Per Steve Cramer:
Your hand really shouldn't go past your hip, and it
should be lifting the paddle up out of the water as it does. Have a look
at this guy.
http://www.atlantickayaktours.com/Pa...ion/Exit.shtml

I'm just a duffer, but the word I get from serious paddlers is
that a short stroke like that shown combined with the lack of
torso rotation in the pix will lead to shoulder damage.

The ones I consult say that the paddle should exit the water
further back - but be further back by virtue of torso rotation.

Enough torso rotation feels extreme at first, but becomes natural
with practice. It brings other muscles into play - offloading
the shoulders.
--
PeteCresswell

On 5/1/2010 5:30 PM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:

I'm just a duffer, but the word I get from serious paddlers is
that a short stroke like that shown combined with the lack of
torso rotation in the pix will lead to shoulder damage.

The ones I consult say that the paddle should exit the water
further back - but be further back by virtue of torso rotation.

A little apples and oranges, here, Pete. I posted those pics to
emphasize the exit, not rotation per se. Frankly, I think he's exiting a
little early, but that's not what most newbies do. I agree that if you
don't rotate, it's bad for your shoulders. I don't agree that serious
paddlers exit farther back. Watch this guy and see how far his right
hand moves: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lef_ut8n0ms. Greg is a pretty
serious paddler.

This one's a little harder to see, but note that their hands never go
past their hips. And rotation? When you can see their back numbers from
the side, that's rotation.
http://www.youtube.com/v/zs2HQG0HLNo&hl=en_US&fs=1&

Steve