Paddle Technique Questions

[supdiscobay]

So I did my first SUP race this weekend in Santa Cruz.  I entered the 2 mile sprint race in the surf SUP class, as I don't have a race board, and surprisingly I won the class, placing  11th overall.  I have so much more respect for all of you who race.  My race strategy was to start strong and never let up.  I tried to focus on a deep catch and not paddling past my feet.  I had the picture image of Jamie Mitchell (Who won the 12 mile race) that HM posted stuck in my head.

So when the race is over I really felt my triceps.  My question is am I doing something wrong? Shouldn't I feel it in my back or shoulders?  What do the rest of you feel after a race?  I would really like to refine my stroke, and this seems like the best way to start.

[DavidJohn]

Congrats.. and you did good.. 

IMO the triceps are whats doing most of the work if you're paddling right.... along with.. back, lats, shoulders, and core..  

DJ

[stoneaxe]

Congrats on the win. That's usually a pretty good strategy...seems like it's harder to make up distance than it is to never give it up.

I think in a sprint you'll feel a lot more in your triceps than other formats. The longer the distance the more I feel it in my shoulders and upper back. You do want to get your whole body involved though. I find it kind of interesting that a lot of the Hawaiian petroglyphs show the paddler with the bottom hand very low on the shaft. After attending the Kalama Klinic the biggest difference for me is getting my hand lower. It automatically forces you to engage more of your core.

[PBOSUPMike]

First off, congrats on your race!

Secondly, your triceps are likely hurting a lot because your arms are bent at some point in your paddlestroke or you're otherwise engaging them to apply force to the paddle. As stoneaxe said, keep your bottom hand lower. This will almost force your arms to be straight, in which case they will serve as a rigid "frame" for your back, shoulders, lats, and core to apply force to the paddle. I tend to call this the "A-frame" whenever I'm instructing on the water.

Remember, no matter how big your arms are, they are relatively small muscle groups compared to your back/lats/core, which have much more power and endurance to them. Recruit more of those muscles and you'll see your speed increase, your effort level decrease, and your post race soreness reduced.

Hope your next race is just as successful as your first!

[JF808]

you always want to use the larger muscle groups, obviously being your first race your going to feel the burn more then a seasoned racer would, and more so in the smaller muscles, your back and shoulders can handle. If your new to racing your technique probably still needs to be refined. there are numerous videos you can find online about paddle stroke