This is only a short clip in which we mostly see Chris and Brian. Chris, make certain that the hands move away from the body quickly. You'll see a bit of a delay. Brian, watch the dip. You can see your outside shoulder drop down and your hands come down towards the gunwhale, just when you should be raising them to place the blade. Zach, make certain that your blade is in the water before you start the drive. Adam, I don't see much, but what I see looks pretty good.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Saturday 10-13 Row up Mon
First of all, please blame Anthea for the video quality. Second, watch how much water we are getting. Every stroke needs to be a full stroke. Imagine how many strokes you took that day. If you miss only an inch of water per stroke, how much water is that? We need to be lifting the hands into the catch, almost at 3/4 slide. I'm sure you've all heard of "backing it in." That is exactly what you should be doing. There should almost be a slight backing where the weight of a full blade of water builds up before you start the drive. It should feel heavier than you are probably used to. We must reduce the amount of missed water and that will become a focus going into these next two weeks of practice and regattas.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
10/8/07 Tanks - Set
10/8/07
Tanks
Set
We have spent that first several weeks of the fall season getting used to rowing with each other. The main focus has been connection. This has been a major change from what most rowers were initially taught. At this point, although there is still work to be done, I feel confident that everyone on the team understands what I am looking for are trying to figure out how to actually do it. I don’t expect these changes to be made in a few weeks. I do expect that you continue to work on them and make them part of the mental checklist that every rower should have going through their head all throughout any practice or race. I have a fairly good idea of what my strengths and weaknesses are and I am constantly evaluating myself every time I hit the water. All of you should as well.
That being said, the next issue that I want to discuss is set. I believe that it is entirely possible to have a very set boat that doesn’t go anywhere. It is also possible to have a boat that drags oars every stroke, but is still moving very fast. I personally would prefer to have the fast boat than the pretty boat, but I know that not all agree. If a boat is offset and oars are dragging, that feedback is immediate; far more immediate than figuring out your boat speed. Every year, I hear far more complaints about set than about speed. Although I would like to change that mindset, there are a few points that I would like to make about set.
Set (boat at even-keel in water) is the result of many different factors. The majority of the factors that decide set are established during the drive. A shell is most stable when the oars are in the water, so that should make sense. Although handle levels on the recovery are part of that, all the recovery can do is maintain set. That means that it had to be established during the drive. All oars must enter the water at the same time, at the same depth. Pressure must be applied together and evenly. Acceleration must occur together. If any rower is jumping on the catch while others are accelerating through the release, your boat will not be set. Handles must remain horizontal, coming directly towards the ribs. Once connection is lost, the outside hand (with the outside elbow even) is used to slightly tap down on the handle and extract the blade on the square. You should be getting enough clearance at this point to row on the square if necessary. This should be the lowest that your hands get; if you are having trouble squaring up early without hitting the water, fix it here. Just get more clearance. With the weight of the outside hand on the handle, the inside hand only is used to feather. This can be done with the fingers and thumb alone, leaving the inside wrist flat. During the recovery, aside from the weight of your outside hand, all of your body weight remains on the seat and not on the handle. The handle levels should not change as you get squared. As you hit ¾ slide and your heels are lifting up, your hands should start to rise as you begin to drop the blade into the water. Your blade should hit the water before you have hit full slide. This will result in “backing the blade in.” The weight of a full blade of water will well up on the face of the blade and you will never miss water.
To summarize, the handle makes a rectangle. Beginning at the catch, the handle remains parallel to the water as it is drawn in towards the ribs. Before hitting the body and as connection is lost, the outside hand taps down on the handle and the blade is extracted on the square. The inside hand feather as the outside hand sends the handle away, on a new horizontal line. Once square and at ¾ slide, the outside hand removes its weight from the handle, allowing the blade to enter the water.
Tanks
Set
We have spent that first several weeks of the fall season getting used to rowing with each other. The main focus has been connection. This has been a major change from what most rowers were initially taught. At this point, although there is still work to be done, I feel confident that everyone on the team understands what I am looking for are trying to figure out how to actually do it. I don’t expect these changes to be made in a few weeks. I do expect that you continue to work on them and make them part of the mental checklist that every rower should have going through their head all throughout any practice or race. I have a fairly good idea of what my strengths and weaknesses are and I am constantly evaluating myself every time I hit the water. All of you should as well.
