In sculling, each oarsman controls a pair of shorter oars and these shells are generally rowed as “singles” or “doubles”.  In sweep rowing, the hand on the oarhandle farthest from the oarlock is called the “outer” hand, and the one closest to the oarlock is called the “inner” hand.  The inner hand is used to “feather” the oar, which brings the blade parallel to the surface of the water during the recovery (when the blade is out of the water).  The blade is then placed perpendicular to the water (or “square”) for the propulsive portion of the stroke.

Technique

The rowing stroke can be broken down in to the following components:

The power (or drive) phase

The recovery phase

The drive phase begins with placement of the oar blade into the water at the “catch position”.  In this position, the rower is sitting with knees bent to chest with buttocks aligned beneath shoulders; arms and oarhandles are fully extended; body weight is poised on the balls of the feet.  The rower then pushes with the legs (leg drive) which pushes the sliding seat back from

The recovery phase begins as the oar blade comes out of the water.  The handles are pushed away from the body first with the arms, then with the back.  The knees then flex to slide the seat forward (i.e. into the stern of the boat).  The slide should be smooth, controlled, and in unison with the other rowers.  Body posture should be maintained so that the seat and buttocks do not lag behind the shoulders.  The oars are squared and handles raised to place the oar in the water, bringing the rower back to the “catch” position to repeat the stroke.  The recovery phase should be longer than the drive phase.

The Finish

Remember:  Legs, Back, Arms....Arms, Back, Legs

It is important to learn each component of the stroke individually and then put it all together in sequence into one continuous, smooth, graceful movement.  This process takes quite a lot of attention to detail and practice, so don’t be frustrated in the beginning if it’s not happening for you.

Tips

1.  When pulling on your oar handle, keep wrists “flat” (ie. not flexed or extended);  Grasp the handle lightly; don’t use a “death grip”

2.  Don’t hunch your back; pivot forward at the hips and keep the back straight with chin up.  Keep your shoulders relaxed.

3.  You should feel like you’re “hanging on the oar” at the catch; resist the urge to yank on the handle with your arms.

4.   Try not to look at your oar blade; look at the back of the person in front of you.  Any extraneous head or body movement can alter the “set” of the boat.

5.  Lean into (or toward) your oar when bending forward at the catch; your outer shoulder should be higher than your inner shoulder.  Your outer arm should be between your bent legs.  The person in front of you should be leaning symmetrically the other way.

6.  Make sure your oar is pushed all the into the oarlock and stays there.  This is achieved by exerting constant, gentle, outward pressure on the handle; initially you may need to do this consciously, however it will eventually become automatic.

Oars in the feathered position

Terminology

Back; backing- move the boat backward by pushing the handles away from the body

Blade- the hatchet or spoon shaped end of the oar/scull (the part that goes into the water)

Button- a ring on the shaft of the oar which prevents the oar from sliding too far down in the oarlock

Catch- the point in the stroke at which the blade is placed into the water to begin the pull-through (the rower is all the way up the slide with knees bent and arms extended)

Check- a decrease in the forward motion of the boat; “check the boat” means put oarblades in the water to slow or stop the boat

Collar- a band of material around the shaft of the oar to protect it from wear as it pivots in the oarlock

Crab/catch a crab- the oar has become trapped in the water and cannot be released; caused by an under squared blade knifing too deeply into the water and getting out of control

Down 2 (or up 2)- decrease (or increase) the stroke rate by 2 strokes per minute

Drive- the pull through portion of the stroke when the blade is in the water

Ergometer (“erg”)- a rowing machine which attempts to closely simulate actual rowing

Feather- turning the blade parallel to the surface of the water on the recovery

Finish- the portion of the pull-through just before the release; the end of the drive portion of the stroke (the rower is all the way back on the slide [i.e. into the bow] with legs extended and oar handle up close to body/arms bent)

Foot stretcher/stretcher- angled plate with attached shoes that provides support for the feet

Gate- bar across the open top of the oarlock to prevent the oar from popping out

Knife in- take the catch with the blade under squared, which drives the blade too deeply into the water

Layback- the rower’s backward (toward the bow) lean at the release, about 15 degrees

Lighten up- decrease the rowing effort

Oarlock- the u-shaped fitting that holds the oar and swivels around the vertical “pin”

Outrigger/rigger- the framework that holds the oarlock

Paddle-  (noun) a short oar used with out oarlocks; (verb) row at a comfortable, easy pace (“light row”)

Power 10- row ten hard, powerful strokes

Puddles- swirls of water left in the water when the oar is released

Rating/stroke rate/cadence- the number of strokes rowed per minute

Recovery- the portion of the stroke between the release and catch in which the oar is out of the water

Release- the portion of the stroke at which the blade is lifted from the water and feathered

Run- the distance the boat travels between the release and the catch (i.e. between strokes); “let the boat run”- allow the boat to glide awhile before taking another stroke

Rushing the slide- moving up the slide to fast or out of synch with the other rowers; this causes the run (forward movement) of the boat to be checked

Scull- to row with a pair of oars; a shell for one rower

Sculling- the act of rowing a shell with a pair or pairs of oars/sculls

Sculls- oars which are used in pairs; usually 9’ 10” long

Shaft (or loom)- the portion of the oar between blade and grip/handle

Shell- a rowing boat with a sliding seat and oarlocks mounted on riggers; usually long and narrow

Set of the boat- the balance of the boat; if the boat is out of balance it is “offset”

Shooting the tail- sliding the seat out too quickly on the drive without the shoulders and back being braced against the oar.

Skying- the blade is raised too high off the water during the recovery

Slide/track- runner apparatus on which the seat moves

                           Rowing with Squared Oars

Square- the blade is perpendicular to the surface of the water

Stroke- (verb) the action of moving the oar to achieve boat movement; (noun) the sternmost rower who sets the pace for the crew

Stroke cycle- cycle of catch, drive, finish, recovery

Swing- A much sought after state in which the rowers are perfectly coordinated and the boat flies through the water

Washout- to have the blade leave the water before the release (i.e. blade comes out of the water during drive phase)

Way- the progress of the boat through the water (“make way”; “under way”)

Way enough- the command to stop rowing

References/Additional Reading

1.  Brown, Bruce.  Stroke!, International Marine Publishing Co., 1986

2.  Churbuck, David.  The Book of Rowing, The Overlook Press, 1988

3.  Fritsch, Wolfgang.  Rowing,  Meyer and Meyer Sport (UK) Ltd, 2000

4.  Mayberry, Keith.  Rowing,  New Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd, 2002

5.  Cunningham, Frank  The Sculler at Ease, Avery Press, 1999

6. www.tulsajuniorsrowing.org

7. www.argonautrowingclub.com