You probably know the feeling of trying to go straight with a boat that seems to have a mind of its own. The boat spins into an ever tighter turn.
Good quality strokes at the stern will always correct this veering. Think of the front of the boat as being pushed into the turn, so you have to correct from the stern. With the bow lined up on a distant landmark, going straight only requires persistence, and a little anticipation. Armed with the stern pry, and the stern draw, you can turn in either direction.
The most powerful correction stroke is a well executed stern pry. A good stern pry starts with the blade plastered against the boat, towards the back of the boat, with the blade angle vertical for maximum bite. To get in this position, the thumb on your t-grip hand will be on top. Get the t-grip out over the water. The pry itself is a short 6″ jab out to the side, using the gunnel as a fulcrum. This stroke is really effective!
Often it is best to pause until you feel pressure on the blade before initiating the pry motion. To make a major correction, do several very short prys.
Nearly half of all intermediate and advanced paddlers have poor stern prys. These are prys that stray too far from the boat, turn the blade flatter on the water, and have a general negative effect on forward speed. People get this bad habit because it feels less stable to have the blade in the correct position, which is far back and close to the boat.
Sometimes the result is that bow draws are overused: a paddler figures out, or is taught, that strokes at the stern are slowing them down. In truth, what slows them down are poor form stern strokes. Only when you have mastered efficient steering from the stern should you attempt correcting from the bow.
To correct the other direction, use a stern draw. The blade should travel in an arc to the stern, starting about two feet from the boat. In order to do this, both hands should stay below shoulder level. Make sure that the top of the blade remains submerged throughout the stroke.
Watch your blade sweep all the way to the back, to help involve your torso power. Pay close attention to the blade angle. Without your compensation, the blade has a tendency to twist at the end of the stroke, reducing its bite on the water. Transfer the power into your boat by pulling your hip towards the blade.
Learning to correct from the stern using these simple techniques will help you have more control and fun on the river.