That being said, the next issue that I want to discuss is set. I believe that it is entirely possible to have a very set boat that doesn’t go anywhere. It is also possible to have a boat that drags oars every stroke, but is still moving very fast. I personally would prefer to have the fast boat than the pretty boat, but I know that not all agree. If a boat is offset and oars are dragging, that feedback is immediate; far more immediate than figuring out your boat speed. Every year, I hear far more complaints about set than about speed. Although I would like to change that mindset, there are a few points that I would like to make about set.
Set (boat at even-keel in water) is the result of many different factors. The majority of the factors that decide set are established during the drive. A shell is most stable when the oars are in the water, so that should make sense. Although handle levels on the recovery are part of that, all the recovery can do is maintain set. That means that it had to be established during the drive. All oars must enter the water at the same time, at the same depth. Pressure must be applied together and evenly. Acceleration must occur together. If any rower is jumping on the catch while others are accelerating through the release, your boat will not be set. Handles must remain horizontal, coming directly towards the ribs. Once connection is lost, the outside hand (with the outside elbow even) is used to slightly tap down on the handle and extract the blade on the square. You should be getting enough clearance at this point to row on the square if necessary. This should be the lowest that your hands get; if you are having trouble squaring up early without hitting the water, fix it here. Just get more clearance. With the weight of the outside hand on the handle, the inside hand only is used to feather. This can be done with the fingers and thumb alone, leaving the inside wrist flat. During the recovery, aside from the weight of your outside hand, all of your body weight remains on the seat and not on the handle. The handle levels should not change as you get squared. As you hit ¾ slide and your heels are lifting up, your hands should start to rise as you begin to drop the blade into the water. Your blade should hit the water before you have hit full slide. This will result in “backing the blade in.” The weight of a full blade of water will well up on the face of the blade and you will never miss water.
To summarize, the handle makes a rectangle. Beginning at the catch, the handle remains parallel to the water as it is drawn in towards the ribs. Before hitting the body and as connection is lost, the outside hand taps down on the handle and the blade is extracted on the square. The inside hand feather as the outside hand sends the handle away, on a new horizontal line. Once square and at ¾ slide, the outside hand removes its weight from the handle, allowing the blade to enter the water.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Alexa 9/5/07
Watch the connection. Watch where your hands and the handle are when your legs are finished. You need to first bring the hands in sooner. Not faster; earlier. You may also need to "slow" the legs down. I don't mean pull lighter, I just mean to take your time with the legs. If they fire down right away, you've got nothing left for the rest of your drive.
Connection is extremely important in sculling. Your hands must work together, but they don't want to. Everyone feels stronger on one side or another. The only way to go straight is to use the legs. The legs will act as a link between the hands. If you are able to extract the blades as soon as the legs finish, you'll never get a blade "caught" and will be able to extract cleanly.
During some strokes, you shoot your slide. Your legs and seat are moving, but the handles are not. Handles must move with the seat. Otherwise you are using your legs, but your blades are not moving the boat.
Connection is extremely important in sculling. Your hands must work together, but they don't want to. Everyone feels stronger on one side or another. The only way to go straight is to use the legs. The legs will act as a link between the hands. If you are able to extract the blades as soon as the legs finish, you'll never get a blade "caught" and will be able to extract cleanly.
During some strokes, you shoot your slide. Your legs and seat are moving, but the handles are not. Handles must move with the seat. Otherwise you are using your legs, but your blades are not moving the boat.
Brad, Alex, Susan, Emily, Alyssa
Watch the connection. Watch where your hands and the handle are when your legs are finished. You need to first bring the hands in sooner. Not faster; earlier. You may also need to "slow" the legs down. I don't mean pull lighter, I just mean to take your time with the legs. If they fire down right away, you've got nothing left for the rest of your drive.
Alex - you are opening the body way too early. It looks as though you are using your body to place the blade, rather than your arms. Keep your body forward both to place the blade and as you begin the drive with your legs.
Susan and Emily - make sure the outside arms and elbows stay out and even with the end of the handle. They forearm should become an extension of the handle. This will allow you to keep your outside wrist completely flat. It will also allow you to put downward pressure on the handle in order to extract the blade at the release, rather than needing to "pull" it down.
