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Sitting or hitting?

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Is it "sit and switch" or "hit and switch"? I've always called it sit and switch, cuz that's exactly what you're doing, sitting and switching. Where did hit and switch come from? When calling switches, no one says "hit"--"hut" or "hup" is a more efficient call, so it must not be from calling switches. What say those from the depths of canoeing?
 
Good question, because "hit and switch" doesn't make as much sense as "sit and switch" or "hut and switch." I never thought of a hut- hit connection, but I can see it. Life is full of mysteries." Wasn't it also called the "Minnesota switch"?
 
Good question! I thought I was going against the grain when I call it "sit-and-switch" instead of the seemingly more common "hit-and-switch" but maybe I've just been hanging out with the wrong crowd. :cool:
 
I've heard hit & switch, sit & switch, Minnesota switch, and just switch paddling. North American touring technique (NATT) was a fancy name and acronym that the late Harry Roberts tried to popularize, frequently in his written technique debates with Mike Galt in the 1980s, but which never caught on.

There is a difference between the amateurish switching of paddling sides that every newbie resorts to with all manner of paddles before learning single-side correction strokes vs. the highly practiced aerial switching with light bent shaft paddles of flat water racing technique that also filters down to a hit & switch cruising technique.

I have always been a kneeler 95% of the time in all waters with straight and bent paddles—including when I choose to hit & switch bent paddle for speed, to go up-current or to fight winds—so I don't think "sit & switch" describes what I do in a CanAm open canoe.

In my outrigger canoe I sit with legs extended on rudder pedals, always use a bent shaft paddle and paddle on both sides, but I wouldn't call that technique any of the names I've so far discussed. Because I have a rudder I don't "have" to switch, and may go hundreds or even thousands of strokes on one side before switching to the other just to equalize arm tiredness and to promote my quest for paddle-side ambidexterity.
 
I've heard hit & switch, sit & switch, Minnesota switch, and just switch paddling. North American touring technique (NATT) was a fancy name and acronym that the late Harry Roberts tried to popularize, frequently in his written technique debates with Mike Galt in the 1980s, but which never caught on.

There is a difference between the amateurish switching of paddling sides that every newbie resorts to with all manner of paddles before learning single-side correction strokes vs. the highly practiced aerial switching with light bent shaft paddles of flat water racing technique that also filters down to a hit & switch cruising technique.

I have always been a kneeler 95% of the time in all waters with straight and bent paddles—including when I choose to hit & switch bent paddle for speed, to go up-current or to fight winds—so I don't think "sit & switch" describes what I do in a CanAm open canoe.

In my outrigger canoe I sit with legs extended on rudder pedals, always use a bent shaft paddle and paddle on both sides, but I wouldn't call that technique any of the names I've so far discussed. Because I have a rudder I don't "have" to switch, and may go hundreds or even thousands of strokes on one side before switching to the other just to equalize arm tiredness and to promote my quest for paddle-side ambidexterity.
So Glenn, you don't sit and switch, which makes sense, but where does hit and switch come from? What are you hitting?
 
If I had to guess I'd say someone thought 'hit' and switch sounded cooler and then others joined in on the party.

Switching sides every few strokes was also used by the Chepewyans in northern Saskatchewan. This prompted scorn by some of the early "explorers" who used it as more evidence of their baseness and savagery.

Alan
 
but where does hit and switch come from? What are you hitting?

I don't know the etymology of the term, but I assume "hit" is being used as a verb, not as a noun, and the object of the "hitting" could be the water, the uncorrected forward stroke, or the stroke rhythm itself. That is, "hit" connotes a mental picture of hitting the water before you switch, or hitting your forward stroke properly before you switch or, just in general, hitting a forward stroke rhythm (or pattern) while switching sides.

Just guesses.
 
I took "sit" to be the qualifier as opposed to kneeling and heeling, but "hit" works.

