Visualization of the rowing cycle

This seems a bit Southern Californian, but visualization techniques can be useful to internalize the rowing stroke. Watch the videos below. The first is from US Rowing showing a starboard rower on the US national team. The second is footage that Coach O'Brien shot on the 23rd. Novices, especially, should note the smooth, relaxed motion of elite rowers. Most novice rowers are too tense and try to force the blade into the correct position. Remember, the oar lock and collar system is designed to have the blade naturally fall into the correct position. Rowers need to relax their shoulders and their grip and feel the oar rolling onto the flats. Rowers should not watch the placement of their blade, but rather the placement of the person in the stroke seat. Coxswains should provide feedback to the crew if an individual is a hair too early or a hair too late. All the blades need to "drop in" simultaneously, each rower needs to apply power at the same instant, and all the blades should release from the water together. It's not a coincidence that our fours are named "Synchronicity" and "σùν  χρόνω  νίκζ" (which translates from the Greek as "With Timing, Victory).

    Also note the horizontal movement of the handle, There are only about a couple of inches difference in handle height between the drive and the recovery. Rowers should not be arching the handle on the drive. At the catch the blade will naturally assume the correct depth, as this is part of the boat's design. You do not need to force the blade down, simply let it drop by "unweighting" the handle.

Coach O'Brien also reminds me that the rowing stroke is a cycle with no "finish," so I'll try to change my terminology to that of Catch, Drive, Release, and Recovery. Once the blade is released from the water the rower immediately begins the recovery with hands away and body preparation. The slide to the coxswain should be controlled. Note how the elite rower moves calmly toward the coxswain -- nothing is rushed. The movement during the drive is aggressive -- you want to apply power to the oar with legs, back, and lastly arms.

During practice if the boat is moving through the water we always initiate the rowing cycle at the release position. If stopped, it is possible to initiate the cycle at a half-slide catch position, similar to what we do at the start of a race. It's not a good idea to, from a dead stop, begin with a full compression catch position since the handles can be easily misaligned.