The Catch Self Check: Is Your Blade Gripping Before You Pull?
Better Paddler series, part 1 of 4: the catch.
Most paddlers lose the stroke in the first ten centimetres. The blade goes in light, the pull has already started, and there is nothing to hold on to. This is a self check, not a lecture. Answer five questions on your next paddle, find the one you fail, and use the drill that fixes it.
This is the written version. The video for this part of the stroke is on our Instagram and Facebook. Watch it there to see it moving, then come back here and run the checklist.
Why the catch matters
I only care about two things in a stroke: how well you use your body and how well you use your paddle. The catch sets up both.
Body. If I asked you to lift the heaviest thing you could, you would deadlift it with your legs, hips and back. You would not shoulder press it. The catch is where you get into the deadlift position: fully rotated, wound up, with the big muscles loaded and ready to go.
Paddle. The paddle has one job, which is to grip the water, and to grip it efficiently. A blade that is half in while you are already pulling grips nothing. It slips, and everything your body does after that is wasted.
The self check
Paddle easy on flat water and answer yes or no. Better still, get a mate to film you from side on.
Does your blade go in out by your feet, not beside your knees?
Is the whole blade under the water before you pull?
Are the spear and the pull two separate moves?
Is your body fully wound up before the blade goes in?
Is your top hand placing the blade while your bottom hand stays quiet until it is buried?
Five yes answers and your catch is doing its job. Any no, read on.
Failed a check? Here is the why and the fix
No to 1 or 4: you are not wound up
If the blade lands beside your knees, your shoulders were square when it went in. There is no rotation behind it, so the only thing left to pull with is your arms. That is the shoulder press. Reach comes from turning your chest, not from leaning forward or stretching your arm.
Drill: touch the other side. Rotate so far that your blade touches the water on the far side of the bow, then bring it back and take the stroke. Ten each side, slow. It will feel ridiculous. That is what full rotation feels like.
No to 2, 3 or 5: you are pulling before the blade is in
This is the missed catch, and it is the most common fault I see. The blade is still on its way in and the bottom hand is already dragging it back. You get half a blade of grip and a splash. The fix is to make it two jobs. Job one: your top hand spears the blade in, all the way, out at your feet. Job two, and only then: put the force on.
Drill: spear, pause, power. Spear the blade in. Count one. Then drive. Twenty strokes each side. Slow is the point. Once the pause is clean, shrink it until the two moves run together without blending into one.
A good catch feels light. If your catch feels heavy and splashy, you are working against yourself.
How to use this on your next paddle
Warm up, then paddle five easy minutes and run the five questions.
Pick the first no. Only one.
Do its drill for five minutes, then paddle normally for five and feel for the change.
Check again next session. When it is a yes without thinking about it, move to the next one.
Want a coach to look at your catch?
It is hard to see your own catch from the seat. Our Foundation and Form clinics at Hillarys go through exactly this on the water, with a coach beside you. New to the crew? Your first session is free with the code firstsessionfree when you book.
The fastest way to get ahead
If you want a big jump in a short time, come on a camp. It is a proper getaway where all you think about is paddling. You get lots of video feedback on what your stroke is doing and how you are catching waves, and you put it into practice straight away, in conditions made for it, with like minded people. That is where the massive gains happen.
Not ready for a camp? Come to a session or clinic, your first one is free with the code firstsessionfree, or send me your footage for a virtual technique analysis.
Next in the series: the middle of the stroke, and why you are paddling with your arms.
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