Taking regular strokes, have the rowers close their eyes. This will force them to focusing on feeling for and hearing the cues needed to row together, and may also allow them to relax, especially in the upper body. Note In blind boats, either ensure a coach is watching and giving any required steering commands, or […]
Wide Grip
In sweep boats, move the inside hand down the oar shaft towards the oarlock, past the end of the handle. In sculling boats, move both hands down so that they grip the oar shaft wide of the handles. Take regular strokes. Note This will make the oar blade feel heavier in the water, especially in […]
Reverse Pick Drill
Starting by sitting at the catch, with the blade squared and buried. Take 10 strokes where you move only a few inches from the catch. Only your legs should move, with your body angle remaining constant and your arms straight. Then move to 10 strokes where you take half of the full leg drive, again […]
Pick Drill
Starting by sitting at the finish, take 10 arms only strokes. Then move to 10 arms and body strokes. Then 10 strokes at half-slide. And finally 10 full strokes. Make sure rowers keep good posture during each phase, especially not moving their bodies on arms only strokes. Progression The number of strokes at each position […]
Finish Pauses
Taking full feather strokes, add a pause at the finish before the tap down. Blades should be rolled flat onto the water at the pause. Then rowers should tap down and bring their blades off the water as they begin the recovery, with enough clearance to square before the catch. Progression Move the pause to […]
Square/Feather
Taking regular strokes, switch between being square blades and feathered blades on the recovery. The switch could be every stroke, or every two strokes, three strokes, etc. Note Keeping the rate high enough and consistent between the feathered and squared boats helps keep the speed higher, helping the balance. Ensure the handle heights are not […]
Square Blades
Take regular strokes, but keep the blade fully squared on the recovery. In larger boats, rowers can sit out with their blades flat on the water to help set the boat. This drill will be more challenging in smaller boats where that is not an option. Progression In larger boats, you can decrease the number […]
Quarter Feather
Take regular strokes, but instead of being fully feathered on the recovery, hold the blades only slightly inclined from square. Note Ensure the blade angle isn’t changing through the recovery (except when squaring ready for the catch). Rowers are allowed to slightly drag the bottom edge, especially in smaller boats or bad conditions, but must […]
Rusties
Take a full stroke, but pause at bodies over on the recovery. From here reverse direction back to the finish, then complete the recovery all the way to the catch and repeat. The blades should be off the water throughout all of the extended recovery, challenging the rowers to stay balanced. This also emphasizes rhythm […]
Cut the Cake
Take a full stroke, but at bodies over on the recovery, reverse direction back to the finish, then complete the recovery all the way to the catch and repeat. The blades should be off the water throughout all of the extended recovery, challenging the rowers to stay balanced. This also emphasizes rhythm and moving together.
Catch Stability
Sit on an erg at the catch, but not holding the erg handle. Instead, for sculling boats, hold a one-pound weight in each hand in a sculling catch position. (For sweep boats, could try the same with either the same weights or some sort of short, light bar.) Play with slight leg movement from the […]
Zen Rowing
Long pause drills, giving rowers enough time to take deep breaths from the bottom part of their lungs at each pause. Breathing is intended as a way to reaffirm/correct posture. Location of pauses can be adjusted to work on posture at specific points of the recovery. One option is a pause at bodies over and […]
Push/Pull
Start at the finish, with blades squared and buried. Push arms away to an arms only catch, then take arms only stroke, finishing with the blades still buried. Progression Arms only, arms and body, half slide, full slide Note Ensure blades stay buried at the same height throughout. Boats shouldn’t move significantly on each stroke […]
Snakes
Similar to Circles, but taking one stroke each on port then starboard. In sweep boats, when one side is sitting out, the rower(s) should still move through the stroke because they will be taking the very next stroke.
Circles
In pairs, one person rows full strokes while one person sits out. (Person sitting out does not need to move.) In singles, one hand takes full strokes, but the other hand still makes complete motions, but stays feathered (and can rest on the surface to improve boat set). Start on the square, then move to […]