3 Tips & Drills That WIll Improve Your Paddling

COASTALWATCH | SURF COACH
Episode 001 / Series 001
Duration 1:50
Hosted by Matt Granger of Manly Surf School & NSW High-Performance Coach
Additional footage provided by Craig Halstead, Matt Grainger & Victor Cestari
In this series, Matt Grainger will walk you through the common mistakes and three tips to improving crucial surf skills. These videos are exclusively available for Coastalwatch Plus subscribers only.
Catch a new episode & drills each Wednesday for the next 6 weeks covering these areas;
SERIES 1 WITH MATT GRAINGER
Episode 1 - Paddling
Episode 2 - Duck Dives
Episode 3 - Improving Takeoffs
Episode 4 - Generating Speed
Episode 5 - Bottom Turns
Episode 6 - Cutbacks
SERIES 2 WITH NICK CARROLL
Episode 1 - Relaxing The Upper Body
Episode 2 - Paddling Faster & Smarter
Episode 3 - Positioning & Reducing Line-Up Anxiety
Episode 4 - Delaying The Turn
Episode 5 - Weight & Balance
Episode 6 - Six Killer Drills
VIDEO OVERVIEW
Being a surfer 85% of surfing is paddling, so you have to be a great paddler to be a great surfer. It's important to understand that to progress, you not only have focus on your turns but also remember how crucial paddling technique is too.
COMMON MISTAKES WITH PADDLING TECHNIQUE
- Chest is down on the board
- Arms are out to the side
- Legs are apart
TIPS FOR IMPROVING YOUR PADDLING
1. Getting a high back arch, paddling like you want to paddle, shoulders high to get leverage and pull through the rail and keep your head still and straight.
2. Pull along the rail. Have your hands along the rail of the surfboard not out and you will get more leverage and will go in a straight line.
3. Be proud when you paddle. Think about your posture and get your shoulders high.
DRILLS
Paddling is about 85% of your surf movement time, it’s the time when you can improve your surfing!
If you want to paddle fast and strong you need to train fast and strong. When you flick off a wave, don’t paddle out slow, power up and motor out. Think about it like this, when you go to the gym you have a purpose, you don’t hit a boxing bag softly, you go hard. So, when you get out in the water apply the same analogy and do what you can to increase your strength and fitness.
DRILL #1 - Increase Strength & Power
Paddle out to the line up at 80-100% each time you apply this drill to your session you train your muscle to work fast and strong.
3 waves hard 80-100%
2 waves regular speed
Repeat 3 times
DRILL #2 - Paddle Fitness & Endurance
When the surf is flat or the crowd is heavy paddle around non-stop for 20 minutes catching anything or just in and out. After 20 minutes rest for 10 then repeat.
Have you got questions about paddling technique? Ask Matt Grainger in the comments area below...

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