ACA Strokes and Maneuvers

STROKES and MANEUVERS:
Requirement/standard: “Demonstration quality” modeling, i.e., the ability to teach these strokes using a step by step progression that emphasizes the key points to your students.

Objectives: Using on-water practice, classroom discussion and video analysis, participants will learn to perform the following strokes/maneuvers with efficiency, fluidity and control.

1. Forward stroke.
2. Sweep stroke
3. Reverse strokes
4. Beam draw (In water recovery)
5. Sculling draw
6. Scull for support
7. Low brace
8. High brace
9. Static brace turns
10. Bow rudder
11. Side slip (Hanging draw)
12. Stern rudder

Forward “Power” Stroke
1. Comfortable extension forward and maintain box
2. Hands at shoulder height and “in plane”
3. Drive foot peg on the same side as the stroke
4. Torso rotation (10 o’clock to 2 o’clock)
5. Short stroke (early catch in at feet, out at hips)
6. Relatively high shaft angle (depending on boat, anatomy, paddle length etc.)

Sweep Stroke
1. Torso rotation (windup)
2. Blade in at feet just below water
3. In flat water, follow blade with eyes. In rough water, look through turn
4. Maintain box & drive w/ on-water peg
5. Catch, release = bow to stern waterline
6. More edge = less waterline
7. Low shaft angle for maximum extension

Reverse Strokes (to propel, maneuver, stop)
Method A. Same initial set-up for propulsion, maneuvering and emergency stops
1. Maintain paddler’s box, rotate torso around spine, (don’t lean back), place back face flat on water, 45 degrees off keel line (will require that you edge the boat)
2. Unwind torso while rotating wrist up & forward to keep back face loaded, blade just below surface
3. To correct heading, hold edge longer and finish stroke further toward the bow
4. Practice technique w/ reverse figure 8’s.

Method B. Different initial set-up for propulsion than for sweeps
1.    To propel or stop, position paddle parallel to the boat, back face down.
2.    Begin catch near 6 O’clock position and drive back face forward along the boat’s longitudinal axis
3.     To sweep, position paddle parallel to boat, back face out, blade near 6 o’clock position
4.    Drive back face out in an arc toward the bow, edging toward the on-water blade

 Standard Draw (In water recovery)
1. Face your work (rotate torso)
2. Anchor off water arm across chest
3. Sight over off-water wrist
4. Control w/ on-water hand
5. Extend shaft and pull power face to boat
6. Blade deep in water
7. Rotate wrist and slice away for re-set

Sculling Draw
1. Rotate torso to face your work
2. Anchor both elbows and power with torso
4. Vertical shaft
5. Angle leading edge of blade slightly away
6. Rotate wrist to change leading edge
7. Short stokes (1-2 ft arc, 6-18 inches out)

Sculling for Support
1. From high brace position, power face down
2. Flat shaft angle
3. Blade at surface, slight climbing blade angle
4. Control w/ on-water hand
5. Torso over water
6. Don’t push down, create lift by pushing blade fore & aft w/ slightly high leading edge

Braces
Low
1. Flat shaft angle
2. Elbow over shaft
3. Maintain reference grip
3. Use back face to create “depth charge”
4. Hip snap to recovery
High
1. Flat shaft angle
2. Elbow under shaft
3. Slap power face on water
4. Hip snap to recovery

Low/High Brace Turn
1. Establish hull speed!
2. Set up nose momentum with outside edge
3. Transition quickly to inside edge
4. Extend paddle blade and delay contact with the water
5. Use back/power face with slightly climbing blade angle, and hold brace (do not jam forward until recovery)
6. Recover with hip snap
7. Transition to forward stroke

Bow Rudder
1. Establish hull speed!
2. Initiate turn (outside edge & sweep)
3. Submerge blade just forward of pivot point (usually just forward of 3-9 line)
4. Rotate wrist slightly to open leading edge and load power face
5. Control with on-water hand and allow off- water hand to drop to a comfortable fulcrum position
6. Don’t over-expose power face
7. Adjust as hull speed decreases

Stationary Draw (Side Slip)
1. Establish hull speed!
2. Rotate to face your work
3. Maintain box & extend paddle away
4. Slice blade from aft quarter forward into place at about the 3 or 9 position as you edge the boat away from the paddle.
5.    Rotate on-water wrist to keep leading edge angled slightly outward, away from boat.
6.    Search for the sweet spot. Too far forward draws the bow. Too far aft draws the stern.
7. Option “B”, transition from forward stroke to same blade placement and edge toward blade

Stern Rudder
1. Establish hull speed!
2. Blade in water at stern quarter, with back face away from boat
3. Slight edge to outside of turn
4. Load back face to turn toward blade
5. Load power face to turn away

- ROLLS:
(flat-water instructor: Level 1-2): 1 on flat water;
(open-water instructor: Level 3-4): 3 in a row on flat water to simulate ability to perform a "combat" roll.