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Sea Kayaks Techniques Bulletin Board
Re: Correcting the "Head Bob"
Posted By: Significant Other In Response To: Re: Correcting the "Head Bob" (Ian Johnston)
Date: Saturday, 26 June 2004, at 9:40 p.m.
Ian, I agree with you in regard to the foolishness of making a student perform a technique “the teacher’s way”. No doubt there is plenty of room for variation in one’s forward stroke and it could be harmful to force someone into a certain technique when another would work just as well, or even better for that particular individual.
However, I’m sure you’d agree there are certain elements of a good forward stroke that are not negotiable. For example, one cannot paddle with power if they’re slouched down in their seat or gripping the paddle near the center of the shaft. Mechanics simply won’t allow it.
As you mentioned, demonstration does work well and she often asks to follow my boat and mimic my stroke and rotation. When she does this, she can maintain 3 or 3+ knots for a mile or two before she tires and slows down. If I paddle beside her, however, we often do about 2 or 2+ knots. (Which, ironically, exhausts me!) Moreover, if a headwind comes up, (10 or 15 knots, nothing worse) it slows her down to a snail’s pace.
As for the rhythmic head bob, I think of it as a symptom of improper rotation rather than the cause. I agree that head movement, in and of itself, is not a problem. (In fact, as a WW boater, I was taught to “lift my vision” so I could scout water 100 feet or more downstream, rather than just focusing on the water directly in front of me. In sea kayaking, I was taught to scan all horizons (including behind me) in order to keep track of potential hazards like power boats or squalls or rips.) In either case, moving my head around to scan the water has little or no effect on my stroke.
Finally, (and this is just my opinion as someone who’s received a lot of instruction in both WW and SK from a wide variety of instructors) the main difference between a good teacher and a great teacher is the ability to quickly spot what you're doing wrong and give you a simple and clear method to correct it. (And they keep trying new methods until something clicks with you!)
That’s where I feel I’m failing her. I can see what she’s doing wrong, but I’m having trouble finding a way to help her past it.
Thanks.
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