 The British Rowing Stroke  Technique Tips for Intermediate Rowers  Common Mistakes  Technical Exercises  Warm-up and Cool-down Exercises  Outing Plans  General Coaching Tips  Overview  Q&A

The British Rowing Stroke (1) The Catch - Shins vertical - Back straight and leaning forward - Body closed up on the thighs (2) The Drive: Legs - Legs doing most of the work - Arms relaxed -Back straight and leaning forward - Hands follow path parallel to boat - Hanging off the blade handles. (3) The Drive: Arms & Body - Body swings back - Arms maintain momentum of the blade handles (4) The Tap Down - Hands make small tap downwards to lift the blades off the water - Legs are flat down - Back is straight & leaning slightly back so that core is engaged - Blade handles just brush the body The Drive Phase

The British Rowing Stroke (5) Arms & Back away - Arms move away - Body still vertical - Knees still held down - Arms, shoulders and neck relaxed - Body then rocks over from pelvis (6) – (7) The Recovery - Back is straight - Knees lift, allowing seat to move - Momentum slows - Arms still held straight (8) Preparing for the Catch - Body is in the catch position - Shins are vertical - Blade is fully squared - Sequence begins again The Recovery Phase

 Look UP (at head of person in front)  Lean into your rigger  Outside shoulder higher than inside  Outside arm between knees  Pull with outside arm, feather inside  Outside hand relaxed until the catch  Chest to knees at the catch position  Lower blade to the catch  Blade enters the water while still travelling towards the bows  Suspend off the seat during leg drive  Drive should be soft to hard  Finishes should be firm  Feathering after blade extraction  Fast ‘C’ shape around the finish  Let the boat move under you  The spoon stays 6-7” above the water during recovery  Ratio = 2:1 (1-Catch, 2-Finish, 3, 4)  Bodyweight on feet during recovery  Set it on the feet, not the seat  Arms and body have finish reaching out by half slide  Squaring gradually over the knees

FOR INDIVIDUALS  Missing inches at the catch  Pausing at the catch  Skying the blade  Looming / Digging blade  Leaning out of the boat  Pulling with the inside arm  Feathering in the water FOR CREWS  Out of time  Rushing the slide  Poor balance  Slow around the finish  Squaring late

 Juggling  Pause Paddling  Icing the Cake  Slap Catches  Front Stops Rowing  Legs Only Rowing  Feet Out Rowing  Hand Down the Boom  Roll-Ups  Tapping  Drawing-in Exercise  Suspension  1-Up-1-Down  Up-Twos  Power Stroke  Resistance  Double Catch  3+3  Square Blade Rowing  Outside Arm Only  Pause Paddling

Catches! Eyes in the boat… …Not on the women! Handle Heights Squaring Early Leaning INTO the rigger Lol. Posture HOW NOT TO ROW…

FOR INDIVIDUALS  Missing inches at the catch  Pausing at the catch  Skying the blade  Looming / Digging blade  Leaning out of the boat - Hand down the Boom  Pulling with the inside arm - Outside Arm Only  Squaring late - Pause at half-slide  Feathering in the water - Square Blade Rowing FOR CREWS - Tapping / Roll-ups  Out of time - Tapping / Roll-ups  Rushing the slide - Feet Out Rowing - Feet Out Rowing - 1-Up-1-Down  No ratio - 1-Up-1-Down  Poor balance - Drawing-in Exercise - Pause at finish  Slow around the finish - Icing the Cake  Not tapping down - Square Blade Rowing

WARM-UP  LAND: Dynamic stretching  ‘Up, Down, Up’, followed by dynamic toe-touching  Legs only progression  Legs, back, outside arm, inside arm on, feathering  Arms only progression  Arms, back, ¼ slide, ½ slide, ¾ slide, full slide, fathering  Could add 10 pressure COOL-DOWN  LAND: Static stretching  For 5 mins after getting boat in – can do during de-brief  Front-stops progression  ¼ slide, ½ slide, ¾ slide, full slide, back, arms, feathering

Example formula: 1) Warm-up 2) Moving exercise 3) Static exercise 4) Moving exercise 5) Short moving exercise 6) Challenging exercise 7) Stretch of rowing 8) Cool-down Example Outing Plan: 1) Arms only warm-up 2) Pairs rowing with intervals of all 4, change every 10 3) 5 mins roll-ups 4) Icing the cake 5) 5 mins Juggling 6) All-4 rowing, square blades 5 on-5 off 7) Last 5 mins normal paddling 8) Static stretch on land

Example Outing Plan: 1) Legs only progression 2) 4x length of race course – 1 st 60% 2 nd 70% 3 rd 80% 4 th 90% [OR] Rate pyramids: 22,20,22,24 -5 min rest- 24,22,24,26 -rest- 26,24,26,28. 2 mins at each rate 3) Power strokes: x10 Stroke pair, x10 Bow pair, x10 All 4 - max pressure, rate 22 4) Normal paddle last 5 mins 5) Static stretch on land Example Formula: 1) Long warm-up 2) 40 min endurance exercise 3) Strength exercise 4) Short stretch of rowing 5) Cool-down

 Always start with questions  Involve the crew with decisions  Explain drills thoroughly  Check understanding  Communicate with and involve the cox  Focus on one problem at a time  Use positive language to explain things (e.g. ‘Lower your blade to the catch’, rather than ‘don’t sky your blade’  Explain things in more than one way  Be clear and unambiguous  Set achievable goals for every outing  Congratulate progress  Agree on the aim of the outing (e.g. Technical/Fitness)  Always BE POSITIVE

 Identify the main problems in the following crews...  What issues would you focus on?  Which exercises would you use to tackle them?

ANY QUESTIONS?