The Problem
Recently I went out coaching with an intermediate mens crew in a coxless four for Shannon Rowing Club. The session was designated as a technique session and my goal was to oberve and intervene. After a few minutes of rowing I noticed some rowers were leaning toward their rig. Typically in the finish position we like a posture that sits directly in the centre of the boat. These rowers were maitaining this sideways posture away from the centre of the boat. I knew this needed to be fixed.
Background
The competitive rowing shell is a sensitve boat. Slight movements in posture, or actions out of sync with one another can have a negative impact. Many coaches teach rowers to lean out toward the rig as they approach the catch. Through the drive phase the rower is expected to return to the centre of the boat. In our case with the four rowers this was not happening. The result was a negative impact on balance during the recovery, and the stability of the boat through the drive phase. Something was missing. The "right feeling" was missing.
Fixing the Posture
To change the understanding of what was required, we went back to basics. First, they rowed in pairs with square blades, using the outside hand only. While doing this I instructed the rowers to push down dominantly with the opposite leg. So if they had their right hand on the oar, they pushed with their left foot. Vis versa on the other side. This enabled the rowers to feel the force through their hips and automatically corrected their posture. Up until this point, they hand been producing force predominantly on one side.
As the penny dropped, we re-introduced the inside arm onto the handle. Initially the inside hand was place far down the shaft of the oar (no leverage), and gradually moved up to its rightful place on the grip. With both hands on the oar handle now I reminded them to look for the right feeling through the hips with the outside grip.
Result
With this new insight and reminder of "the right feeling", the rowers technique, distance per stroke, and balance vastly improved. Moreoever, they had fun rowing well again. Unfortunately, changes like these need persistent work. The solution is not one of a one-and-done. The rowers need to be reminded of this so it becuase part of their process for establishing long lasting effective rowing technique. If you have any technical issues you cant seem to crack, or if you found this insight to be useful, get in touch with me to see if I can help you figure it out. Check out my online video analysis service so you can get the most out of your rowing too.