Drills and Word Images

Drills and Word Images Found Effective in Coaching the Four Phases of the Rowing Stroke
Level 2 Technique
Presented by the USOC Development Camp
By J Philip Monkton
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The Release

DRILLS
Rowing with one arm only, either inside arm or outside arm
Rowing with blades square to learn downwards pressure needed to extract oar from the water
Rowing half slide
One person rowing in pair oared boat shows effect f dumping finish into the lap
Pick drill with or without feather to develop finish timing
Release and glide

COMMENTS OR WORD IMAGES

Move the pin by the blade
Uncoil the body on the drive
Keep constant pressure on the foot stretcher and the pin throughout the drive and release
Build the speed of the handle during the drive
Drive the hips into the bow
Pry the boat forward
Hang your body weight on the oar to assist in the pulling

The Catch

DRILLS
Row single strokes, starting and stopping over the knees
Pick drill
High stroke pick drill
High stroke paddle
Row with squared blade and catch on coach’s/cox’s command
Intentionally make blacksplash at catch to reinforce blade near water at catch
Outside hand to set the square
Single man rowing in a pair

COMMENTS AND WORD IMAGES
When coach says quicker at the catch it usually means earlier in the stroke cycle
Take the catch as you reach front stops not when
Roll the wrist up at the catch
Balance of the oar makes burying of the oar automatic as oarsman mearly guides the oar in
Pick files off a table
Unweight the hands as you approach the catch
Loop the blade in
Put the blade in a slot in the water
Anchor the blade behind a peg
Don’t kick, push
Make sure that the wheels are still rolling forward when the catch is started

The Recovery

DRILLS
Pause with hands over the knees at extended back position to demonstrate position of body out of bow
Pick drill
Fractional use of slides to develop awareness of control ¼, ½, ¾ slide
Alternate power and paddle strokes to maintain relaxed recovery on power similar to paddle
Ultra slo-mo rowing
Stop on coaches orders during recovery
Row with feet out of stretchers
Stroke play at ¼ power with strokeman raising or lowering the stroke at will
Turn oar full revolution of oarlock during the recovery
Row with eyes closed

COMMENTS OR WORD IMAGES
Let the knees rise slowly
Don’t lift knees until you feel a slight pull on top of thigh behind kneecap
Watch the knees come up
Listen to the wheels on the recovery
Rebound out of the bow
Sit lightly on the seat, feel weightless on the recovery
Keep posture natural
Pivot forward on the cheekbones
Curl out of the bow by doing a sit up

The Drive

DRILLS
Pick drill
Drive with feet out of stretchers
Row single strokes with concentration on the drive
Draw with the outside arm
Accelerate through the drive
Feel the tension in the lower back and hold the back against the leg drive
Pinch the shoulder blades together


COMMENTS AND WORD IMAGES
Move the pin by the blade
Uncoil the body on the drive
Keep constant pressure in the footstretchers and the pin throughout the drive and during the release
Build the speed of the handle during the drive
Drive the hips into the bow
Pry the boat forward
Hand your body weight on the oar to assist in the pulling