Quick Tip: Do You Move Well?

2022 has been a very memorable and profound stand up paddle board season for me. I set out to explore techniques and get playful on my board. My quest was to challenge myself and demand some new achievements. Efficiency and smoother movements became my quest and purpose. As a coach I feel that too many paddlers are chasing unrealistic goals and demanding too much of themselves too soon. Technique, style, and feel take time and should be thoroughly exploited on the journey. Here are some take aways to explore from my personal improvements and observations.

1. Eliminate detrimental motion in your paddle stroke; 2-3 % in the beginning, 1% in the middle, and 2% at the end. Here lies a road map that will improve your paddling in ways you could only dream of.

2. Thoracic and hip mobility are critical and need to be trained off the water. There are many different planes of this development by the way! Also let's not leave out stability of these two.

3. Slowing down and training ones breathing is paramount.

4. You can paddle much faster by mastering to paddle slower and smoother.

5. Camaraderie is awesome, but to be a winner in competition and technique, it’s all you and only you (SOLO).

6. Learn to use feel and balance as your guiding light.

I hope you look at how you paddle and where you are today from 1- 5 years ago! A question to ask yourself; is the quality of your movement dramatically improving or not? If you have questions and or would like private coaching please contact me.