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. 

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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. 

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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 
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  • 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 
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  • 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
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  •  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
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  • 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.