BOOTH Training’s Thursday Tip – Shaft angle in comparison to the board.

Hey Team,

This weeks tip is about shaft angle in comparison to the board. Now what I like to see when I am coaching is a nice and straight paddle perpendicular to the board when someone is paddling toward me. 

The more angle, or the more across the body the shaft is, the less efficient the blade will be at grabbing the water. Unlike the wing blade in kayaking where you direct it away from the kayak, SUP blades are basically flat blades that need to be pulled directly along the side of the board.

So what do you need to do, to achieve this? You need to focus on slight rotation of the shoulders starting from the belly button and bringing the top hand over the body. By doing this you will create a perpendicular shaft angle with the board which is perfect for efficient motion.

Some of you will also find it hard to keep your paddle completely straight due to your flexibility and the width of your board so make sure you’re getting it as close as possible!

Try and focus on this when you’re paddling this week and let me know how you go on social media.

Happy paddling,
Michael