It's interesting that in "Canoe Racing" by Peter Heed and Dick Mansfield, they make no mention of "hit-and-switch" paddling; I couldn't find it any way. They simply describe efficient and effective bent shaft paddle strokes, whether it's tandem or solo, and that "hut" is a common command for prompting the switch with tandems and teams.
 
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I didn't come up with an etymology for the term "hit and switch" online but did find a couple of clues in "Canoe Racing - The Competitor's Guide to Marathon and Downriver Canoe Racing" by Peter Heed and Dick Mansfield (1992), referenced previously.

On page 55, where they describe stern paddling technique, they instruct: "The stern paddler must focus on getting the paddle in the water as far forward as possible, in as close as possible. Since the canoe is wide in the middle, this often means that the paddle blade will hit the side of the canoe during the catch."

Then, on page 57, they describe making switches, where "You should call the hut before the boat starts to turn - anticipating rather than reacting to changes in heading. Call the switches at the beginning of the stroke and then switch at the end of the power phase."

So that makes sense calling it "hit-and-switch"; call the switch at the beginning of the stroke when the stern paddler's blade (occasionally/commonly) taps (hits) the side of the canoe.

Added: I don't make the claim that Heed and Mansfield coined the term, in fact I couldn't find the term in their book, only that their description of efficient stern paddling in marathon race conditions includes mention of a "hit" scenario that occurs at the time a "hut" would be called out, hence "hit-and-switch".
 
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I didn't come up with an etymology for the term "hit and switch" online but did find a couple of clues in "Canoe Racing - The Competitor's Guide to Marathon and Downriver Canoe Racing" by Peter Heed and Dick Mansfield (1992), referenced previously.

On page 55, where they describe stern paddling technique, they instruct: "The stern paddler must focus on getting the paddle in the water as far forward as possible, in as close as possible. Since the canoe is wide in the middle, this often means that the paddle blade will hit the side of the canoe during the catch."

Then, on page 57, they describe making switches, where "You should call the hut before the boat starts to turn - anticipating rather than reacting to changes in heading. Call the switches at the beginning of the stroke and then switch at the end of the power phase."

So that makes sense calling it "hit-and-switch"; call the switch at the beginning of the stroke when the stern paddler's blade (often) hits the side of the canoe. Hit-and-switch it is.
Interesting. I'm not sure I agree with your logic, though. Both in racing and touring, I try my best not to touch the boat (although the marks on the throat of my paddle suggest otherwise). As hitting the boat is erratic with the best of paddlers, the bow paddler taking his/her switching cue from the "hit" would result in a lot of water thrown and cussing from the stern paddler. Regardless what it's called, I sit and switch, and rarely hit and switch. Before the internet (and well before the cited book was published), I just switched.
 
I don't race tandem marathon canoes so cannot speak from experience, other than a few citizen's races with a Wenonah Odyssey. But the authors are respected racers so I take them at their word. I was just putting the two descriptions together to form a reasonable conclusion. I really don't think they meant that the bow person takes their switch cue from the sound of the blade hitting the canoe or a noticeable splash as the blade enters the water; the stern person still calls "hut" to make the switch. The "hit" would be an inadvertent tap of the blade against the hull. How often an experienced marathon stern paddler taps the side of their canoe, I don't know.
 
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The "hit" would be an inadvertent tap of the blade against the hull. How often an experienced marathon stern paddler taps the side of their canoe, I don't know.
I won't say it never happens, but if it is my canoe with me in my usual bow position and another person is paddling stern, then it is a buck owed to me every time it happens. :eek: A very audible "hut" is what I wait to hear before switching sides. During a race at Saranac Lake today, we had 30mph winds and the hut was difficult to hear at times. I'll have more to say in a post later.
 
