Padding for a paddle strop

I'm in the process of tweaking my Paddleroo kangaroo paddle strop design. One of the things I want to try is putting a little padding between the roo leather and the wooden paddle to give it some more "give", for want of a better word.

Do you guys have any suggestions about what material I should use for this? I thought about neoprene wetsuit type material, it has the firmness I'm after, but it is a bit thick. What did they use in the old days? I want to try and get it right without too much experimentation and wasting materials.

Legion,

I used a sheet of Sorbothane, 1/16 " thick. It worked a treat :)

I would assume the Sorbothane would behave very much like the neoprene material you have.

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