Whole Body Rotation from HERE

The most common technical mistake in kayaking is not using the whole body to paddle. Beginners often start pulling the blade through the water using only their arms, get comfortable with their style, and never change to a more efficient stroke.

Although on the surface it may seem that the arm muscles are dominant in propelling the boat forward, a closer inspection reveals that using the whole body makes more sense. The large muscles of the back, shoulders, chest, torso, and legs dwarf the biceps and forearm muscles. Therefore, it stands to reason that the most powerful stroke possible utilizes all these muscles instead of only the weaker arms.

As the blade is planted, the shoulders rotate backward and the body twists to pull it through the water. Your arms bend only very slightly toward the end of the stroke, so most of the pulling is done using the shoulders, back, and torso. You can add even more power to your stroke by using your legs and hips. For a stroke on the right, start with your right knee slightly bent and as you pull through the water, extend/straighten this leg. This pivots the right hip back in the seat (which is where a smoother seat helps) and this hip rotation multiplies the rotation you can get with your shoulders. In essence, the whole body rotates as the blade is stroked through the water.

A good drill for body rotation during the forward stroke is to sit down with your paddle horizontally across your shoulders behind your head. Wrap your arms up and over the top of the shaft with your hands resting on either blade. Now, swivel the paddle to the right and left. You will feel your torso and shoulders moving and not your arms and hands. Notice that if you strive for maximum rotation of your shoulders, your legs will move up and down to help the body rotate further.