Basic Stroke Checklist
Forward—power
Catch
- Torso rotation
- Top hand at eye level and slightly bent
- Bottom hand extended at the catch
Power
- Top arm straightens during the stroke
- Ends between knee and hip
Recovery
- Slice out
- Feather paddle back to forward position
J-Stroke—used
to keep the boat going straight
Catch
Power
- At hip—grip hand drops, while control thumb
rotates outward and down
- Paddle is mostly horizontal
- Hands are outside rail
- When paddle blade in back by the stern, the shaft
hand goes out with slight force
- Avoid holding in a rudder position—rudder is
effective for maneuvering, not effective for forward progress.
Recovery
- Lift paddle straight up
- Feather to forward stroke position
Draw—moves
end of boat toward paddle
Catch
- Rotate to onside
- Done off of hip, perpendicular to centerline
- Paddle shaft vertical
- Both hands over water
Power
- Pull boat to paddle with both arms
Recovery
- Lift paddle out of water or underwater recovery
(most efficient)
Note—draw can be done toward
bow or stern for more directional manuvering
Pry—moves paddler’s end away from paddle (stern perspective)
Catch
- Torso rotate onside
- Control thumb up, arms relatively straight
- Paddle shaft mostly horizontal
- Immerse paddle near stern
- Slice blade forward
- Shaft hand at rail (gunwale)
- Top hand out over water
Power
- Grip hand moves in toward centerline
- Shaft hand on rail used as fulcrum
- Mostly an arm stroke
- Grip hand does not pass centerline
Recovery
- Rotate paddle away from torso
- Blade is perpendicular to centerline
- Grip hand moves away from centerline to catch
position
Forward Quarter Sweep (stern)—moves stern of the boat toward the paddle.
Catch
- Paddle linked to shoulders, grip hand inside
boat
- Paddle perpendicular to centerline
- Shaft mostly horizontal
Power
- Rotate torso to stern
- Paddle stays horizontal
- Blade stops alongside stern
Recovery
- Lift paddle straight out, feather back to catch
Forward Quarter Sweep (bow)—moves bow away from paddle
Catch
- Rotate forward
- Paddle linked to shoulders
- Paddle mostly horizontal
- Blade immersed alongside bow
Power
- Arms as struts
- Torso rotate to onside
- Power stops when paddle is perpendicular to
centerline
Recovery
- Lift paddle straight out of water, feather back
to catch
Reverse Quarter Sweep (stern)—spins the bow toward the onside (stern paddler
paddling on offside)
Catch
- Paddle linked to shoulders
- Paddle mostly horizontal
- Blade immersed alongside stern
Power
- Arms as struts
- Torso rotate forward
- Power stops when paddle is perpendicular to
centerline
Recovery
- Lift paddle straight out of water, feather back
to catch
Stationary Draw or Duffek—a static stroke used when the boat is in motion to
turn or move the end of the boat toward the paddle as in a side slip.
Catch
- Rotate to onside
- Slice in close to the boat
- Vertical shaft with both hands over water
Power
- Open power face with the leading edge angled
away from the boat
- Angle can vary depending on the desired turn
- Shaft hand elbow tight to paddler’s body to
protect paddler’s shoulder
Recovery
- Slice out and do another stroke, or slice
forward and do a bow draw
Cross Bow Draw—to move boat toward the offside
Catch
- Rotate to offside—without changing paddle grip
- Paddle shaft horizontal
- Power face toward the boat
- Blade toward bow and vertical
- Plant two feet from boat
Power
- Rotate to pull the boat to the blade
- Rotate until paddle is at hull
Recover
- Slice paddle up, underwater recovery or back to
onside position
Sculling Draw—used to move the end of the boat toward the paddle
Catch
- Torso rotated onside toward paddle
- Vertical paddle with shaft about 4” from hull
- Both hands over the gunwale
- Vertical shaft angle
Power
- Smooth front to back arm motion—4’ front to back
- Appropriate blade angle—slightly less than
vertical, grip hand pulled in, shaft hand further out over water.
- Angles in both directions are the same so that
equal power is applied in both directions
- Paddle a constant 4” from the boat moving
parallel to centerline
Back Stroke—to
stop or back the boat up
Catch
- Torso rotated to onside
- Both hands over water
- Shaft at hip
- Paddle horizontal to water
Power
- Unwind torso, pushing down with shaft hand and
pulling with the grip hand
- Power ends at knee
Recovery
- Slice blade out away from boat
Compound Back—powerful start for backing the canoe, backing the canoe with power and
vision
Catch
- Torso rotation
- Looking back
- Use powerface
- Both hands over water
- Arms extended
- Vertical paddle
Power
- Vertical paddle to hip
- Twist paddle
- Push back face forward to knee
Recovery
- Slice out and feather back to catch position
Reverse J—correction
stroke when going backwards
Catch
- Comes at end of a back stroke in the bow
Power
- Paddle blade is twisted to put the blade in a
rudder position with pressure on the back face at the end of a backstroke
Recovery