by Carol Bower, COC Sculling Associate Director

This tech tip will focus on the often overlooked but very important role of the connection of the hands to the handles while rowing. For many of us our focus is on moving our shell with our body’s strength, balance, and endurance. Much of that cannot be accomplished however, unless our hands have a loose relaxed connection to the handles. 

Poor positioning of the hands on the handles will lead to tension in the arms and shoulders. This will limit your ability to suspend while on the drive. It will also get in the way of effective blade work and a sense of balance on the recovery.

The Role of the Hands 

First, we need to get past the idea that we are “holding” the oars by the handles as we row. We hold the oars when we carry them to and from the boat. While we row, the oarlocks hold the oars, but our hands guide the height of the handles on the recovery and then connect the weight of the body to the oarlocks and blades as we suspend on the drive. The hands also feather and square the blades. For the purpose of this topic, the feather and square will be kept to a minimum so the focus can stay on the basic hand-handle connection.

The hands guide the height of the handles by applying gentle pressure on top. This counterbalances the oars’ weight on the outboard side of the oarlock, allowing the blades to travel just above the surface of the water. This is really important for understanding the position of the hands. The friction between the hands and the tops of the handles serves to bring the oars into the catch position, at which point the hands release the downward pressure on the handles allowing the blades to drop into the water. There is no need to grip the handles.

During the drive, the hands act as a hook around the handle to allow the weight of the body to suspend from the handles. The hand-handle connection here is the horizontal version of carrying the handle of a suitcase. All hang, no squeeze. 

As you row, take note of the distance of the index finger from the position of the thumb slightly pressing outward toward the oarlock. A gap on the handle wider than the width of a finger could be another reason for tension in the hands and up into the forearms.

Less (skin on the handle) is More (effective)

There are many reasons why rowers hold the entire circumference of the handles. The imbalance of the sport makes us want to grab on to something. Choppy water whacking the blades on the recovery will compound this tendency. A loose connection also becomes more challenging with racing starts and race pace rowing. And, oh yes, the feather and square.

Here are some tips for finding the proper hand placement on the handle:

1. While the blade is square in the oarlock, place your upper palm or base of fingers on the 12:00 position of handle. Extend your fingers and feel the counterbalance of the oar as it rests in the oarlock. Let your fingers loosely drape down around the 9:00 side of the handle. Avoid contact of any kind on the 3:00 side. The only time we feel our palms on the 3:00 side on the handle is when we are rowing backwards and pushing the handles away from our bodies.

2. A good stationary drill for the hand-handle connection is the Tap Drill. Pick a position on the recovery, say, hands and body away, and lightly tap the square blades in and out of the water. The goal here is to feel the hands unweight from the handles to place the blade and add weight to the 12:00 position to extract the blades from the water. Avoid squeezing or lifting the handle from the 6:00 position.

3. Alternatively, add a pause drill at this same location while rowing. During the brief pause, point your fingertips towards the stern and feel the upper horizontal level that the hands need to maintain to keep the blades off the water. Release the pause, let your fingers relax around the handle and maintain that level as you square the blades. Then, unweight the hands to place the blades into the water. Allow the blade’s weight to determine their depth - there’s no need to lift the handles.

4. If your fingers tend to drift down the handles toward the shaft, create a boundary line to get your attention and stop the drift. Place a rubber band or hair tie around the handle near your pinky to prevent your fingers from drifting down the handle. You don’t have to look far to find a stray hair tie around a boathouse.

Things To Pay Attention to When Practicing Racing Starts and Power Pieces

1. Managing tension while rowing at pressure. Overpowering the drive phase leads to increased tension. There should be some tension with increased pressure but not to the point that the hands appear to be squeezing the juice out of the handles. Practice short power pieces or racing starts with the intent of slowing down or easing pressure just enough on each repeat to maintain the proper hand-handle connection.

2. Maintaining handle heights while rowing at high stroke rates. Increased stroke rate and pressure leads to bigger movements. While rowing faster, try to maintain the hand-handle horizontal path with minimal rise at the catch. The blade entry will more likely happen at the right time and depth at any speed by unweighting the handle at the end of the recovery rather than aggressively rowing the blades in to initiate the drive.

Finally, no matter what skill level we have achieved, there will come a point in the race or workout when we realize our hands are tightening up. The important thing is to find a way to loosen the grip on the handles so the rest of the body can do its work. By focusing on the connection between the hands and the handles, you can enhance your efficiency, prevent unnecessary tension, and make rowing a more enjoyable experience.