The winter erg season is almost over for most of us, and everyone is looking forward to getting back on the water. In those last few erg sessions, power and endurance should still be emphasized, but getting ready to be more effective and efficient in the boat is perhaps more important.
Many coaches will spend a lot of time teaching the drive phase of the stroke, how to put force on the oar, but then they tend to simplify the recovery - hands away, body over, slow slide. The recovery is more complicated than that, and we need to look at what influences the hull speed to have a better understanding.
Three major forces will slow the shell during the recovery - air resistance for one, but to a larger degree, water resistance. Spending more time on the recovery will give these forces more time to react. A slow slide, and therefore a longer time on the recovery, is not the most efficient style.
The third major force on the shell is pressure on the foot stretchers. All power application during the drive comes from the feet, but the feet also have a significant effect on the recovery. Any weight on the foot stretcher during the recovery is going to push the boat backwards. The more weight, the more backward force.
That is why, instead of thinking slow on the recovery, it is better to think light. Rowers want to allow the boat to come to them during the recovery. The best way to do this is to think body preparation during the first phase of the recovery by rolling the body out of bow using the lower abdominal muscles. The body will push the hands to the stern and the slide can start naturally before the hamstrings gets fully extended.
As the slide continues, the rower can use the hip flexor to pull the thighs towards the chest. In essence, you are trying to get the feet out of the way to allow the shell to come to you.
At the catch, it gets more complicated because weight has to be put on the foot stretcher to stop oneself and then go in the other direction. The key is trying to do this as lightly as possible. This is where the arms come in. We are trying to connect the body mass to the oar through the lat muscle before excessive weight comes on the feet. Once that connection is felt, then one can be aggressive with the leg drive.
It is easier to work out these things on the ergometer than in the boat - so use some of those long steady state erg rows to think lightness on the feet, allowing the bungie cord to pull you up the slide on the stationary erg. Sense the soles of the feet from toe to heel. Then try and get tension on the chain, a connection to the flywheel, before you maximize that force to accelerate the flywheel.
Instead of thinking kick the legs, try squeeze the legs; a steady pressure instead of a jolt. Again, try to feel your weight on the soles of your feet and hold it for as long as you can. That, along with the higher stroke rate, produces more power. The boat will run much more efficiently if you can do this once you get back on the water.
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