ankle/foot straps

hey...
i finally got my ankle/foot straps tight "enough" on my newly acquired (used) mako 6.
what a difference!
if you are paddling a ski and not using footstraps (like my friends and recently me) you are really missing out on about 25% more control/stability and in turn more speed (about 10% more speed i think).

10% more speed! Woot! And for free!

Seriously, how tight are we talking here?
I ask this because other than the straps being in loose contact with my feet, I don't ever feel the need to have them any tighter.

I don't think that there is anything to gain by using your potential 'pulling' leg to assist in rotation as it happens anyways.

Feel free to enlighten me.

It may be that I am a pretty good fit in my bucket that the control thing never entered my mind.

OK a paddler who regularly beats me in 6 - 8 mile races told me that you should be able to pull about 15 pounds of pressure when you are rotating. i always had the ankle straps too loose to do anything like that. since the bolts on my mako 6 are frozen, i just stuck a stainless bolt though the strap to make it smaller. my feet still moved around (i wear neoprene booties in the winter). so i made it tight enough that i had to squeeze my feet in. i can get them out if i have to. i figured this set up would make me uncomfortable and make me capsize etc. etc. To my astonishment i was able to rotate better (much better) (i am talking about my gluteus here) and found it much easier to brace and also forward stroke. and the sense of control is amazing. if the boat tips i just right it with my foot now. also somehow the seat is more comfortable. which leads me to thinking...
i have been screwing up for the last 16 years. i should have done this a long time ago.

OK check this out. i just found it. rings true to me now.

www.thinkkayak.com.au/2011/05/foot-straps/