One real session — 16 strokes of dragon boat filmed side-on from a phone. The numbers, the scores and the coaching are exactly as they came back. Only the paddler's name and video were removed.
PaddleLensTechnique report
Sam
11 August 2026 · dragon boat · filmed side-on
91% tracking coverage
Session score
Strong session!
3 criteria scored · 4 more written up
One thing to work on
Arms Posture8.5
Your bottom arm is already doing its job: 163.5° at the catch, and it barely changed from stroke to stroke. The top arm is the one to watch — its bend varied by about 22.5° across the clip, which says it's softening somewhere in the drive.
Scores
Arms Posture8.5
Paddle Entry Angle8.5
Timing & Cadence8.6
Drive Phase Lengthwritten up below — not marked out of 10
Hingewritten up below — not marked out of 10
Power-U Maintenancewritten up below — not marked out of 10
Recovery Posturewritten up below — not marked out of 10
Key numbers
46.1 spm
stroke rate · 16 strokes
1.86
drive : recovery
162.1°±22.5°
top arm bend across the clip
163.5°±4.5°
bottom arm bend at the catch · target 150–180°
18.8°±9.3°
forward lean at the catch
50.7°±43.9°
shaft angle at the catch
3.6% var
rhythm variation
Generated by PaddleLens · video analyzed then deleted · coaching guidance, not medical or safety advice
Every number, said out loud.
The numbers above are what was read from the clip. This is what a coach would say about them — one criterion at a time, with one thing to try at the next session.
What to work on
Arms Posture: Your bottom arm is already doing its job: 163.5° at the catch, and it barely changed from stroke to stroke. The top arm is the one to watch — its bend varied by about 22.5° across the clip, which says it's softening somewhere in the drive.
Arms Posture
Your bottom arm is close to straight at the catch and it stays that way stroke after stroke, which is exactly what your coach is asking for. The top arm is where the shape gives a little through the middle of the drive.
Try this: keep the top hand moving smoothly away from your face all the way through the pull
·Bottom arm bend at the catch: 163.5° (stroke to stroke it varied by about 4.5°). Your coach's target is 150–180°; this clip sat inside it.
Drive Phase Length
Drive Phase Length isn't scored from a clip. Your coach reads it on the water; anything shown for it here is a rough guide, not a mark.
Hinge
You're leaning into the catch at about 18.8°, comfortably inside the range your coach set. It moves around a bit from stroke to stroke, so the next gain is making that lean the same one every time.
Try this: start the lean from the hips, sit tall, and hold it until the blade is in
·Forward lean at the catch: 18.8° (stroke to stroke it varied by about 9.3°). Your coach's target is 0–35°; this clip sat inside it.
Paddle Entry Angle
Your shaft went in steeper than the usual range on this clip, and the angle changed a lot from one stroke to the next, so treat this as something to watch rather than a verdict. A more repeatable entry will do more for you than chasing any one number.
Try this: stack the top hand over the bottom hand before the blade touches the water, and plant the same way every stroke
·Shaft angle at the catch: 50.7° (stroke to stroke it varied by about 43.9°). The usual range is 0–45°; this clip sat above it.
Power-U Maintenance
Power-U Maintenance isn't scored from a clip. Your coach reads it on the water; anything shown for it here is a rough guide, not a mark.
Recovery Posture
Your top arm stays long on the way back, around 152°, and you sit fairly upright between strokes. The recovery is quicker than the drive in this clip, so there's room to use that time to reset before the next catch.
Try this: slow the recovery down by one count and let the shoulders settle before you reach
·Top arm bend on the recovery: 152.0°.
·Forward lean on the recovery: 15.0°.
Timing & Cadence
You're paddling at 46.1 strokes a minute, just inside the bottom of the range your coach set for this clip, and your rhythm is steady: the strokes vary by only 3.6% in length. That consistency is the thing to keep as the rate comes up.
Try this: same beat, more blade — add rate only as long as the rhythm stays this even
·Stroke rate: 46.1 spm. Your coach's target is 45–75 spm; this clip sat inside it.
·Rhythm variation: 3.6% — lower is steadier.
Summary
A steady, well-shaped stroke: the bottom arm, the lean and the rhythm are all where your coach wants them. The top arm and the entry are the two places the clip shows some movement from stroke to stroke, and both come down to doing the same thing every time. Film the next clip the same way and the two will line up.
Technical appendix
Filmed from the side: lean, arm bend, shaft angle and rhythm can be read; blade depth and force cannot.
Measurement
Median
Spread
Target
Top arm bend across the clip
162.1
±22.5
—
Bottom arm bend at the catch
163.5
±4.5
150–180°
Forward lean at the catch
18.8
±9.3
0–35°
Shaft angle at the catch
50.7
±43.9
0–45°
Top arm bend on the recovery
152.0
—
—
Forward lean on the recovery
15.0
—
—
Stroke rate (spm)
46.1
—
45–75
Rhythm variation (%)
3.6
—
—
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