Some teams who emphasize stroke rate might put their strongest members in the front to set the stroke rate for the team. Some others who emphasize the mechanical science of propulsion put their strongest members in the back to deal with water resistance. There are also those who theorize on the center of gravity of the boat and the best lineup to lower that center of gravity. Whatever the lineup, there is a rationale for it. Yet, basic execution, including flawless strokes and synchrony, is the most important part of competitive dragonboating. No amount of alignment experimentation will help the team if its members fail on the basics.
- "Catch" as you lean forward, turn your body slightly toward your partner and submerge your paddle in the water. Make sure that the full blade catches water.
- "Pull" as you lean back to pull water. Propulsion of the boat is based on countering that water resistance you feel. Therefore, the boat experiences maximum propulsion as the full blades of all 20 paddlers catch and pull water at the same time.
- "Finish" as you pull the blade out of the water. This phase signals the completion of your first stroke and preparation for your next stroke.
- "Reach" as you lean forward again to prepare for the "Catch" phase of your next stroke.
No comments:
Post a Comment