Do one or both of your poles seem to drag, bounce, or skip when you plant them in the ground to start your backswing?
Some Nordic walkers say their poles tend to drag. Bouncing is another way people might describe it For me, it feels like it skips across the ground when I plant the pole in the ground. It makes me think of a rock skipping across the water when I throw it at a flat angle. I also noticed it only happens with my right arm. The pole on my left hand plants solidly and does not skip.
How to fix the issue? Suzanne Nottingham and Alexandra Jurasin suggest this drill in their book, Nordic Walking for Total Fitness: Your Path to a Lean, Strong, and Fit Physique:
- "Before worrying about that drag/bounce/skip, focus on the big lessons of posture, pace, hip/spine rotation, and a full arm swing."
- "To engage the tip for fitness, deliberately increase grip pressure, starting at the forefinger and thumb." [Leroy's comment: Do this at the top of the front swing. Until then, your grip should be very relaxed because your gloves are controlling the poles for you as you bring your arm forward]
- "Cup the bottom of the handle lightly to facilitate a smooth passive release. Too much grip pressure locks your upper body."
- "Receive the terrain with the contour of the rubber tip, rather than slapping it or planting the tip dramatically. There is no lifting, rather only an arm swing that effortlessly carries the tips."
- "When you feel the tip make contact, delay the swing of your opposite leg until after you've intentionally pushed diagonally into the tip. You should feel the rotation of the spine and pelvis. Relish in the way propels you forward!" [Leroy's note: This is referring bringing the trailing leg forward. Start your backswing before stepping forward with the trailing leg].
- "Prepare yourself to step farther forward as propulsion begins."
- Another way the book describes to check yourself:
- "When you initiate the forward arm swing with a bent elbow, your hand and arm may not move far enough forward to grip the ground with the contour of the rubber tip."
- "It also happens when there is no grip strength at all. A little bit of grip strength as with cupping helps guide the poles to the sweet spot of the rubber tip, therefore eliminating the bounce."
- "Use long levers [let your arms be more straight than bent] to more effectively make contact with the ground."
- "Sometimes the tips bounce with a long lever technique too. This is the sign of someone who simply has not had enough practice, usually because the arms do not swing far enough forward."
When I increase my arm swing and pace, I can reduce that bounce. I have also found that adjusting the length a little bit could eliminate that bounce.
If you want to discuss further, contact me, and I'll be happy to coordinate a Zoom call.
