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I have asked this question so many times I've been about banned from it on other boards.
Aside from the largely specious wind resistance argument, here's what I think it _all_boils_down_to_:
(assume a right-hand-control paddle)
Grip the paddle with your right hand. Pretend to take a left stroke. If there is no offset, then your right hand either has to loosen up and rotate on the shaft, OR your right wrist needs to cock forward. If there is a 30-45 degree offset, your right wrist can remain in a neutral position while your left paddle is in the water (for a forward stroke).
But now, consider the right stroke. With the same paddle offset, your left hand MUST loosen and rotate on the shaft a lot, because of the natural angle plus the offset left blade.
So, by allowing your right hand to remain clenched on the blade without loosening, your left hand has to remain very loose...hence you may have heard people say "righty tighty lefty loosey" about paddle strokes.
HOWEVER, with a zero degree, you can either cock the top wrist forward, or paddle with a loose upper grip...same on both sides.
Personally, I much prefer the symmetrical style of a zero degree. However, I think this probalby works best with a bentshaft or any paddle with distinct hand grips since each hand has to find its proper grip on the paddle when it becomes the power hand.
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