ROWING COACHING & TRAINING
STAY FOCUSED... TAKE CHALLENGE... MAKE DIFFERENCE
ROWING
An active body and mind is very vital for this sport. If you want to participate in the championship or learn the techniques of rowing, you must understand the fact that the human body acts like an engine which applies force and release power and impel the boat to move across the water. The backward and forward movement made by the oarsman sitting in the boat, on a sliding seat is the rowing motion that one needs to understand in this sport. A positive force is created on the boat when the oar is not in the water and the oarsman moves in the opposite direction of the boat. It is very important to get the training to increase the endurance capacity of the oarsman to move the boat at a greater speed in less amount of time.
ROWING BASICS
There are two basic types of boats
SHELLS - Sculls (each rower has two oars) and sweep boats or shells (each rower has one oar)
Single - One rower with two oars (scull)
Double - Two rowers, each with two oars (scull)
Quad - Four rowers, each with two oars (scull)
Pair - Two rowers, each with one oar (sweep)
Straight Four - Four rowers, each with one oar (sweep)
Four With - Four rowers, each with one oar and a coxswain (sweep)
Eight - Eight rowers, each with one oar and a coxswain (sweep)
DIRECTIONS IN A BOAT
Stern - The rear end of the boat is the stern.
Bow – The bow ball placed face end of the boat is the bow.
Port - The right side from the rower's perspective as the rower is facing the stern; the left side of the boat from the coxswain's view.
Starboard - The left side from the rower's perspective, the right side of the boat from the coxswain's view.
The coxswain forever face the way, the shell is going whereas the rowers look at the back.
POSTURE AND MOTION
It is very important to begin each stroke with the right position that will make certain a constructive workout, the consequence of poor stance in the rowing can be injurious. To attain the right posture, the essential steps are- sitting straight on the seat, then one must draw the navel into the spine and raise the pelvic floor muscles, rowing with head raised and eyes looking straight forward. It is necessary that a strong sitting pose is maintained throughout the Rowing Action.
To attain a variety of activities, the oarsman must aspire to achieve as far forward with the handle and constrict the legs as much as possible while maintaining a strong upright position. You must always try to keep the knees together and row with a short slide if necessary.
The correct share in rowing is 1:2 - moving two times as long to pull through and move ahead up the slide as was done driving the legs down. When the right ratio is attained, there is a fulfilling tempo to the incessant motion of the rowing stroke.
The muscles of the legs are the major and strongest muscle group in the body, and therefore give a big part of the work during the rowing stroke. You must know how oxygen is transported and utilized in the process of rowing. Aerobics is a good way to enhance the endurance capacity. The respiratory system, circulatory system and muscular system take oxygen to the muscle cells. The hands are drawn into the body so that the forearms are parallel to the second bottom rib. The hands do not stop at the end of the drive, they flow back out and into the recovery phase, moving in and out from the body at a constant speed.
The right way to augment the stroke pace is to accelerate the hand movement during the rock over point and to include a more powerful drive back during the drive phase. It is significant to exercise this right method to make the stroke rate, a good system rower cannot amplify their stroke rate from 20spm up to 32spm in 1 or 2 strokes, it usually takes around 10 strokes to reach 32spm. A co-ordinating method is important to do the same thing at the same time that enhances efficiency and hence pace, and is necessary for on-water basics such as boat balance. CRC provides the best rowing training and prepare you for the championship or just to gain knowledge about rowing. There are expert trainers who assist you in the process of learning and make you sound enough to set yourself roaring in the water.
THE BOAT
Hull - The hull is too thin and delicate. It scratches and can be punctured easily. Be especially careful when moving the boat, always listening to the commands of the coach and the coxswain. NEVER step over the hull; always walk around.
Decks - There are both stern and bow decks on the shell. These decks form compartments to trap air for flotation in the event of swamping or flipping.
Vents - There are vent hatches in both the bow and stern decks. When closed, they trap air; when open they allow air flow to dry out any moisture in the fore and aft compartments. It is the responsibility of the coxswain and bow seat to close the deck vents. There are often vented hatch covers under the seats also. These allow access for adjustments to the seat tracks.
Gunwales - These are the top outer edges of the boat. A lifting point
Keel - Runs the length of the hull, down the center, for structural support.
Ribs - Run perpendicular to the keel, against the hull, for structural support. A lifting point.
Seat - On wheels that allow forward and back movement. Also a rower's place and # in the boat.
Tracks - Guides in which the seat wheels roll (also called slides).
Foot Stretcher - Adjustable plate to which the shoes are attached, allowing adjustment for length.
Foot Pad - Space between the front of the tracks that is the only place you step when entering the boat.
Rigger - Metal or composite "arm" attached to the exterior of the boat that holds the oar.
Oarlock - "U" shaped plastic part in which the oar is placed.
Gate - Screw-down rod that keeps the oar from coming out of the oarlock.
ROWER POSITIONS (SEATS)
Every place to sit in the boat is given a number as per its position going from front end bow to the back end stern. In an eight seater boat there would be 1 to 8 & cox. However, two seats are usually named differently. The first seat, that’s next to the bow, is known as the"bow seat". The rowing seat bordering the stern is called "stroke". The rowers are frequently called by their seat number, both by the coxswain and the coach, so at all times it is important to be alert of your seat. The coach or coxswain also will often call for groups to row, according to their place in the boat; i.e. bows pair or stern four.
Additionally, rowers require to be attentive of which side they are rowing, whether port or starboard as rowing commands are often given by side, such as "check it on port".
OARS
Shaft - The long straight main section of the oar; usually composite.
Blade - The flat part of the oar that enters the water. Either hatchet shaped or, in older oars, tulip (Macon blades
Handle - The oar part you hold on to; may be wood or composite with rubber grips.
Sleeve - Plastic plate about 2/3 up the shaft that goes in the oarlock.
Collar - Plastic piece attached around the sleeve that is pressed against the oarlock keeping the oar in the proper place.
Clam - A clip-on plastic piece that fits against the collar adjusting the load on the oar.
ROWING TERMS
Catch - The beginning of the rowing stroke where the oar blade is set in the water.
Drive - The part of the stroke where the blade is pulled through the water.
Finish - The final part of the stroke where the blade comes out of the water.
Release - Pushing down on the handle to raise the blade out of the water at the end of the stroke to begin the recovery.
Recovery - The part of the stroke where the rower comes slowly up the slide to return to the catch.
Feathering - Rotating the oar in the oarlock with the inside hand so that the blade is parallel to the water.
Leg Drive - Pushing with the legs against the foot stretchers on the drive.
Rushing The Slide - Coming up the slide to the catch too fast causing one's weight to be thrown toward the stern causing the boat to check (slow down).
Missing Water - Not getting the blade into the water soon enough causing one to miss part of the beginning of the stroke (sometimes called rowing into the water).
Washing Out - Raising the blade out of the water before the finish of the stroke.
Skying - Coming to the catch with the blade too high above the surface of the water
Run - The distance, the boat moves after the release while the rower is on the recovery.
Puddles - Made when the blade is released from the water. Run can be judged by the distance between puddles.
Crab - When the oar is not released cleanly from the water. A rower "catches a crab" when the oar gets stuck in the water at the finish.