Is poling from the thumb better?

[JeffOYB]

Kuzmin seems to think so.

I wonder if there's an easy way for us to test this for ourselves other than by buying his grip and glove.

I have an older Swix cuff that fits in a way that seems to 'catch' my thumb and seems to involve my thumb in the poling motion.

Basically it seems like Kuzmin is saying the thumb is a higher/longer lever in the hand. And that the regular cuff levers off of the low part of the palm, giving a shorter lever.

...It seems like the old canoe-paddle grip might also offer this higher lever that Kuzmin suggests.

But I was wondering if there might be an easy way to fabricate a jiffy thumb rest for testing his idea. Altho I also saw that he said it would take awhile to adapt and appreciate the biomechanics of his grip. So even if we cd make a quick thumb rest we shd perhaps give it some time to see if it helps.

[Loran]

I'm the happy owner of a (now ancient) Excel "world-cup" straps+handle They are somewhat similar. They were the only true "three points" straps. Upper, right and left of the handle.



I like them although it took me a while to adjust them properly. I have a better pole control at the end of the push with thumlb and index

[JeffOYB]

hard to see details w all the black in that photo but it looks like the Swix strap I have that inspired my post. it also has 3 points of connection -- left right and top. i don't care so much about control, at least for this topic, but it feels like i can lever off of my thumb w this strap -- i can use the thumb to transmit energy to the pole.

It's a Swix SR95 strap. Really, it only rides up an inch or so higher on the thumb than my other strap. It's not nearly as much thumb work as a Kuzmin. But I can noticeably activate the thumb. Not sure if this is a good thing. One could also say it is kind of entrapping the thumb...