i used to think like that…
When I was starting out learning to roll, solid contact with my knees, thighs, and feet mattered to me. After learning more about rolling and after spending some years learning and teaching greenland style rolling, the only thing that mattered was my hips. Now when I roll, I don’t use foot pegs and it really doesn’t matter what sort of kayak I’m in. Big or small, my hips still rotate so my roll isn’t dependent on outfitting.
Similar for me
I too really tried to wedge in early on - and foot contact mattered. Mostly to ensure my thighs stayed put on the thigh braces.
Then I built my SOF and realized with a masik it worked just fine with or without feet engaged, and even with lower body pretty much like a rag doll and not really even driving hips consciously. Just sort of an easy unfolding motion and the qajaq followed along.
My hardshell needs a little more oommph due to volume/deck height differences and braces not being as nice as a masik - but not a lot more and some of the looseness/relaxed nature found in the SOF has transferred back over.
A lot of the small revelations found on the rolling path (and refining forward stroke path/etc.), are about backing off/lightening up/dropping counterproductive actions. Getting out of your own way, moving the kayak vs fighting against yourself, right effort vs max effort. Pruning back vines to increase yield. Weeding the garden BEFORE pouring on the fertilizer…
now I’m confused
Are you saying your hips are locked into your SOF? But you aren’t dependent on outfitting?
Maybe we are talking across each other regarding where the rolling “twist” comes from vs how that body motion is transmitted to the kayak. I agree that allowing the hips to rotate is important to many or maybe all rolls, but I think they mainly translate the upper body motion to the lower body motion. I think the point of the rolling knee thing is that you can kill your roll by tensing up the offside leg or by moving your upper body in a way that causes that to happen.
language
Some people I’ve tried to help can’t figure out how to move their hips when asked, even after a demonstration.
Seems to be most common with non-athletic middle-aged folks. Telling them to lift a knee a least produces the start of the desired motion.
Climbing angle vs flat
The climbing angle is a good fail safe method of thinking for beginners so the paddle won’t dive. Also, what are you doing? You are actually using a piece of the sculling technique to generate lift. If you’re a strict C to C roller, then who cares and I’ve seen paddlers actually lift the paddle out of the water and place it perpendicular to the boat and hip snap themselves up. Most paddlers just use the sweep to get the paddle in position to roll up. When you get to the degree of refinement where you can actually control the angle of the sweep, it won’t matter any more because your body motion will just be effortless. The most important thing is that your paddle is not diving down and that the blade stays in a purchase position because you need the face power to roll up.