Hit and switch, as is the usual term we use (the “Hut” stroke), is essentially a mandatory stroke for racers. Doing anything else is non-competitive for speed. It is done by a loud verbal call to hut. In a solo canoe, the primary purpose is to maintain as straight a forward fast path through the water as possible, offsetting the yaw brought about by a strong forward stroke one side by countering it on the other side with (approximately) equal numbers of strokes. In tandem C2, C4 or voyageur, it serves two purposes. It provides even power on both sides of the canoe, and with all else being equal, it assists in traveling a straight line course by minimizing overall yaw, and it alternatively rests the paddler’s power providing muscles on each side. It also importantly relieves the stern paddler from having to make constant power robbing correction strokes. Often there is a turning bias in a canoe, due to design, perhaps with unintended slight manufacturing warpage, or wind effect. The stern paddler (the usual hut caller) can make use of that by placing stronger paddlers on the compensating side for longer periods and number of strokes. When approaching a turn, especially a sharp buoy turn, a strong bow paddler needs to be paddling on the inside of the turn to power draw or bow rudder the bow end around. The stern paddler will draw opposite to carve a smooth and fast turn. When on twisty-turny streams, as bow paddler, I am responsible for initiating the turn as we approach the turn. If missed timing by just one stroke, then we may end up nosing into the opposite bank. the stern is responsible for setting us up on a proper approach angle to carve us smoothly through the turn. In such situations from the bow I will paddle independently of stern huts, switching sides on my own as I deem necessary to get us around the turns. Mid-paddlers will provide power and hut as usual, except paddler #2 may assist me as needed on tough turns.
 
I might imagine, with absolutely no evidence or confidence in my claim, that there's a baseball origin here - a switch hitter can step up to the plate and bat righty or lefty equally well. They hit, and they can switch. A hit-and-switch canoeist should likewise be able to bat-> hit -> paddle on either side equally well, hitting rightly until the switch is called, then hitting lefty, so to speak.

Or am I just playing free word association?
 
I did some web searches for the origins of "hit and switch" (plus variations thereof) and there were several examples, other than canoeing, where the term was applied. But my web browsing didn't come up with the etymology of the term. Granted I didn't spend an afternoon searching the web and it's not worth my time to do so, but it would interesting to know where the term came from. Gene Jensen is no longer with us but he may have known.
 
Does anyone have a Chat GPT account? It would be interesting to see what it came up with for answers.

Alan
 
Ok, so I signed up for Chat GPT just to see. This is the initial answer:

"The term "hit and switch" is not commonly used in reference to the paddling technique you described. The correct term for the technique you mentioned is "sit and switch." It involves paddlers sitting in the canoe and switching sides periodically to maintain a straight course. The paddler will paddle on one side for a set number of strokes, then switch to the other side by executing a cross-body stroke to change the paddling position.

The use of the term "hit and switch" instead of "sit and switch" may be a regional or individual variation, but it is not widely recognized or used within the broader canoeing community. It is possible that in some specific context or local group, the term "hit and switch" emerged, but without more information, it is challenging to pinpoint its exact origin or why the word "hit" was used instead of "sit."

It's worth noting that the terminology associated with various paddling techniques can vary among different regions, canoeing organizations, or individual instructors. Therefore, it's possible that "hit and switch" emerged as a localized term or perhaps as a misinterpretation or miscommunication. However, in the broader context of canoeing, the commonly accepted and recognized term is "sit and switch."
 
I then asked for the first instance it could find for the term "hit and switch" and got this response:

"I apologize for any confusion, but as an AI language model, I do not have real-time internet access to provide you with the specific instances or sources for the term "hit and switch" in relation to canoeing. My responses are generated based on the information available up until September 2021, and I don't have the capability to browse the internet or access current sources.

It's possible that the term "hit and switch" may have emerged within a specific local or regional canoeing community or in a specific context that is not widely documented or recognized. Without further information or access to current sources, I cannot provide a specific instance or source for the term you mentioned.

If the term "hit and switch" is indeed being used in some specific context or community, it would be best to consult local canoeing organizations, forums, or instructors who may have more information on its origin and usage. They would be the most knowledgeable and up-to-date sources for understanding the specific terminology and practices within their respective communities."
 
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