by GRP Row coach Steve Whelpley

Admittedly, I'm somewhat fixated on the things that make our beautiful sculling motion so complicated to execute. How is it that when you watch good rowing from afar, it looks so simple, natural, and graceful? Meanwhile, learning it and refining it is so intricate, complex, and at some points, awkward. I'm convinced that the seemingly simple process of moving backwards throws a coordinative monkey wrench in our plans more often than we realize.

Have you ever seen a reverse bicycle like this? There are versions where the steering is reversed like that one, and others where they also reverse the pedaling. Either way, it throws us for a loop, and I don't think that is simply because of muscle memory. To turn the handles to the left and have the bike move to the right is counterintuitive. Moving backwards is similarly counterintuitive.

I think one prominent place you can see the challenge is when even skilled athletes switch boat classes. As the speed of the boat class moves up or down, it sometimes takes a surprising amount of time for the athletes to calibrate to the speed of the boat. Coaches will often say to "move with the speed of the boat." It is easier said than done when your back is to the movement.

Two simple drills to make you more cognizant of your boat's movement are:

Use the Force

One Stroke On, One Stroke Off

Use the Force is commonly taught at Craftsbury along with boat play drills because you purposefully release a grip on one of the handles. For use the force, you take a full stroke, and then pause at the release. From this pause, you choose one hand with which you lightly toss the handle away. I hesitate to describe the phenomenon that follows as the observation of it is the crux of the drill. You'll see your handle drift away on your impulse only to slow, hesitate, and then change directions back to your position at the release where you can regrip the oar again. You repeat this drill several times and ideally alternate hands.

While it does involve some boat skill, it also illustrates the speed of the boat. You can watch as your toss away is reversed by the passage of water next to the boat. The blade moves to bow under your force, but heads back to stern based on the speed of the hull. On top of that, you get to sit there quietly, and be an almost omniscient observer of the handle. The return of the handle and the movement of the blade give you insight into the boat's movement under and behind you.

One Stroke On, One Stroke Off is pretty straight forward. You take one stroke on with some pressure (Nothing too crazy! Just a firm press.) Then you come up to full slide, put the blades in, and apply NO pressure. Just drift through the water with your body pantomiming good technique. Let the handles move you at the pace of the boat at that point. Now, you might say, "Well, the boat's speed is decreasing, and I'm going slower and slower." That's fine, but it's also why you keep alternating between one stroke on and one stroke off. The key and complexity to figuring out the boat's movement is in the top quarter and your change of direction. Once you've got a hold of things, then you can feel it out and move it on out. Therefore, the key is to really listen to the boat in the top quarter, which you can do by preconditioning yourself for a passive, observational off stroke.

If all else fails (or at least those two exercises), then take yourself to a northern lake with a deciduous forest this fall. Watch the forecast and the foliage, and go for a row after a windy day. Rowing through leaves might just shed some additional light on how slickly your boat is carrying on beneath you.