How do I hold the paddle on the SUP? Valuable tips

Better stand up paddling with pro Alexander Stertzik. Touring and racing tips.

Author: Mark

Mark is always on the water. He teaches SUP, is out with friends wingfoiling, windsurfing and wakeboarding. Or he's doing quality tests in the factories.

How does the right forward stroke go? How can you practise it yourself? How do you make a turn around the buoys?

There's a lot to learn to get the most efficient stroke, but if you want to keep it short, at least remember these 3 things: Stab the blade completely underwater, exit that blade at your feet (and not at the end of the board) and try to keep the paddle pole straight and not sideways.

Of course:

You stand in the middle of your board so that it is balanced.
Adjust the paddle length?-> the tip of the handle is about 15 cm above your head when you stand barefoot.
Your paddle blade has the logo at the front so you can use the positive angle of the blade.
Hands are about 20 cm more than shoulder width apart.
Feet are shoulder-width and forward (no duck stance), knees slightly bent, straight back.
When paddling, bend the hips while keeping a straight back. Look forward and not down

Forward stroke Phase 1 = Paddle plunge (Catch).

The paddle is dipped far in front of the body to allow a long paddle pull.
The pull phase in front of the feet is the most effective as the paddle goes vertically through the water. Find a point at the front of the board to aim at to poke in as far forward as possible, or tape cable ties to the front of the board like antennas for training. You then want to stab into the water with the paddle in front of the cable tie.
The upper arm is above your head, slightly bent and the upper hand is vertically in line with your other hand to get the bonus point).
The lower arm is as straight as possible (and stays as long and as much as possible during the pull).
No splash when the blade goes into the water. Try to imagine throwing an envelope through a letterbox.
Sheet completely submerged in water. Use a piece of tape on your pole (shaft) directly over the blade so you can visually check this during the workout.

Forward stroke Phase 2 = Powerstroke

As soon as the blade is 100% submerged (about 1 second after the catch phase), it is time to fully powerstroke it.
Try to push the blade deeper and downwards (instead of just pulling it towards you).
Try to use the torso muscles while doing this. This way, the time it takes for the blade to push the water 100% backwards takes longer (which increases speed) because the angle of the blade is 90 degrees to your forward direction. This is called the power phaseof the stroke. Once the angle is not 90 degrees, you are pushing water either down (before the power bevel) or up (after the power bevel), which slows you down.
Forearm bends as little as possible (the straighter, the more power from your core muscles. VS the more you bend, the more power you get from your biceps muscles - which are weaker than your core muscles).

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Bonus point if your shaft is not pointing sideways from the board, but straight.

Forward stroke Phase 3 = pull the paddle out (exit).

The paddle is already pulled out of the water at the height of the feet, as it works less effectively for propulsion after the heel and you would have a longer way back to the front to catch. As a tip, you can either stick cable ties to your board at heel level or stand on two sticks on a flat deck. You should not touch them with the paddle. The paddle should be out of the water beforehand.
No splashing when the blade goes out of the water. Try to imagine you are pulling an envelope out of a letterbox.

Forward stroke phase 4 = paddle forward in the air (recovery)

There are 2 ways.
Short distance and/or little headwind, you keep the blade in the same position so that it makes the least movement (but can catch headwinds). This is the fastest 'RECOVERY used in sprints or no headwind.
At long distance or in a lot of headwind, you can turn the blade and ''cut'' through the air. Be careful never to touch the water. And make sure the blade is perpendicular to the water again before the ''catch''.

Racing tips

It's all about joining in and having fun, but if you want to get on the podium, you have to train (see above)
Train with a phone in a waterproof bag with an app that gives you your speed data in real time so you can see if your change in movement affects your speed
Train with a buddy to give each other tips Race day
Use the same gear you always use during training. Yes, even the clothes you wear. No sudden changes in hats, gloves, underwear, whatever. because that very change distracts you from performance.
Eat normally the night before (nothing exotic or special, no alcohol). Pasta is a good steady food to burn. Familiarise yourself with the course and rules before the race. Note that some organisers do not allow trains or men behind women, etc.
SUP races take place in small platoons of 3 to 5 people. So you have to give your all in the beginning. it is almost impossible to catch up and move from a pull to the back to a pull to the front. Once in a move, it is common to split and turn the head position. If you are not in head position, you are in 'draft'.
Around the buoys it is better to slow down and not fall than to fall in, as just a few seconds alone without the draft is almost impossible to catch up.
Before the finish line, of course, it's sprinting. Did you know that science has measured that when YOU think you have only 5% strength left, your body actually has 50% left in reserve? It's a mind game. So just give it more.
Material: the top racers use an oversized blade. Because their bodies are so athletic, they can withstand the pressure without shoulder or back injuries. Example: A 70-kg racer uses a 90-square-inch.