If you look at any professional athlete in any sport, you can find one consistent thing: a dedicated and deliberate practicing of the basics. Most surfers at your typical surf break don’t put in the time outside of the water to improve their basic skills and as a result will never reach their full surfing potential.

This drill is the last in the entire series of exercises aimed at improving your paddle endurance by promoting better technique. To do this drill, mimic the paddling motion with a book or a ball below your chest and the floor. Try three sets of this for 60 seconds over the next few days. There should be a noticeable change after just three days.

To help track your progress, I created a simple cheat sheet. It includes this drill and four others that will strengthen your mechanics and endurance for paddling.

Do the drill in this sequence:

-Lie on the floor on your belly.
-Extend (forcefully arch) your back.
-Place the book or ball right below your chest.
-Start paddling.
-Paddle by alternating your arm strokes, replicating the freestyle stroke. Cup your hands somewhat and keep your fingers slightly apart to maximize efficiency.

Make sure you do the drill the right way:

-Keep that back arched so your chest does not touch the books/ball. This is the correct form.
-If you find this too easy, you can hold a small weight in your hand while paddling (sore muscles are guaranteed the following day).

Common mistakes to watch out for:
-If your chest is touching the board (the book in this case), your breathing is inefficient during paddling. Breath deeply and rhythmically.

Yours,

Gershon

 
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