Okay so I've been rowing for about 3 years now and I've always been slower than everyone else. Recently, I have finally been getting the times I've always wanted and managed to be in one of the top boats. As I began practicing with the top dogs, some of the top coxswains began to comment on my handle height and how I would 'drop my hands.'
Confused, I asked her after practice about it and she told me to imagine my hands 'gliding over a tabletop.' I then tried to incorporate this into my stroke, but yet she still commented on my handle height being off.
Not only am I unable to row with the correct hands, but my boat is constantly being offset and I'm pretty sure I'm the culprit. HELP!
Thanks,
Graham
'Dropping your hands?'
Re: 'Dropping your hands?'
Visual feedback is helpful to see what you are doing wrong. If you have access to a rowing tank, you can watch what you are doing. Get someone to place some electrical tape (shouldn't be hard to find around a boathouse) or some painters masking tape in a straight line on the mirror where you want your hands to be. Failing that you could try it with an erg and a mirror, but it won't likely be as effective.
Get someone to video tape you in the boat and/or in the rowing tank and see if you can spot what you're doing (and repeat until corrected).
Other things you can do somewhat independently in the boat are taping a straw to the gunwale where your oar (or hand) will hit it if you're too low at the catch, rowing one handed (with both inboard and outboard hands) to get a better feel for what each should be doing, ensure you keep your head up and follow the rower's actions ahead of you, and focusing on your catch timing (you should over emphasize getting some back splash - even take it too far) to ensure you get in quick at the catch (you'll likely be doing drills for this anyway with your crew).
Square blade rowing with the rest of the crew can also help with boat set and catch timing. Other drills while sitting still on the water are:
-blade dips: practice letting the blade drop into the water, then push down on the handle to bring it just up out of the water (all with a light or no/open hand grip) repeating as fast as you can cleanly.
-finish to catch: start with the blade buried at the finish, bring it out for the recovery, and then drop the blade in at the catch and stop and hold that position. Relax and bring the blade back to the finish (out of the water) and repeat.
Ultimately, different things will work with different people: some people will respond more with focus on what they are doing, others more with focus on how the blade and the water are interacting. Experiment until you find what works for you: hope something from all this helps you.
One thing to remember too is that after you have been rowing a while, ingrained habits die hard. Once you feel you have fixed the problem, don't just forget about it: review and make sure you aren't regressing into dropping the hands again.
Get someone to video tape you in the boat and/or in the rowing tank and see if you can spot what you're doing (and repeat until corrected).
Other things you can do somewhat independently in the boat are taping a straw to the gunwale where your oar (or hand) will hit it if you're too low at the catch, rowing one handed (with both inboard and outboard hands) to get a better feel for what each should be doing, ensure you keep your head up and follow the rower's actions ahead of you, and focusing on your catch timing (you should over emphasize getting some back splash - even take it too far) to ensure you get in quick at the catch (you'll likely be doing drills for this anyway with your crew).
Square blade rowing with the rest of the crew can also help with boat set and catch timing. Other drills while sitting still on the water are:
-blade dips: practice letting the blade drop into the water, then push down on the handle to bring it just up out of the water (all with a light or no/open hand grip) repeating as fast as you can cleanly.
-finish to catch: start with the blade buried at the finish, bring it out for the recovery, and then drop the blade in at the catch and stop and hold that position. Relax and bring the blade back to the finish (out of the water) and repeat.
Ultimately, different things will work with different people: some people will respond more with focus on what they are doing, others more with focus on how the blade and the water are interacting. Experiment until you find what works for you: hope something from all this helps you.
One thing to remember too is that after you have been rowing a while, ingrained habits die hard. Once you feel you have fixed the problem, don't just forget about it: review and make sure you aren't regressing into dropping the hands again.
Re: 'Dropping your hands?'
I had something like that, a long time ago, in an 8 one year. I couldn't live with stroke's rhythm and started to waste time at the finish, sky the blade and then be short and late at the catch. Once or twice it didn't happen, when I finished the stroke fast in and out with no slump, without skying, and my stroke was longer and more effective.'drop my hands.'
Your prob could be completely different, but maybe it's worth a try: reduce back action avoiding all slump, handle in and out fast with no skying.
08-1940, 179cm, 75kg post-op (3 bp January 2025).