Alyssa - You still have a lunge towards the catch. Make sure that you are getting your body angle through your hips, not the spine. Your upper body tends to collapse as you come into your full compression. Sit up.
Alex - you are opening the body way too early. It looks as though you are using your body to place the blade, rather than your arms. Keep your body forward both to place the blade and as you begin the drive with your legs.
Susan and Emily - make sure the outside arms and elbows stay out and even with the end of the handle. They forearm should become an extension of the handle. This will allow you to keep your outside wrist completely flat. It will also allow you to put downward pressure on the handle in order to extract the blade at the release, rather than needing to "pull" it down.
Alyssa - You still have a lunge towards the catch. Make sure that you are getting your body angle through your hips, not the spine. Your upper body tends to collapse as you come into your full compression. Sit up.
Tom, Adam, Brian, Giacamo, Vladimir
Watch the connection. Watch where your hands and the handle are when your legs are finished. You need to first bring the hands in sooner. Not faster; earlier. You may also need to "slow" the legs down. I don't mean pull lighter, I just mean to take your time with the legs. If they fire down right away, you've got nothing left for the rest of your drive.
Stroke pair: Connection looks ok. Timing is off. You two have been and will continue to row with each other a ton. You need to be hitting the same marks at the same time. Releases need to synch up.
Brian - shoulders. As you come up the slide, you lunge foward with the outside arm. Sit up and keep the shoulders in their sockets. Twist around your rigger rather than continuing to push forward. Keep your outside shoulder up and relax your inside shoulder. You can also bend the inside arm to make sure that you don't use it for power.
Bow pair - this is all new to you. Timing is an issue, but I would assume that it would be. That will come as you get more comfortably with what you are doing. You are both opening your bodies far too early. To get the blade into the water, just take the weight of your arms off of the handle. The body stays forward while this happens. When you begin your drive, the body should still be forward. Only after you have started moving the boat with your legs do you start to open the body.
Stroke pair: Connection looks ok. Timing is off. You two have been and will continue to row with each other a ton. You need to be hitting the same marks at the same time. Releases need to synch up.
Brian - shoulders. As you come up the slide, you lunge foward with the outside arm. Sit up and keep the shoulders in their sockets. Twist around your rigger rather than continuing to push forward. Keep your outside shoulder up and relax your inside shoulder. You can also bend the inside arm to make sure that you don't use it for power.
Bow pair - this is all new to you. Timing is an issue, but I would assume that it would be. That will come as you get more comfortably with what you are doing. You are both opening your bodies far too early. To get the blade into the water, just take the weight of your arms off of the handle. The body stays forward while this happens. When you begin your drive, the body should still be forward. Only after you have started moving the boat with your legs do you start to open the body.
Elliot, Natalie, Judith, Hannah, Danielle 9/5/07
Watch the connection. Watch where your hands and the handle are when your legs are finished. You need to first bring the hands in sooner. Not faster; earlier. You may also need to "slow" the legs down. I don't mean pull lighter, I just mean to take your time with the legs. If they fire down right away, you've got nothing left for the rest of your drive. Judith is close.
Judith - watch your lunge. Get all of your body angle before you begin your slide. You get a little extra "reach" using your shoulders and upper back. Sit up tall through the spine and keep your arms in their sockets.
Hannah - similar problem. Set your body angle early and hold it all the way through the recovery. There should be no movement in the entire upper body as you come up the slide.
Danielle - you still need a bit more body angle. Get it right away; don't wait until you're up the slide
Judith - watch your lunge. Get all of your body angle before you begin your slide. You get a little extra "reach" using your shoulders and upper back. Sit up tall through the spine and keep your arms in their sockets.
Hannah - similar problem. Set your body angle early and hold it all the way through the recovery. There should be no movement in the entire upper body as you come up the slide.
Danielle - you still need a bit more body angle. Get it right away; don't wait until you're up the slide
Anthea, Chris, Zach, Tyler, Dave 9/5/07
Watch the connection. Bow pair especially, watch where your hands and the handle are when your legs are finished. You need to first bring the hands in sooner. Not faster; earlier. You may also need to "slow" the legs down. I don't mean pull lighter, I just mean to take your time with the legs. If they fire down right away, you've got nothing left for the rest of your drive.
