-footrest distance tips the pelvis under (posterior pelvic tilt) and curves the back to make space for the hips to rotate more freely. (If instead the athlete sits upright with a short seat-footrest distance, it prevents the hips from rotating freely, and the athlete will rotate more from the waist/torso.)
The curved back disengages the core from the rest of the body, with the core contributing little-to nothing towards power generation. The athlete will often confuse the feeling of the core being compressed, with the core working to help the stroke
Common with upper body dominant athletes, but only used successfully in competition if the upper body strength and fitness levels are exceptional (relative to competitors)
If the shoulders stabilisers are relatively weak compared with the rest of the upper body, or the upperbody is weak, the shoulders will drift up towards the ears like in this clip. Athletes with more stable shoulders or stronger arms are able to keep them lower (but the back will still be rounded).

COACHES CORNER

When training (forward) rotation on land, it’s helpful to take the Footstrap OFF. This encourages the athlete to rotate off the blade, and shift their weight forward naturally, rather then pulling themsleves forward with the foot strap. Backwards rotators will often struggle without the footstrap in the beginning.

I also prefer the sliding bench locked down for backwards rotators. With the slider unlocked, it will rebound forward after hitting the back of the machine, rather than moving forward off the blade lock. This confuses many backwards rotators who think they are generating forward inertia just because the slider moves forward.

Just as there are many variations of backwards rotation, there are also many variations of forward rotation. The most efficient way of paddling will look different for every athlete depending on a range of factors including body proportions, mobility, core integration, stabilisation strategies, and muscle imbalances. However, the underlying principles to generating forward inertia remain the same regardless.

THE KAYAKER’S CORE – Part 6: Correcting core stabiliser-mover dysfunction

THE KAYAKERS CORE – Part 5: How core dysfunction makes a big mess in the boat

THE KAYAKER’S CORE – Part 3: The Core, The Water, & The Holy Grail

As we saw in the Part 2 of this series, strength alone is not enough when it comes to the core and paddling. To paddle efficiently, the core needs many elements to be functioning optimally both individually and together:

In this article we’ll look more closely at how each of these elements specifically relate to sprint kayaking.

Core Strength

When talking about core strength in relation to paddling and training, it’s useful to divide this into two categories as we did in Part 1 Mover and Stabiliser strength. These two categories play different roles in paddling technique and require different types of training.

Mover Strength

Mover strength refers to the superficial core muscles (otherwise known as the Instagram muscles) which assist with movement. When people talk generally about training ‘core strength’ they are often referring to training these muscles.

One the water core mover strength is primarily needed for creating torque and rotational power.

Stabiliser strength

This refers to the strength of the deep core stabilising muscles.

Arguably the most important muscles of the core, the deep core stabilisers are needed on the water to;

protect the spine
support good posture
breathing
balance
force distribution
power transfer
arm dissociation

These muscles are often chronically weak (switched off, or firing incorrectly) with many advanced paddlers, particularly if the core isn’t properly integrated into paddling technique.

Core functionality

Core functionality refers to the ability of the different core muscles to do the right job at the right time. It’s essential for efficiency when paddling and lifting (and generally moving with ease).

Core functionality can be heavily impaired by muscle imbalances. This often leads experienced paddlers to struggle more with core function than strength.

Core functionality can also be severely impacted by psychological stress, be it from fear of capsizing, life-stress, injury stress, performance anxiety, fear of meeting internal or external expectations, etc.

Core Integration (The Holy Grail)

While the majority of athletes are in the gym on a quest for pure core strength, I’m a firm believer that it is core integration that we should be suiting up and getting on our horses for.

Internal core integration is the ability to connect the core with other parts of the body in a synchronised way.

On the water, internal core integration has two main functions:

the transfer of power between lower body, and the upper body
distribution and management of forces throughout the body (for balance, efficiency, and injury prevention)

External core integration is ability to connect the core to the blade and footrest in a synchronised way during the paddling movement. It serves to:

transfer power from the body to the paddle to move the boat forward
support strong water grip throughout the entire stroke
create well-timed forward momentum/inertia

Both internal and external core integration are essential for efficient paddling. They also allow the paddler to build substantial core strength during water training.

A well-functioning, integrated core also helps reduce the risk of injury both in the gym and on the water by distributing forces over a large area.

Core integration has little to do with strength, and considerably more to do with timing/sequencing, long chain connections, and body awareness and control. It also requires a good balance between core stabiliser and mover strength, and the movers and stabilisers to be functioning correctly.

On the water (or ergometer), boat set-up can also play a role in whether an athlete is able to optimally integrate the core into their paddling technique.

Core dissociation

Core dissociation is the ability to dissociate the core from the arms and shoulders. On the water it is essential for air phase efficiency and a clean, powerful catch.

To dissociate the arms from the core requires a very high level of core stabilisation.

Core stabilisation

Core stabilisation is the ability to keep the core stable in the presence of movement.

On the water it is important for keeping a strong ‘frame’ which allows for the maximum transfer of power, and minimises energy leakage.

