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DaveL1963 said..
Great information in this thread. I have had a hip replacement and am currently holding off on a knee replacement, both on the left hand side. These issues affect my ability to incorporate hinging, bending the knees and twisting. Despite this, I am keen to improve my paddle technique. What recommendations are there for determining paddle length to develop my technique, whilst taking into account these mobility issues? I am sure that my current paddle length is probably too long, and therefore requires a higher lift to clear the board when transferring the paddle from one side to the other.
I should add that I am on a 14' x 28" Evo one. I generally paddle around a 10-12km distance and due to knees and hinging restrictions, my paddle technique would not be described as aggressive.
The Hinging action is a big one, but I am sure you can get around it. breaking things down backwards, the single biggest thing that made the biggest difference in my stroke was slowing down and getting a "proper" catch (not what I thought was a proper catch). No sounds, no bubbles, just solid concrete like hold. Then is it all about downward pressure. I imagine with limited hip and knee bending you will need to watch your shoulders and going too long in your paddle, but a the same time you can still get a good forwards angle and body weight onto the blade without heavy hinging.
JB
