by COC Sculling Director Sara Gronewold

Now that the weather is warming up, those that live in colder climes will be heading back out on the water soon. I often feel that my first row after a long time away tends to feel really good. I believe this is because my body is executing my brain’s memory of what rowing should be. After the first couple of rows, my old habits start to creep in, and I need to redouble my efforts to keep my technique sharp. I hope these pointers can help you work through your transition back onto the water this spring.

Some of the challenges lie in how our bodies experience land training versus water training in terms of balance, additional fatigue, finesse and technique.

The single requires a much greater ability to balance than does the ergometer or many team boats. The first few weeks back on the water tend to bring more fatigue in the hands and wrists, as one becomes comfortable again with fluidity around the release and managing the oar handles. A simple “prayer stretch” helps keep the muscles healthy as they get used to the new demands:

Place the palms together in front of your chest (1).

Draw your hands down towards the floor as far as you can go without losing contact between the palms (2). Hold that position.

Now place the hands back-to-back in front of your chest (3) and raise the wrists towards the ceiling as high as you can go without losing contact (4).

Shake out the wrists and repeat once more.

Rowing the single is much more fatiguing than the ergometer. This is due to the fact that you’re thinking hard and using multiple systems, while much more input is coming into your brain. Managing the mechanics of one's body and the boat while receiving feedback therein can be exhausting. Because of this, it is a good idea to spend the first couple of weeks rowing relatively easy strokes, or at a relatively low stroke rate to give one's body a chance to get used to it again. The first couple of rows are not a good time to practice your racing starts!

The finesse and technique required when returning to the water is something everyone deals with after a long stretch away from the single. Relaxed sculling with clean finishes and catches can seem very elusive. The best way to regain that feeling is by relaxing your grip, staying positive and giving yourself time to feel it out! My favorite drill for giving the body the cues it needs to get back to smooth sculling is the plop drill:

Sit at the release, or at the ¼ slide position with the blades squared and buried.

Take a moment to look at your wrists and forearms while sitting in this position.

If the elbows appear to be below the handle heights, lift them up while keeping the wrists flat.

Once you have the hands and forearms in place, use the weight of the forearms to press the handles down only enough to get the blade out of the water, then allow the blade to plop back into the water.

Do not try to hold the blades out of the water.

Continue to do this until you’re continuously plopping without disrupting the set of the boat.

You may need to adjust your height from side to side, or the timing or intensity between the hands to find stability.

I hope these tips can help you take on the return to on-water rowing. Happy Sculling!

Tech Tip: Gearing Up for Spring