Mastering the Exit: Fine-Tune Your Paddling Technique Off the Water

January 25, 2025By

Offseason is the perfect time to refine your paddling technique. Even if you’re not on the water, practicing land drills can help you hone critical elements of your stroke. This week, we’re focusing on the exit phase, a vital part of the stroke that maximizes speed and efficiency while setting you up for the next catch.

Why the Exit Matters

The exit phase is where your blade leaves the water, and it’s a key moment for maintaining speed and setting up your next stroke. Top paddlers all share a commonality in their technique: as the paddle exits, their hips are already reloading forward, getting their body into position for the next catch. This movement creates a burst of acceleration, allowing the board to carry speed between strokes and reducing the effort needed to regain momentum.

Without this precise timing, reloading hips forward after the blade exits can slow the board down, costing you speed and efficiency.

What to Look for in Top Paddlers

By studying videos of elite paddlers, you’ll notice:

As the paddle exits, hips stop moving backward and begin driving forward.
Legs start to straighten, and the upper body leans forward.
The blade exits while the hips are already transitioning forward, setting up a smooth, high-cadence stroke cycle.

Focus on freeze-framing video at the moment the paddle exits the water. Look for when the hips start moving forward relative to the blade. This sequence leads to peak efficiency.

Land Drills to Practice the Exit

Refining this movement on land helps it feel natural when you return to the water. Here’s how to get started:

Video Study: Build a library of videos from elite paddlers (follow them on social media or save clips). Watch in slow motion and freeze frames to analyze their positions at the exit.
Mirror Practice: Stand in front of a full-length mirror and mimic the hip and blade movements you observe. Focus on:
- Hips transitioning forward as the blade would still be in the water.
- Legs straightening and upper body leaning forward.
10-Minute Sessions: Dedicate just 10 minutes a day to these land drills. Over time, your body will adapt, and the movements will feel second nature.

The Benefits of Perfecting the Exit

Practicing the exit phase on land has two major benefits:

Improved Acceleration: Proper timing at the exit delivers a burst of speed that carries into the next stroke.
Effortless Stroke Recovery: Reloading the hips and positioning the body early reduces wasted motion and energy.

Start Now, Reap the Rewards Later

By spending a little time each day analyzing video and practicing land drills, you’ll be miles ahead when you hit the water again. Remember, paddling is a cyclical motion—it’s not just about power but efficiency and timing. Use this offseason to build the habits that will transform your stroke.

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Larry Cain, Paddle Monster Head Coach

Larry Cain began his career in 1974 at the Oakville Racing Canoe Club, now the Burloak Canoe Club, in Oakville, Ontario. Cain competed in three Summer Olympics, winning a gold medal in the C-1 500 m, and a silver medal in the C1 1000 m events. He also won a silver medal in the C-1 1000 m event at the 1989 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Plovdiv. In 1984, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada. In 1997, he was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. A trail in Oakville has been named in his honour running along the town's waterfront where Cain trained. He worked as a coach, preparing paddlers for the Olympic Games in Rio. In 2016 Cain co-founded Paddle Monster.