Paddle grip and the forward stroke on land
Ready when: Four corners safety game (b1) done.
What you are learning
Holding the paddle right, hands a little wider than the shoulders with the knuckles up, and the forward stroke: reach forward, put the blade in by the feet, turn the body to pull it back to the hip, lift it out, then the other side. The power comes from turning the body, not from the arms.
Words on this card Paddle, Forward stroke
- Paddle
- The paddle is what you hold; the blade is the flat end that goes in the water.
- Forward stroke
- The stroke that moves the boat forward: blade in by the feet, pulled back to the hip.
Set up
A rolled newspaper or broom handle; a cushion to sit on.
Weather: dry floor
Show it first for the one teaching
- Sit tall on a cushion, legs out in front, knees slightly bent.
- Hold the stick with the hands a little wider than the shoulders, knuckles up.
- Reach forward and "put the blade in" beside your feet on one side.
- Turn your body to pull it back to the hip, lift it out, then do the same on the other side.
Your part while they practise
Watch that the hands stay the same width apart and the body turns with each stroke.
Step by step
- Sit tall on the cushion, hands wide on the stick.
- 20 strokes, left and right.
- Then 20 more, counting aloud "left, right".
How much: 40 strokes 6 min a session 3 days a week
Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.
The game: Mirror paddle
One leads the stroke speed and the other copies.
Who plays: 2, side by side or facing each other.
How to play, turn by turn
- Turns
- The leader paddles, changing speed: slow, fast, stop
- The follower copies exactly, the same side at the same moment
- 1 minute, then swap. 3 rounds each
- Fair play
- A grown-up leader changes speed slowly.
- Points
- The follower scores 1 point for every 10 strokes that match the leader.
- Fouls
- No point for those strokes
- The hands slide together
- Pulling with the arms only
- Paddling on the wrong side
- Winning
- More points after 3 rounds each.
- 3 points for 1 star
- 6 points for 2 stars
- 9 points for 3 stars
Easier or harder
Slow, one side at a time.
Add a backward stroke to stop.
What you will see, and what to say
- the child pulls with the arms only
Turn your body
The shoulders turn as the blade comes back. - the hands slide together
Hands stay wide
Mark the hand spots on the stick with tape.
Self-check
20 forward strokes with the hands staying at the same width.
Fitness for this
Warm up first: how to warm up, at workonfitness.com. For strength and stretching, its exercise library shows each exercise step by step, with an easier version.
This card trains grip, stroke pattern, body rotation.
awiseathlete.com/sports/canoe-kayak/canoe-kayak-b2