The only way I ever got it to work was if the force was moderate and even. If I tried to pick up speed and push the blade around real hard I would start curving my path. But for those early misty mornings on a calm lake where you can only hear the drips of the tip of the paddle and an occasional loon, it seems to work for me.
Most of us in my paddling group do the "J" stroke to some extent. I can only do it on my right side - on my left I have to resort to using my blade as a rudder. It took me a while to get the hang of it because it is awkward at first but it sure comes in handy in a solo canoe.
I don't think it makes that much difference when paddling tandem.
I use it in both moving water and flatwater.
- Patricia
I use a modified J stroke which to me is a bit easier. I simply push the paddle out 3/4 of the way through the stroke. Its enough to keep in straight line and easy on the arms.
J stroke update - I took a Freestyle canoe class a few weeks ago and we started with the forward stroke (J stroke). I thought I knew it pretty well and was a little aggravated at first that we were spending so much time on it. Well what a difference it made! My paddling improved tremendously just by improving my forward stroke. The next time I went out on a creek someone commented on how well my boat moved and how effortlessly it all looked.
- Patricia
