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.