LEG WORK: Brent runs through the use of your legs in the Forward Stroke

Ideally, however, each stroke originates from the lower-body. In my clinic, we visualize the stroke beginning all the way down at the sole of the foot. From there the stoke progresses up the leg to the corresponding hip. Superior torso rotation is generated out of this leg action in conjunction with the unwinding of the abdomen and back muscles. All the while, the paddle blade which correlates to the pushing leg, enters and travels through the water.

For example, let's assume you are taking a stroke on your right side. As you begin the journey through your torso rotation phase, (rotating to the right in this case), the very first place on your body that you should feel exerting force to the boat is the bottom of your right foot contacting the foot brace ( Fig. 1)! Next, this exerted force moves up your leg as you PUSH with that leg (fig. 2), and finally gets to your hip/pelvis area (fig.3). This allows you to "fire from the hip", initiating the trunk-rotation down low by driving your right hip back as you apply force to the right-hand paddle blade.

This is a very subtle process. It is however, the very origin of superior torso rotation. The key to maximizing the “firing from the hip” effect on every stroke is to start the stroke from a solid point. This "solid" place to start from" then, is the sole of your foot on the foot brace coupled with the "pumping" motion of your legs and knees. If you do not utilize the lower-body, you are forced to rely much more heavily on other muscle groups, like the arms, for power.

A BIG WORD OF CAUTION ABOUT USING YOUR LEGS TO "PUSH":

Don't rock the boat man! The big pit-fall of people who use their legs a lot, is that the boat hull is rocking side-to-side as it moves through the water. Boat hulls are not designed to be efficient "rolling" side-to-side.

Here's the trick to avoid excess hull movement: Think to yourself, “sit flat". In order to sit flat and apply pressure not only with the same-side leg, but also with the same-side paddle-blade, we need to make a subtle body movement.

That movement is cheek-lift. In order to stabilize the boat while driving with your legs you need to subtly “lift yo cheek off da seat!” Since you are applying so much force on the side that you are taking a stroke on, both with your legs and the paddle, the boat naturally wants to roll in that direction. We must apply some sort of "Counter-Force" in the opposite direction to stop this hull movement. We do this by ever-so-slightly raising our same-side hip as we apply power. I.e. If we are taking a stroke on our right side, then we should be slightly lifting our right cheek off the seat as we follow through on the stroke. If the timing is correct, the boat will flatten out.

So let’s re-cap: On the same side of the boat, remember to: push with the foot, drive the hip backward, and lift the cheek upward.

This is how really fast racers seem to keep their boat running dead-flat in ALL types of conditions. It works for them; it should work for you. Give it try! And if you are someone with lower body limitations, or know someone with limitations don’t stress too much about the legs. There are ways to compensate with other muscle groups to keep your boat moving fast. In future issues of Hull Speed we will talk on this idea of utilizing your assets to get the most out of your racing and training.