Mastering The Rowing Stroke: Maximizing Length For Optimal Power

Rowing is a complex sport that requires a combination of strength, flexibility, and technique. One aspect of good rowing technique is achieving a longer stroke, which can be influenced by factors such as body positioning, rigging adjustments, and stroke rate. A longer stroke allows the blade to move through a greater distance in the water, potentially resulting in increased boat velocity and a more powerful stroke. However, it is important to note that simply overextending or reaching further can lead to a loss of power and an increased risk of injury. This is where proper form and technique come into play.

Focus on your forward body angle at the arms and body over position

To row a longer stroke, you need to focus on your forward body angle at the arms and body over position. This means that as you come up the slide, you rotate at the waist, ensuring your chest faces the oar as it moves through its arc. This simple adjustment will help you achieve a longer stroke, allowing you to match the stroke length of your taller rowing partners. Here are some detailed tips to achieve this:

Firstly, ensure you maintain a good rock over. This sets the foundation for achieving a longer stroke. Next, as you come up the slide, focus on rotating your waist. This rotational movement ensures that your chest continues to face the oar throughout its arc. A key indicator that you are doing this correctly is by checking that your inside elbow isn't bending as you approach the catch. If your elbow bends, it means your chest is squared up with the stern of the boat, resulting in a shorter stroke.

To further maximise your stroke length, pay attention to your forward body angle. Ensure that it is aimed towards your oar. As the oar moves through its arc, your weight will naturally drift out over the water. You don't need to lean out over the water side to side. Instead, let your forward body angle carry you out over the water. You can increase your forward body angle to gain more reach, but make sure you do this adjustment at the rock over/arms and body over stage, not as you approach the catch.

Additionally, be mindful of over-compressing. There is a limited range of motion for your body to rock forward and for your knees to come up as you move up the slide. Over-compressing may give you slightly more movement towards the stern, but it compromises your body angle, resulting in a shorter stroke. Therefore, don't sacrifice your body angle for that extra inch of compression. Similarly, avoid lunging at the catch. Instead, set a good body angle early on in the recovery phase and maintain it as you approach the catch.

Rotate at the waist as you come up the slide

To achieve a longer rowing stroke, one of the key techniques to focus on is rotating at the waist as you come up the slide. This rotation is an essential part of the recovery phase of the stroke, and it helps you prepare for the next powerful stroke. Here's a detailed breakdown of this technique:

Firstly, as you come up the slide, focus on rotating your waist smoothly and deliberately. This rotational movement is a key element of a fluid and efficient rowing stroke. As you perform this rotation, ensure that your chest remains facing the oar as it moves through its arc. This simple check can help you maintain the correct orientation and maximise the length of your stroke.

Another indicator of a correct waist rotation is the position of your inside elbow as you approach the catch. Make sure it stays extended and doesn't bend prematurely. If your elbow bends, it's a sign that your chest is squaring up with the stern of the boat rather than the oar, resulting in a shorter stroke. Keep your chest open and your elbow extended to maximise the length of your stroke.

The next aspect to focus on is your forward body angle. Ensure that your body angle is aimed towards your oar, not towards the side of the boat. This forward body angle will carry you further out over the water, increasing the length of your stroke. However, make sure you adjust your body angle at the rockover/arms and body-over phase, not as you approach the catch.

Additionally, be mindful of over-compressing your body. While it might feel like you're gaining a little extra movement towards the stern, over-compression often results in a decreased body angle, causing you to lose more inches over the water. Instead, focus on maintaining a strong and consistent body angle throughout the stroke.

In summary, by focusing on rotating at the waist as you come up the slide, you can significantly improve the length of your rowing stroke. This technique, combined with a good rockover and a strong body position, will help you achieve more powerful and efficient strokes.

Avoid over-compressing

When rowing, it's important to avoid over-compressing your legs. Over-compression occurs when your knees are positioned beyond your ankles, and your feet are too close to your bottom. This can strain the muscles surrounding your knees and compress your kneecap.

To avoid over-compressing, ensure your knees are over your ankles during the catch phase. This will help you avoid over-compressing your legs, locking out your knees, or assuming an improper foot position, which can lead to patellofemoral pain or iliotibial (IT) band friction.

Additionally, be mindful of your body angle and posture. Avoid lunging at the catch, as this can compromise your technique and affect your speed. Instead, set a good body angle early in the recovery phase and maintain it throughout the catch.

You can also adjust your foot position to prevent over-compression. If you find your knees opening as you row, try widening your foot placement. This will prevent you from driving through excessively spread knees, which can put excessive pressure on the outside of your knees.

By following these tips, you can help ensure you are using proper form and technique to avoid over-compression and improve your rowing stroke.

Ensure the catch angle is the same as other athletes

When rowing, the catch angle refers to the angle of the oar when it enters the water at the beginning of the stroke. The finish angle, on the other hand, is the angle of the oar at the end of the stroke when it is removed from the water.

Ensuring that all athletes have the same catch and finish angles is important for several reasons. Firstly, it helps the rowers perform to their potential by ensuring they are rowing comfortably and efficiently. If the catch angle is too large, rowers may feel that the load is too heavy at the beginning of the stroke. Having the same catch angle across the crew can also help to prevent injury.

Additionally, having uniform catch and finish angles across the crew can improve the overall performance of the boat. If rowers have different angles, the boat may become unbalanced, making it difficult to maintain a straight course. By ensuring that all athletes have the same catch and finish angles, coaches can promote a synchronised and efficient rowing motion, with all athletes applying peak power at the same point in the stroke.

To achieve uniform catch and finish angles, coaches can adjust the foot stretchers of individual rowers, moving them towards the bow or stern as needed. Additionally, the rigging can be adjusted to change the length of the stroke, although this may impact other parameters such as the gearing. While there are rough guidelines for optimal catch and finish angles, the best angles will depend on factors such as athlete size, boat size, and rowing style. Coaches can experiment with different angles to determine the optimal setup for their crew.

Move the footstretcher closer to the stern

Moving the footstretcher closer to the stern is a way to adjust your rowing position, but it is not solely dependent on your height. It is more so influenced by your leg length and torso height. If you have longer legs, you will need to move your footstretcher closer to the stern. This adjustment is made relative to the pin, which the stretcher slide comes in various sizes and lengths to accommodate.

Moving the footstretcher towards the stern will impact your rowing stroke by changing the angle at which your blade enters and exits the water. This will make your catch angle larger as more of your stroke will be forward of the pivot point. This adjustment can help to address any torso and limb length discrepancies between rowers, helping to synchronise power application and timing.

However, it is important to note that the finish angle is critical in a quad or sculling boat. If the footstretcher is moved too far forward, the handles may be too close together, causing a struggle to exit the water cleanly. On the other hand, if the footstretcher is moved too far back, the handles will be too far apart, resulting in an awkward feel and poor boat balance. Therefore, it is essential to find the optimal position for the footstretcher, taking into account individual factors such as leg length and torso height, as well as the overall synchronisation and performance of the crew.

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