Author Topic: Are paddling drills worthwhile with the time you have ?  (Read 4765 times)

ukgm

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Are paddling drills worthwhile with the time you have ?
« on: July 26, 2016, 12:53:31 AM »
The use of technique drills is pretty well used in sports like swimming and there are plenty of practitioners online like Larry Cain who advocate use of them. However, our paddling time is likely constrained by normal day to day life so I was wondering if any 'normal' paddlers do drills regularly and know whether they have proven beneficial ?

DavidJohn

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Re: Are paddling drills worthwhile with the time you have ?
« Reply #1 on: July 26, 2016, 01:32:06 AM »
The use of technique drills is pretty well used in sports like swimming and there are plenty of practitioners online like Larry Cain who advocate use of them. However, our paddling time is likely constrained by normal day to day life so I was wondering if any 'normal' paddlers do drills regularly and know whether they have proven beneficial ?

Yes.. and yes IMO..

hbsteve

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Re: Are paddling drills worthwhile with the time you have ?
« Reply #2 on: July 26, 2016, 07:05:59 AM »
I usually pay attention to technique for the first 5 to 10 minutes.  At the end of my paddle, I practice a couple of bouy turns. 

FloridaWindSUP

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Re: Are paddling drills worthwhile with the time you have ?
« Reply #3 on: July 26, 2016, 07:44:52 AM »
I find them helpful, but I agree that they can feel like a lame waste of time compared to "real" paddling. So what I usually do is blend them together with my intervals workouts. Like if I'm doing 6 reps of a certain interval I might alternate between different exaggerated techniques on each successive rep. For example:

Rep 1: 800 m with exaggerated twist and reach
Rep 2: 800 m focusing on loading the paddle very heavily and pushing up off of it
Rep 3: 800 m focusing on early exit and snappy recovery
Rep 4-6: repeat of reps 1-3

Depending on the length & type of of intervals I'm doing I might choose different skills to drill. Like in 30 second or 1 minute sprint intervals I might practice the choke-down grip and the normal grip in others.
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mal2050

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Re: Are paddling drills worthwhile with the time you have ?
« Reply #4 on: July 26, 2016, 07:45:33 AM »
I found that when the swell get bumpy and the wind kicks up that all the drills I learned from Larry's video's have really helped me.  So I would encourage you to do them.

pdxmike

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Re: Are paddling drills worthwhile with the time you have ?
« Reply #5 on: July 26, 2016, 11:40:47 AM »
Yes, helpful and I've tried some, but I don't do them nearly as much as drills when swimming. 


I think the reason is that with paddling, the drills seem more like an interference with regular paddling.  So the ones I've done are the ones that interfere least with the regular stroke.   With swimming, drills aren't hindrances to the standard strokes, they're alternatives.  Some drills (i.e. crawl with dolphin kick, or catch-up stroke) are just as good a way to swim as the regular strokes.  There's really just one way to paddle, but several ways to swim, and actually a lot more ways to swim than the 4 standard strokes.  And if they're not one of the four, they're called drills. 


Plus, with swimming in a pool, there's some monotony involved that isn't true with paddling outside, so drills in swimming add variation that's welcome.  Plus, in a pool, you're not actually going anywhere, so if a drill slows you down it's irrelevant, but not with paddling.


So all this is to say some sports like swimming make it easier to do drills than paddling.  But I'm sure the paddling drills are at least equally beneficial.

sicktwist

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Re: Are paddling drills worthwhile with the time you have ?
« Reply #6 on: July 26, 2016, 12:18:32 PM »
I like to do "drills" when I am at the beach with the kids.  I don't really feel comfortable going to far from them while they are swimming so I stay where I can see them and just practice buoy turns and walking around on the board in general.  This is also a good time to concentrate on the different parts of the paddle stroke.  Sometimes we will all get on the board and play a paddleboard version of king of the hill.  They love it, I get extra balance work in, and the board we use for it is an inflatable so I am not really worried about damaging it. 

hefwiezen16

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Re: Are paddling drills worthwhile with the time you have ?
« Reply #7 on: July 26, 2016, 05:58:06 PM »
Yes, Absolutely!!!  Doing drills doesn't have to be a chore, make it fun!  Go with a buddy and see who can paddle while standing on 1 foot  or paddling on just one side the longest.  Who can sink their rear leg the deepest on a pivot turn, etc...    However, as far as the stroke goes, the catch is everything.   I you can get a clean catch and pull with no bubbles around your blade as you pull, you are 90% there.   Work on this constantly.  Constantly!!!   Practice doesn't make perfect, perfect practice does.

UKRiverSurfers

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Re: Are paddling drills worthwhile with the time you have ?
« Reply #8 on: July 27, 2016, 07:17:48 AM »
I do use drills in my swimming work. Important not to over use them though. Only for corrective work imo.
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Quickbeam

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Re: Are paddling drills worthwhile with the time you have ?
« Reply #9 on: July 27, 2016, 07:24:06 AM »
Not sure about drills per se, but I do enjoy practicing different skills. Things like balancing skills, buoy turns, etc., etc. Basically working on skill set. I will quite often end up in the water when practicing, but I have a pet saying that if I’m not getting wet, I’m not learning anything.
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pdxmike

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Re: Are paddling drills worthwhile with the time you have ?
« Reply #10 on: July 27, 2016, 09:06:58 AM »
...but I have a pet saying that if I’m not getting wet, I’m not learning anything.
I need to remind myself of that and work more on moving around on the board.  Same saying applies to swimming.

natas585

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Re: Are paddling drills worthwhile with the time you have ?
« Reply #11 on: July 27, 2016, 05:10:46 PM »
Depends on if getting better with the least amount of wasted time is important. Rather than just going out and paddling, or practicing any skill, your time would be better spent becoming more proficient at said skill.  Now certainly just going out and "putting in the miles" can get you there but if you could get to the same place with less effort,time, and possibilities of injury wouldn't that be a better use of your time? If not just go out and bang away. Otherwise maybe spend your warm up time on some skill/technique drills before you start with your intensity or volume training. Yes your body is highly adaptive and can go at it cold but that doesn't mean that you should.  If you are training think of going at it in this order- Skill,Intensity,Volume. Rather than Volume, Intensity, then maybe if there's time, skill.
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PonoBill

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Re: Are paddling drills worthwhile with the time you have ?
« Reply #12 on: July 28, 2016, 07:00:43 AM »
I have great difficulty doing anything resembling a drill myself. I catch myself paddling badly and correct it, but I'm just not disciplined enough (raging ADD) to get value from that. For me, the best device for improving my paddling and paying attention is paddling in an OC6, where my failures of discipline are obvious and I can't permit them. Getting instruction is almost as good, though I have to tell them to keep yelling at me. Absent that I think they assume "well, he's just not going to do what I say".

I will--as soon as I stop looking at that passing butterfly.
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UKRiverSurfers

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Re: Are paddling drills worthwhile with the time you have ?
« Reply #13 on: July 29, 2016, 01:13:37 AM »
Good point - the best paddling drills are cross training.

Mix up your paddle a bit with various types of stand up and also add some sit paddling too.

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Kwolfe

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Re: Are paddling drills worthwhile with the time you have ?
« Reply #14 on: August 01, 2016, 07:27:37 AM »
Where I live, it's almost totally flat water paddling.  Mix that with my limited time and I really don't do drills.  I really enjoy paddling whether it be my SUP, surfski or OC1.  Like others, I try and concentrate on using good form.  Mostly to try and fight the yaw effect. 

However at the end of the day, I paddle for fun and fitness.  As long as I accomplishing that (and don't look like I'm having a seizure on the water), I'm good!

 


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