Our research convinced us that the ergonomics of the existing straight shafts is absolutely not right!
The rowing standing up on the board with a straight shaft paddle forces the athlete into an extremely unnatural wrist position because the wrist of the lower hand is not aligned to the traction and it is also impossible to tighten the shaft properly with all the fingers.
Furthermore, the unnatural wrist position in rowing necessarily involves an equally unnatural lowering of the elbow, shoulder and hip.
The consequences at the level of physical stress and fatigue of these joints are easy to imagine!
The same can be said about the lack of performance due to trying to compensate the side imbalance involved by this unnatural position.

Below please find the medical report regarding the benefits of using the Pro Handle Grip on paddles for Stand Up Paddle.

Injuries to the muscle-skeletal system during physical activities are avoidable.
Some damage may be affecting, alone or in combination, muscles,tendons, nerves, joints and spinal cord, reducing the effectiveness of the physical activity itself. To reduce the onset of such issues, beside a correct preparation of the athlete, it’s necessary to establish an effective postural strategy during the continuous movements of the limbs, trying to distribute evenly the weight and efforts over the entire body.
Additional benefits during sport and work activities are provided by the use of aids and materials with ergonomic properties that allow a reduced waste of energy, an optimal distribution of workload, and the limitation of muscle-skeletal injuries from overuse. All sportsmen using paddles or oars may find postural benefit from the innovative ergonomics of the Ergonomic Paddle System (EPS).
EPS allows a better grip by the hand due to the mandatory flexing of metacarpal-phalanges joints, phalanges and proximal and distal inter-phalanges joints, with thumb in opposition, thus increasing the capacity for water load and traction.
The ergonomic grip allows also to maintain in line the radio-carp and mid-carp joints, reducing the movements of counter-resistance responsible for micro-trauma of triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) and the ulnar collateral ligament of the thumb (UCL); similarly reduced are the inflammations of tendons of the wrist and elbow, as epicondylitis, epitrochlear inflammation, Quervain’s Disease.
The correct hand grip of EPS is recommended for the prevention of the Pump Arm Syndrome and for reducing damages to the shoulder; in addition it allow a better balance on the table which ensures the uniform distribution of load-unload forces on the inter-vertebral discs during the postural sequences, possibly reducing pain on the lower spine.
A correct stretching and warm-up before any sport activity, and the avoidance of excessive workout, remain a useful recommendation.

Dr. Michele Berloco
MD Orthopedic-and Surgery