Core Adaptability

Core adaptability allows the core to quickly react to changing conditions without losing strength. It essential to paddle well in strong wind, waves, or wash.

Core adaptability requires good core integration, stabiliser strength, and flexibility (both mental and physical).

Core symmetry

The ideal stroke cycle for optimal boat movment is symmetrical (an even stroke on both sides). However, our bodies are inherently asymmetrical, and the core is no exception. This leads many athletes to struggle with long-chain core integration on one-side far more than the other. These assymetries in the core can contribute to making the stroke extremley uneven on the water, as one side has more long-chain support than the other.

Continue Reading..

In Part 4 of the Kayaker’s core, we’ll look at common core imbalances facing paddlers.

THE KAYAKER’S CORE – Part 2: Strength alone is Not Enough!

If we all got paid a dollar every time someone said ‘You need a strong core for kayaking’ we could take early retirement en-masse and spend the remainder of our days sipping Piña Coladas on the beach…

But is it actually true?

If all you care about is paddling fast, then the simple answer is – NO. Speed can be generated in many ways on the water, and some athletes can be competitive at the highest level with weak cores.

The longer answer is – it’s complicated… and because it’s not black and white, what was originally planned as a short social media post, turned into this series of 8 articles about the Kayaker’s Core.

Throughout this series, we’ll dive deep into all things core related, and unpack why this reductionist view of the core (and kayak technique) isn’t particularly helpful for coaches or athletes and can lead to a lot of wasted training time.

But before we go too deep, let’s start off shallow. So shallow that I’m going to paraphrase a line from one of my favourite series of all time (The Diplomat).

A strong core is only helpful for kayaking if you actually use it…

This statement may seem so blindingly obvious that even Blind Freddy would find it insulting, but it’s important to recognise that there are a surprising number of elite-level athletes with strong, ‘ripped’ cores, paddling with little to no core involvement.

There are two main aspects to look at when considering why that is. Firstly, the core’s relationship to paddling technique is a complex one that involves many factors apart from strength alone. These include; functionality, integration, dissociation, stabilisation, adaptability, symmetry, and psychological stress.

To use the core effectively on the water and gain the maximum power contribution from it, then the interplay between the above elements, and all the individual elements, need to be functioning optimally.

Additionally, all these elements should be working together to support a technique that respects the technical fundamentals. For example, a strong and fully functional core can be used to support a backwards rotational pattern rather than a forward one, which works against the athlete when it comes to generating speed.

The second main factor influencing core use on the water, is the athlete’s paddling profile (how they generate speed). When categorising athletes, I like to divide them into 4 main profiles: Technical, Strong, Fit, Strong/Fit Hybrid. Many athletes in the Strong and Hybrid profiles can compensate for a complete lack of core use if their other physical qualities are developed to an exceptionally high level.

When we take all these variables into consideration, we see that there are fast and slow athletes with both strong and weak cores:

So if you can paddle fast without it – does having a strong, fully functioning, and integrated core matter?

If like me, you believe in prioritising technical and training efficiency, and minimising injury risk, then yes, it’s essential for most athletes.

Continue Reading:

Part 1: Core 101- What it is , What it does, & Why it’s important

Part 3: The Core, The Water, & The Holy Grail

Part 4: Core imbalances – When the movers take over

Part 5: How core dysfunction makes a big mess in the boat

Part 6: Correcting stabiliser/mover dysfunction

Part 7: Unpopular Opinions – Is core training on land a waste of time?

Part 8: 9 Fundamental Exercises for core stabiliser strength

NOT ALL ROTATION IS CREATED EQUAL: Backward vs. Forward Rotation

‘Not all rotation is created equal, some is more equal than others’

So does having a forward rotation pattern really matter? and is it worth spending the time to develop?

Forward rotation

Backward rotation

Neutral Rotation

Backward Rotation Styles

General Technical Differences between Backward vs. Forward rotation

Backward rotation

Forward Rotation

Technical features unique to the specific variations

Backward rotation – beginner/youth

Backward rotation – Intermediate upright

Leaning forward – Rotating backwards

Faster Backward rotation – Close Seat

COACHES CORNER

THE KAYAKER’S CORE – Part 6: Correcting core stabiliser-mover dysfunction

THE KAYAKERS CORE – Part 5: How core dysfunction makes a big mess in the boat

THE KAYAKER’S CORE – Part 3: The Core, The Water, & The Holy Grail

Core Strength

Mover Strength

Stabiliser strength

Core functionality

Core Integration (The Holy Grail)

Core dissociation

Core stabilisation

Core Adaptability

Core symmetry

Continue Reading..

THE KAYAKER’S CORE – Part 2: Strength alone is Not Enough!

A strong core is only helpful for kayaking if you actually use it…

Continue Reading:

THE KAYAKER’S CORE – Part 1: Core 101 – What it is, What it does, & Why it’s important

Air Phase Drills for Efficiency & Control

Drills to Connect & Strengthen The Block

Forward Hip Drive Drills

Leg Control Drills