Analysis of the Dragon Boat Stroke...

>The Dragon Boat Stroke>The Exit

The final phase of the perfect stroke is the exit which referres to the movement of the paddle out of the water and back to the point where you setup for the reach.

The exit is obviously, the action of taking the paddle out of the water at the end of the stroke. There are a few things to think about at the exit of a dragon boat stroke. Firstly, it is important not to pause at the end of the stroke. As soon as the paddler finishes the rotation s/he should pull the paddle out of the water, using his/her upper hand as though pulling a sward out of a sheath.

If done correctly, the paddle will come straight and cleanly out of the water and will not be dragged in a circular motion out from the side of the dragon boat. The paddler's lower arm simply pivots forward again while the paddler's upper arm arcs in a circle, basically looping around where the head of the paddler in front just was.

So, there you have an analysis of the basic portions of the dragon boat paddler's stoke. It's impossible to simply describe the perfect stroke without seeing it done on the water, but at least this short article has given you a handful of things to think about and to be watchful for when you watch a good dragon boater making some waves.