Sweep stroke

The sweep stroke is a type of kayaking stroke used to turn the kayak. Sweep strokes are either forward sweeps or reverse sweeps, but the principal is the same in both cases.

Sweep strokes are used to turn your kayak. While propulsion strokes are executed with vertical paddles along the side of the kayak to channel most of the energy into forward motion, sweep strokes are done with near horizontal paddles out away from the boat to maximize the turning moment.

This is the first stroke you should work on when you start paddling. The sweep strokes are the easiest way to experience the power that comes from paddling from your hips and torso. You need to commit the use of your torso and hips to "muscle memory" and then use them in pretty much all your strokes.

The most common mistake is to just consider the sweep stroke a more powerful forward stroke. People will often try to turn by just paddling harder on one side. This usually just results in the kayak moving faster yet not turning much. The faster you go, the harder it is to turn the boat.

Instead the sweep stroke should follow a different path through the water from a standard forward stroke. It will start out in the same place, close to the side of the boat forward of the cockpit. From there it should sweep quickly out to the side and move down the boat more than 12" from the side. The real power of the stroke does not happen until the very end. Rotate your body so you can pull the paddle blade almost straight back in towards the side to the boat behind the cockpit.

Torso rotation is important to getting good power in the actual steering portion of the stroke at the very end.