Why this sport is the worst.

ROWING 101

THE BASIC STROKE• The Drive: Legs, Body, Arms ->Exhale

• The Recovery: Arms, Body, Legs –>Inhale

BLADE WORK:

WHAT DO I DO WITH MY HANDS?• A: Finish, into middle of sternum

• B: Hands move diagonally away, blades move parallel to water

• C: 3/4s slide, raise the hands up. This brings the blade closer to the water. (90% of the handle height problems happen here!)

• D. Catch, note that the catch and finish heights are the same!

CATCH AND FINISH SPEED.That catch and the finish are places you want to check out but not stay.

-Imagine…

• You are in high school again..

• The jerk that just broke up with you is on a date with your best friend

• Making out in a car

• You decide to egg the car and curse them as you drive away.

• You hope you got out of there fast enough for them to not notice you..

THAT is the catch and the finish, an aggressive quick and powerful movement. If you hang out there too long everyone will know you are a little pathetic.

THE CATCH

• Things to consider at the catch…• Are my shins perpendicular to the water?• Am I getting extra body angle at the catch?• Are my arms straight?• Are my shoulders relaxed and leaned into rigger?• How high off the footboard are my heels?• What did I do with my hands?• Is my core tight?• Is my mind right?

THE FINISH• Things to consider at the finish:

• Am finishing high enough into my sternum?

• How is my lay back?

• Did that seem like an extra step?

• How is the angle of my elbow?

• Is the water that came

off my blade white?

The speeds you’ll struggle with and the power you are not taking advantage of.

THE RECOVERYAND DRIVE

ARMS AND BODY (THE SWING)• Arms move away faster than body

• The ‘Swing’ should take ¼ of your recovery time.

• Lay back, is around 105 degrees.

• Body angle is the same as a surprise vomit. Comes from the hips!

• The body angle established in the swing, is the most body angle you will ever get for the rest of that stroke.

LEGS • The legs are the other ¾ of the recovery.

• They take 3 times longer than the swing

• During the leg movement the upper body stays in position

• Legs coil at BOAT SPEED. The slower the boat is moving the slower the legs coil.

• Everyone likes long legs!

•YOU PROBABLY NEED TO SLOW DOWN!

THE DRIVE• V Splash!

• Hang off the hands!

• Relax the shoulders!

• Pull Straight Across the table!

• LATS LATS LATS!

• Finish into air pocket.

THE FASTER STROKE• The Drive: Legs, Body, Arms ->Exhale

• The Recovery: Arms, Body, Legs –>Inhale

What I am really looking for….The Drive: Legs, Body Starts with 90% of legs down, Arms-Body-Legs finish

simultaneously. The Buck stops here.The Recovery: Arms and body begin simultaneously from the finish. Arms movement

is completed first, then body, then begin leg coil. Body is set prior to moving the legs!

THE COMPETITIVE ROWING ATTITUDE.• Autonomous learning and awareness: Always asking, how can I be better?

• Self-Discipline: Resist the urge to talk when you are not supposed to (pretty much any time you are touching a boat.)

• Critical: Does not make excuses, makes solutions.

• Dependability: Remember, this sport is often referred to as the Ultimate Team Sport. How are you a reliable member of the team?

• The competitive rower can separate personal issues from the sport.

• The competitive rower works hard to play hard. Rec rowers only do the second one, and only do it half as well.

THE DEATH OF YOUR OLD ROWING ATTITUDE!

HERE ARE A FEW SECRETS…-YOU CAN BE SIGNIFICANTLY FASTER THAN YOU ARE NOW!-AT PRACTICE, YOU ARE NOT DOING EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO DO TO BE FASTER.-IF THE BOAT IS MOVING POORLY, YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM.

GO AHEAD, MOVE THROUGH THESE STEPS NOW…(IF YOU CAN SKIP 1-4)1. DENIAL2. ANGER3. BARGAINING4. DEPRESSION5. ACCEPTANCE6. GET BETTER