BASIC ROWING TECHNIQUE

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BASIC ROWING TECHNIQUE

• The Performance Triangle
• Physical
• Technical
  Mental

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BASIC ROWING TECHNIQUE

• We must always remember the following
  pedagogical principles
• From simple to complex
• From easy to challenging
• From familiar to unfamiliar
• From general to specific

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BASIC ROWING TECHNIQUE

• THERE IS NO SUCH A THING AS
  
• THE ROWING TECHNIQUE

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BASIC ROWING TECHNIQUE

• As for all sporting techniques it is important
  to only consider functional values
• There is no need that the technical pattern of
  rowing be beautiful
• The rower must agt produce the highest
  physiological performance and bgt transform this
  performance into the best propulsion possible

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Basic Rowing TechniqueGENERAL AIMS

• 1.To perfect the most efficient technique based
  on facts, not speculation
• 2.Stable performance in varied conditions ie
  wind, boats
• 3.Maintain correct technique in progressively
  more intense competitions
• 4.No loss of form under pressure and exhaustion

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Basic Rowing TechniqueSKILL ANALYSIS

• A coach is a judge of skill and needs to
• break down COMPLEX SKILLS into SIMPLE parts
• separate GOOD parts from BAD
• FOCUS on important parts - not get distracted
• find a WAY TO CORRECT technical errors
• put the whole technique back together

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Basic Rowing TechniqueIMPORTANT COMPONENTS

• correct grip
• bladework blade depth and hand curves
• stroke analysis
• body work - efficient work
• rhythm - maximising the boat speed

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Basic Rowing TechniqueTASK ANALYSIS
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Basic Rowing TechniqueKeep it simple!

• need for unified approach
• to teach a biomechanically efficient method
• to facilitate composite national crews
• overall concept is simple
• row longer
• row harder
• slow the boat down less

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Basic Rowing TechniqueSTROKE ANALYSIS

• Catch
• Early drive
• Mid drive
• Mid late drive
• Late drive
• Finish

• Release
• Hands away
• Early recovery
• Mid recovery
• Late recovery
• Full reach

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1. The Catch

• Catch is the last part of the recovery
• Shins are almost vertical to vertical
• Arms are straight and relaxed
• Top of knees should be at level of armpits
• Good reach without undue tension - relaxed in the
  shoulders
• Weight is at the front of the seat
• Emphasis on hands initiating blade entry - not
  body lift
• Eyes and head up

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2. Early Drive

• Arms are straight
• Flat wrists with the correct relaxed grip
• Blades fully buried but not too deep
• Lower back is locked against initial drive of
  legs
• Stay relaxed in the shoulders - not up around
  ears
• Shoulders forward of hips
• Feeling of hang

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3. Mid Drive

• Arms are straight
• Shoulders relaxed and extended
• Body starts to lever back from the hips
• Horizontal drive - straight line with handle,
  head shoulders
• Legs with increased acceleration during the drive
  until perpendicular position or just behind it
• Shoulders over the hips
• Weight transferred to the middle of the seat

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4. Late Drive

• Legs are finished and locked
• Body is still levering back
• Arms begin to draw the handle in to the body
• Blades kept buried
• Forearms are parallel to the water
• Head is up and shoulders are past the hips
• Weight is transferred to the back of the seat

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5. Finish Release

• Legs (knees) are locked down
• Strong posture with the lower back is maintained
• Shoulder blades retracted
• Elbows drawn back with flat wrists and forearms
• Blade rolled onto the feather
• Backturn is smooth and continuous - in, down,
  turn away
• blades are extracted square out of the water
• lateral pressure

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6. Early Recovery

• Smooth and continues hands away
• Setting up hand height straight off the release
• Legs are held down whilst the weight changes from
  the back to the centre of the seat
• Arms are almost straight and hands have past the
  knees before the body starts pivoting from the
  hips
• Upper body is up and relaxed

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7. Mid Recovery

• Body swings forward of the hips, changing the
  weight from the centre to the front of the seat
• Forward body angle by ½ to ¾ slide
• Arms are straight but relaxed
• Moving sternwards ahead of seat
• Relaxed grip

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8. Late Recovery

• Body is set in catch position
• Emphasis on controlled roll towards the front
  chocks elimination of unnecessary movements
• Head shoulders remain level throughout recovery
• Blade starts to square up (roll) after hands have
  passed the feet
• Whilst blade is squared hands begin moving handle
  up through semicircle
• Hands and shoulders remain relaxed

