row2k Features
The Catch (Toss It In)
May 24, 2016
Charlotte Hollings, Calm Waters Rowing

In discussing the recovery last month, we stopped short of discussing the catch. We think of the catch as being the last part of the recovery, not the beginning of the drive. Everything that we do on the recovery is in preparation for the catch.

Early body prep and loose arms are critical to getting the blade in the water at the optimal time, maximizing length and minimizing check.

As we approach the end of the slide, we’ll need to change the direction of our body from moving to the stern to moving to the bow. This will have a big effect on the boat. If we dive at the catch or drive before getting our blade in the water, this effect will be exaggerated, literally pushing the boat backwards. This is check. We need the blade at least partially anchored to counterbalance the pressure on the footstretchers.

No matter how good we are, we will check the boat, but we can work to minimize it. A set body as we compact the legs the last half of the slide is the first step. At this point, we are using the hip flexors to actively try to pull the thighs to the chest. This motion will get the feet out of the way, allowing the boat to move to bow. Be aware of pressure coming on to the feet. I talk about floating into the catch or sneaking up on the catch - basically attempting to get the blade in the water without the boat realizing I got it in.

Most Olympians are racing at 35 - 37 strokes per minute and yet it doesn’t look rushed or forced, and the catches are so subtle that sometimes it reminds me of ballet. Lots of power and force, but also a large degree of finesse and delicacy. Aim for minimal body movement going in and out of the last 1/4 of the slide, allowing the arms, not the body, to make the catch. The goal then, is to connect your body mass to the oar through the lat muscles, not just to push your legs.

We also need to focus on what the hands and therefore the blades are doing. Instead of thinking “arms-body-slide”, we coach “body-slide-catch”. Catch on the slide. Look for the bottom edge of the blade to back into the water. Before the blade goes much further, we need to change direction and begin the drive as we continue to bury the blade. Loose arms and hands will allow us to feel the back pressure on the blade but also to be quick and responsive, to change the direction of the blade without creating too mush splash or burying the oar too deep.

Ideally, we want a V splash - a little backsplash and a little front splash. The bowman of the German Gold Medal quad from 2012 can be seen taking his fingers off the oar at the catch. Why? To unweight the oar, rather than lift it in, and to stay light and quick and responsive, not forced.

We envision the catch almost as a toss. We’re tossing the oar handle up and away as we come to the end of the slide. While I wouldn’t go so far as to lift my fingers come off the oar, I do stay loose, allowing me to feel and react to the catch.

In the tossing analogy, you would never toss something with a straight arm and locked elbow, so stay loose. Not only will this help with the timing and quickness of the catch but it also helps in connecting to the lats on the drive which in turn can help keep the blade from digging. There is absolutely no desire to get the blade deep in the water. Keep the top edge of the blade just under the surface, because in the end, rowing is a horizontal sport.

More reading for rowers: Back pain in rowing – update on current understanding

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