The Catch: Why It's More Than Just Putting Your Paddle in the Water
In dragon boat racing, the catch is the single most critical part of your stroke, yet it's also one of the most misunderstood. Many paddlers, even experienced ones, think the catch is just about getting the paddle at the front of the stroke before you start pulling. But as I've seen in my coaching, there's so much more to it.
The catch isn't a single action—it's a series of precise, interconnected steps. Think of it as a four-part sequence:
Descent: The moment your blade drops in the air, moving toward the water.
Contact: The instant your blade touches the surface.
Submersion: The act of your blade continuing its downward motion, now fully in the water.
Pause: The crucial, brief moment of waiting for the back face of your blade to establish full contact with the water before you apply power.
The timing and degree of each of these steps are what make the difference between a good catch and a great one. You can have your blade in the same position as an elite paddler, but if your timing is off—if you're rushing the pause and pulling too early—you're already at a disadvantage.
Improving your catch can be one of the most significant lessons in your paddling career. It's a subtle change, but its impact is immense.
