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Fitness

How to Shoot a Cannon Out of a Canoe

Place a cannon in a canoe. Shoot it, and only minimal distance will be achieved. Improve the strength of your lower body to optimize your launching ability.

Tom Kelso

Written by Tom Kelso Last updated on Nov 22, 2021

You might have heard this before. “You can’t shoot a cannon out of a canoe.”

What does that mean? Pretty simple. Place a cannon (or other projectile device) in a canoe (or other lightweight water vessel) in a body of water. Shoot it and see what happens. BOOM. Because the water provided a poor base of support to maximally launch the projectile, only minimal distance will be achieved. Hence, you can’t shoot a cannon out of a canoe.

Now, place the cannon on land and let it rip. Greater distance will be obtained due to a more stable launching support. It’s simple physics and the cannon-canoe example has implications for most athletics events. Possessing a weak base results in less than optimal performance results.

A Lesson From Isaac Newton

Isaac Newton’s third law of motion states, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” With that in mind, we can further analyze the cannon-canoe situation. Shoot a cannon out of a canoe and it will be a dud because the force of the cannon shot (the action) will not be countered by the weak opposing force of the canoe and water (opposite reaction.) Launching a cannon shot from solid ground will create a better result due to the greater opposing force supplied by the stable ground.

Here’s what you most likely know by now. A stronger base of support (launching pad) improves your potential to exhibit a better end result (opposite reaction). So the message for you athletes is to improve the strength of your lower body to optimize your launching ability regardless of your sport or event.

Sports and Actions Improved With a Better Launch Pad

Here is a list of sports and activities, along with the specific actions that can be improved with a stronger lower body. (So many examples!)

  • American football – Planting and cutting, tackling, passing, punting, kicking
  • Baseball – Hitting, pitching, throwing, base running
  • Basketball – Jumping, shooting, planting and cutting, rebounding
  • Bowling – Applying force to the bowling ball upon release
  • Boxing – Putting force behind the punches
  • Cycling – Applying force to the down stroke
  • Discus throwing – Applying force to the ground at release
  • Field hockey – Applying force with the stick to the ball
  • Golf – Driving for maximum distance
  • Gymnastics – Applying force to the vault, balance beam, or the floor
  • High jumping – Applying force to the ground on takeoff
  • Ice hockey – Applying force to the puck or applying force to an opponent
  • Long jumping – Applying force at the takeoff board
  • Mountaineering – Climbing and maneuvering with the legs
  • Rowing – Performing repetitive pushes with the legs
  • Shot putting – Applying force to the ground at release
  • Softball – Hitting, pitching, throwing, base running
  • Sprinting – Applying force against the starting blocks and the ground during strides
  • Swimming – Driving off the side of the pool
  • Tennis – Applying force in a serve or in any return, single or double arm
  • Volleyball – Applying force in a serve or a jump
  • Weightlifting – Applying force to the platform to raise the resistance from the ground to the chest (clean) or overhead (snatch), as well as applying force to move the resistance overhead (jerk)
  • Wrestling – Applying force during a takedown

Remember, legs are a man’s (and woman’s) best friends when getting from point A to point B. To optimally shoot a cannon out of a canoe, strengthen your lower body.

Illustrations courtesy of Shutterstock.

Tom Kelso

About Tom Kelso

Tom Kelso is currently an Exercise Physiologist with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. He also trains clients through Pinnacle Personal & Performance Training in Chesterfield, Missouri.

For 23 years he was in the collegiate strength and conditioning profession, serving as the Head Coach for Strength and Conditioning at Saint Louis University (2004-2008), the University of Illinois at Chicago (2001-2004), Southeast Missouri State University (1991-2001), and the University of Florida (1988-1990). He got his start in the strength and conditioning field as an Assistant Strength Coach at Florida in 1984 where he was also a weight training instructor for the Department of Physical Education from 1985 to 1988.

In 2006, Tom was named Master Strength and Conditioning Coach by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association for his years of service in the field. In 1999, he was named NSCA Ohio Valley Conference Strength and Conditioning Professional of the year. In 2001, he received an honorary certification from the International Association of Resistance Trainers (I.A.R.T.).

Tom possesses C.S.C.S. and S.C.C.C. certifications with the NSCA and CSCCA, respectively. Additionally, he is certified by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board in basic instructor development and as a specialist instructor by the Missouri Department of Public Safety. In 2012, he became certified by the IBNFC as a Certified Nutrition Coach.

Tom has worked with athletes at the Olympic and professional levels, presented at various clinics/seminars, and worked several athletic-related camps. He is a strong advocate of safe, practical, and time-efficient training and has published a collection of periodical articles, book chapters, complete books, and user-friendly downloads promoting such.

Tom received a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Iowa in 1981(It's great to be a Hawkeye!) and a Master's Degree in Physical Education from Western Illinois University in 1984. He was a member of the Track and Field team at Iowa and served as a Graduate Assistant Track & Field Coach while at Western Illinois.

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