The Quest for Stand Up Paddle Board Greatness

Athletes everywhere hone their techniques specifically to their chosen sport over time. With time and determination (and proper technique) many, but not all, will excel and become fluent in their respective skill sets.

Whether it be tennis, golf, skiing, weight lifting, or performance stand up paddle boarding, you can see how the best have a high degree of skill acquisition. It is my job as a performance paddle coach to find new and exciting ways to both teach new skills, and to hone an athletes overall skill acquisition. Challenging the status quo is how new methods come into existence. In the case of paddle boarding, there are a lot of antiquated, non-relevant, and inefficient methods being promoted and exploited in our industry. This is why I have made it my quest to be on the forefront of technique as an educator, innovator, and disruptor.

One of my favorite things is to study video of the best in our sport. Athletes like Michael Booth, Espe Barreeras, and Aaron Sanchez to name a few. I then ask myself, “if I was coaching this athlete, what would I do to enhance their already prodigious skills”? This observational coaching has been crucial for me in developing my correction and analysis skills as a coach.

My simple system involves renaming parts of the forward stroke to reach a broader audience. Too many paddlers are looking robotic, stiff, and disconnected on their boards. They also don’t grasp the importance of their paddle kinematics in regard to alignment with hand and arm linkage.

THE SET UP (the moments between when your blade leaves the water and enters again):

This is a dynamic positional posture that is non negotiable. Yes it encompasses the appropriate reach and decisive catch along with a lower body position. We have the athlete focus on the physicality of their feelings (proprioceptions) and also anticipating the next move. Lower torso and upper torso should be totally engaged and be in the ready state.

THE FOLLOW THROUGH (the moments between your paddle blade entering the water and coming back out again):

After the the set up is complete, now is the time to pounce with power and force generation. It’s really this simple. Nothing more and nothing less. Should be powerful, athletic, dynamic, and create a lot of propulsion.

My simplified progression improves boat speed, balance, and is less taxing to the aerobic, muscular, and nervous systems. Please remember; with this style of paddling, I am assuming you’re coming prepared by being fit and conditioned. You can’t performance paddle if you’re unfit and/or stagnant in your body awareness.

Points to Ponder:

1.) As you have seen before in my writings, the reach is over-stated and over-coached!

2.) Most people have no idea what a catch feels like or how to properly execute. Their blade is usually not fully buried (read: sunk) nor do they have the correct angle of entry.

3.) Moving up and down in the vertical plane with your body during the follow through is inefficient and deleterious in so many ways.

4.) If your center of mass is not in a lowered position, your ability for a performance powerful stroke with leg drive becomes almost impossible.

5.) Forget about any reference to recovery at the end of the stroke. I feel this was brought over from the sitting paddle sports and does not contribute to stand up performance paddle boarding.

6.) The power comes from using your feet, ankles, legs, and knowing how to connect it though your top hand and arm. Many people are very weak and non-committal.

7.) Moving forward with your energy and momentum will keep your board running in the proper direction. The reason I say this is some paddlers are leaning back between strokes.

8.) Make everything you do based on feel, shut your brain down except for tactics, and don't forget to breath.

Please remember there are many different conditions and situations that will require adjustments and changes to all techniques. The competent performance paddler will have a deep basket of skills and techniques to reach into for the task at hand.

I look forward to coaching many of you and even look forward more to learn from you the next big thing!