Dave, you're folding your body in half at the catch. Without losing your body angle, sit up through the spine.
Zach, watch your shoulders. Your shoulders almost match Chris'. The problem is that he is on the other side. Outside shoulder stays up while inside shoulder stays relaxed. Inside arm should remain bent and provide very little power.
Dave, you're folding your body in half at the catch. Without losing your body angle, sit up through the spine.
Zach, watch your shoulders. Your shoulders almost match Chris'. The problem is that he is on the other side. Outside shoulder stays up while inside shoulder stays relaxed. Inside arm should remain bent and provide very little power.
The Drive
To begin the drive, once the blade is placed and just barely covered, we need to push off of the footplate with the balls of our feet. The abs remain engaged and the body remains forward. As the legs begin the drive and the boat starts moving, we begin to swing the body towards the bow, all the while keeping the abs engaged. The arms begin to draw the handle into the ribs and all three: legs, body, and arms, end at the same time, resulting in the release or extraction.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Hannah 8-28
Keep your hands moving. They should go out at the same speed at which they come in, with no hesitation at the body.
Connection: Begin pulling with your arms a bit sooner. You want your hands and legs to finish at the same time. Your legs will provide the power to allow your drive to accelerate all of the way through to the release. Your arms and body are not strong enough to accelerate without your legs
Connection: Begin pulling with your arms a bit sooner. You want your hands and legs to finish at the same time. Your legs will provide the power to allow your drive to accelerate all of the way through to the release. Your arms and body are not strong enough to accelerate without your legs
Alyssa 8-28
Sit up. Get your body angle through your hips, not your spine. Watch as you come up the slide and your upper body lunges forward. You need to minimize the movement coming out of your upper body as you compress.
Connection: Watch where your hands are when your legs have finished. Ideally, the handle will come into the body just as the legs are finishing. The legs provide the power neccessary to accelerate the hands in as the drive picks up.
Connection: Watch where your hands are when your legs have finished. Ideally, the handle will come into the body just as the legs are finishing. The legs provide the power neccessary to accelerate the hands in as the drive picks up.
Alex 8-28
You need more swing, both with your body angle and your layback. Once you get your body angle, you need to keep it all the way up the slide and even through the beginning of your drive. Squeeze your abs as you begin to push off of the balls of your feet. Keep your body closed until the legs have begun. Connection looks pretty good.
Natalie 8-28
Things look pretty good until the last inch of the recovery. Just when you should be starting your drive, instead you reach just a little bit out of the shoulders. Hold your body and arms steady and begin pushing off of the balls of your feet. No shoulders.
Judith 8-28
Get your body angle right away. Don't wait until you're on your way up the slide.
Hold the hands steady. Even on the erg. There is no reason to dip way down just to lift up at the catch. The differences in handle level will be much smaller in a boat anyway. Keep the hands at the same level both in and out when on the erg.
Relax your shoulders.
Hold the hands steady. Even on the erg. There is no reason to dip way down just to lift up at the catch. The differences in handle level will be much smaller in a boat anyway. Keep the hands at the same level both in and out when on the erg.
Relax your shoulders.
Zach 8-28
There are two things that you need to work on. One problem is the same as Brian's with a bit of hesitation with the hands at the release. You then begin coming up the slide before your body gets forward. You need to get all of your body angle before you come up the slide. The other problem is the same as Chris' with the lack of connection. Your hands and body need to finish at the same time. Take a look at where your handle is when your legs are flat. Make the legs last long enough to power the handle into your body.
Chris 8-28
Connection. Notice where your hands are when your legs finish. Instead of finishing your stroke, you continue pulling with the arms and body. There is no way to continue to accelerate your drive without your legs. Make your legs last long enough to bring the handle into your body.
Brian 8-28
Your hands pause briefly at the release. You then send your hands and body forward at the same time that you are beginning your slide. Keep the hands moving at the same speed, both in and out. Send your body away at a slightly slower speed than your hands. Get all of your body angle before you get up the slide. Imagine where you should be during a pause drill.
Adam 8-28
Your body angle isn't too bad here. Why does it change in a boat? Watch your slide speed. You accelerate the last 6-8" of your slide. Control your body all the way into full compression.
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