# Off side roll



## Cipherion (Apr 23, 2009)

I can't do an off side roll to save my life  . My on side roll is real strong. Should I concentrate on my on side roll or my off side roll?


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## David Spiegel (Sep 26, 2007)

Cipherion said:


> I can't do an off side roll to save my life


That sounds like an answer to your question right there...

Have a friend move your paddle for you for a few times. Think about what you are doing. For an on-side C to C you are moving your right blade out while leaving the left on the hull of your boat. The offside is the same motion just reversing the arm you are moving. 

Think about the mechanics of it and have a friend help. Try to learn to roll in any way possible.


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## chrispy (Apr 6, 2004)

learn your backdeck roll it will keep you off the bottom and helps keeps you in the hole for long rodeo rides. that's my seceret!


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## Ture (Apr 12, 2004)

You need both sides. In the playpark start using the offside as your primary roll until you can hit it consistently. After you miss on the offside once or twice then use your onside to get up. You won't keep missing it forever.


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## 4runninrivers (May 17, 2009)

Go to the pond with a pair of goggles. Watch your blade from under the water as you set-up. Remember to engage your knee, snap, and keep your head down. Look down your paddle shaft clear to your blade as you roll up. You'll nail it in no time!


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## craven_morhead (Feb 20, 2007)

Yeah, learn both sides, you're going to need both. Once you get a mediocre off-side, try and roll on that side every day.


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## rockinRio (Jul 3, 2006)

4runnin on it, get some goggles or a diving mask, I think a pool would be better but a clear lake should be fine. You need to see what you are doing wrong. Watch what you do on your on-side, compared to what you do on your off-side.


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## mjpowhound (May 5, 2006)

I'm curious, how many of you actually use your off-side roll on the river? I can do an offside roll in flatwater but when I flip on the river it's automatic to just go onside.

Also, does paddle blade offset affect the ease of an off-side roll?


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## hojo (Jun 26, 2008)

Take it back to the basics. Go to the pool or lake and do your hip on the side or with a friend (sans paddle). The mask idea good to ensure a proper setup. Do your low and high braces (I'm presuming your off side is your left, you paddle with a right handed paddle, and as such lends itself to the low brace) over and over and over. See if you can get your face in the water when you brace. That'll help improve your off side hipsnap.


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## hojo (Jun 26, 2008)

mjpowhound said:


> I'm curious, how many of you actually use your off-side roll on the river? I can do an offside roll in flatwater but when I flip on the river it's automatic to just go onside.
> 
> Also, does paddle blade offset affect the ease of an off-side roll?



It has been my experience that if my first roll attempt fails (either side) then it's usually faster to setup on the opposite side rather than return to the original (often on-side) setup given the resultant paddle position. I've used both sides a lot. As far as paddle blade is concerned, there is no difference of which I'm aware. So long as you can get the blade high enough and at the correct angle then each side is the same. It usually boils down to my flexibility and familiarity with the roll technique.


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## Ture (Apr 12, 2004)

mjpowhound said:


> I'm curious, how many of you actually use your off-side roll on the river? I can do an offside roll in flatwater but when I flip on the river it's automatic to just go onside.
> 
> Also, does paddle blade offset affect the ease of an off-side roll?


The side I roll with depends on which way I rolled. If I flip to the left then I try to go with the onside (right). If I flip the the right then I try to go with the offside (left). That way, I am keeping my rolling momentum. Also, the direction I flip is usually the direction the current is coming from... it grabbed my edge enough to flip me... if I roll up on the other side then I am usually using the downstream current to get up.

If I am fighting to the death against flipping with a high brace then I don't have any rolling momentum when I finally go upside down so in that case I just go with whichever blade is already on top of the water. But fighting a flip to the death is a bad habit that I am trying to break... sometimes I think it is better to just tuck and go with it, avoid the high brace shoulder problems and get the roll over with more quickly.

Whichever side I go with first, if I miss it once or twice then I usually switch sides.


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## KSC (Oct 22, 2003)

mjpowhound said:


> I'm curious, how many of you actually use your off-side roll on the river? I can do an offside roll in flatwater but when I flip on the river it's automatic to just go onside.
> 
> Also, does paddle blade offset affect the ease of an off-side roll?


Definitely use both all the time. You can spend a lot of rock bashing time trying to get over to your other side, but you have to train your body in the pool or play park to go to both sides, otherwise I think your brain will take you to the side you always try to roll on. I don't find offset affects the difficulty of a normal sweep or c-c roll off-side roll, but it does make an off-side backdeck roll harder.


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