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Back to. Full Reach/Catch
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Basic Rowing TechniqueADVANTAGES of SCULLING

• symmetrical movement
• balance easier to learn and maintain
• no influence from other rowers
• NB correct OVERLAP is left above and astern of
  the right with handles close to same height on
  both the drive and recovery

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GRIP - SCULLING

• thumbs over end
• 2nd knuckle leading tangent during drive
• flat wrists
• feather oar with fingers not wrist
• relaxed hold

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GRIP - SWEEP

• hands comfortably apart (1-2 fists)
• outside hand as hook
• inside hand feathers with fingers
• flat wrists
• relaxed hold

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Basic Rowing TechniqueBLADEWORK

• CATCH PLACEMENT - a good beginning is rounded as
  it hooks the water
• common FAULTS - digging deep in the middle of the
  stroke and deep catch/washy finish
• HAND CURVE - move continuously around both catch
  and finish turns
• when to SQUARE THE BLADE? - start to unweight the
  handle after the feet

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Basic Rowing TechniqueBASIC POINTS

• push the boat
• - do not shovel water
• no need to be violent at the catch
• - timing vs strength
• float up the slide
• - relaxed but precisely controlled

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Basic Rowing TechniqueRHYTHM

• take time to get the timing right
• stroke rate depends on crew technique
• at any stroke rate the correct ratio between
  drive and recovery must be maintained
• acceleration cannot be achieved without timing
  and relaxation throughout the drive
• races are won between the strokes

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Basic Rowing TechniqueTIPS for COACHES

• rowing is the art of using ones bodyweight to
  move the boat
• movements must be performed as easily and
  naturally as possible
• few rowers develop their power in exactly the
  same way
• work on one change at a time

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Basic Rowing TechniqueCommon Faults Correction

• Teaching a beginner correct technique will avoid
  lengthy fault correction later
• It is much easier for a fault to become habit
  than it is to correct a habitual fault
• When a fault is detected check that it is not a
  rigging or set up problem
• Treat the cause of the problem and not the
  symptoms
• Break down the movement (sequence) and teach the
  basics in little steps
• Keep it simple dont overload

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Basic Rowing TechniqueCommon Faults Correction

• Not enough body angle at the catch
• Cause rocking over from the back, knees up too
  early
• Drills gt hands away rocking over knees down
• gt rowing on back chocks with rocking
  over (exaggeration)
• gt gradually extending slide length

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Basic Rowing TechniqueCommon Faults Correction

• Breaking the arms at the catch
• Cause Balance, tensed arms tide grip, legs too
  slow
• Drills gt Balance drills
• gt changing grip, relax arms shoulders
• gt front end pushed with straight arms
• gt gradually extending backwards

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Basic Rowing TechniqueCommon Faults Correction

• Skying the blades
• Cause Tensed shoulders arm, late body swing
  forward
• Drills gt Balance drills
• gt changing grip, relax arms shoulders
• gt hands away rocking over extending
  slide length
• gt blades on the water second half

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Basic Rowing TechniqueCommon Faults Correction

• Body swing too early
• Cause Late body preparation, slow legs after
  catch
• Drills gt hands away rocking over early
  preparation
• gt extending slide length
• gt front end pushes with straight arms
• gt extending backwards

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Basic Rowing TechniqueCommon Faults Correction

• Early arm draw in mid-drive
• Cause Tensed shoulders, slow legs, break in body
  swing
• Drills gt Shoulder relaxation
• gt front end pushed
• gt legs and body only with straight arms
  (exaggeration)

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Basic Rowing TechniqueCommon Faults Correction

• Early release
• Cause Inflexible shoulders, no open up after
  cross over, hands drawing down second half
• Drills gt Shoulder relaxation and flexibility
• gt rowing arms only on back chocks

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Basic Rowing TechniqueCommon Faults Correction

• Not enough body swing
• Cause Weak lower back, early arm draw
• Drills gt rowing arms only body back
• gt slowly moving forward

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Basic Rowing TechniqueCommon Faults Correction

• Too much body swing
• Cause Slow legs and/or arm
• Drills gt feet out rowing
• gt front end pushes slowly extending
  forward

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Basic Rowing TechniqueCommon Faults Correction

• Body moves into the finish
• Cause Early body swing, head moves towards stern
• Drills gt feet out rowing
• gt rowing at back chocks fixed body
• gt front end pushes