When we are paddling, we want to create a nice V shape. When the paddle head comes down to the water you want downward force and when you break through the water you want to keep driving the paddle head down until your hand reaches your knee. What you don’t want in your paddling is to bring the paddle head down to the water and then bend your elbow and pull from your bicep and create a U shape.
We want to start the stroke from eye level and as you come down to the water, it's a real downward force on the stroke. We are using our “Lat” muscle and at the same time pulling from the hip and squeezing from the oblique. When the hand reaches the knee the power phrase of the stroke is finished and its all about powering out of the exit.