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Topic: The Rowing Stroke - focus points

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Posts: 364
Date: Sep 8, 2020

The Rowing Stroke - focus points

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While coaches may describe the rowing stroke using different words and phrases ultimately, we are all saying similar things. What makes it easier to understand what is being said is to have a good visual with the explanation. The YouTube video (link below - brought to my attention by Jorgen Walle-Jensen) is an excellent example of good explanation with good visuals. What you will learn when you watch the video is some of the reasons you are being asked to do something differently in your stroke.

I want to highlight four main points in the rowing stroke I’d like you to come away with are:

Catch: The primary focus is to maintain your upper body angle coming out of the recovery. Keep your shoulders up, chin up and reach out and up the last inch of your slide. Prepare your body for the drive by filling your lungs just before your catch so your core is solid. Maintain the body angle as you take the load and not open your back to initiate the drive. Think of the beginning of the drive as a push, not a pull.

Drive: The primary focus is holding your catch angle (core is firm) at the initiation of the drive. Use your glutes in pushing your knees hard and quickly down (which will start your seat to move but your whole body is suspended from your feet through the core to your fingertips holding the handles. The top of the blade should stay level on the top edge of the water. PUSH the foot stretchers rather than pull on the oar handles when initiating the drive. Let your butt slide 4-5cm to take the load dynamically and lessen the potential for injury.

Finish: The primary focus is to finish the stroke while your blades are still moving towards the stern. Once the blades are clear of the water, then you feather the blade. Your hands should come through the stroke parallel with the water and level with your sternum. As your hands finish off the stroke, send them back towards the stern at the same speed they came into your body. Keep your legs/knees down as you rock over out of the finish. This adds stability and control of your shell. Get your body out of the bow by following your hands out over your knees.

Recovery: The primary focus is to get your hands away and get a really good rock-over** through the hips as you come out of the finish. Further, keep your knees flat/legs down as your body rocks over and keep your hands light on the oar handles. Your upper body assumes the catch position from the rock-over.  Maintain a quiet upper body as you float up the slide.

In order to be able to rock-over into the catch angle, hamstring muscles HAVE to be STRETCHED. Masters rowers tend to be inflexible as we forget to stretch these important and powerful muscles. In order to be able to keep your legs down at the finish and rock over, your hamstring muscles have to be able to stretch into that position.

Link to the video – (enjoy)

Carolyn Thompson, SatM Coach (as always – if you have any questions, questions are welcome)



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