This article is from the Lyme Regis Gig Club. Although it applies to gig rowing, the technique is very similar to our technique and is a useful reference for coastal rowing.
Posture
- Place the oar between the pins with the midpoint of the leather between them.
- Keep the inside hand on top of the handle and the outside hand underneath. Hands should be about one to one-and-a-half hand widths apart.
- Keep shoulders back and down, core muscles engaged, arms straight and legs bent close to 45 degrees.
- Place the front of the feet firmly on the stretcher, with the inside foot near the centre post.
The catch
- Rock over the hips while keeping the back straight and shoulders relaxed.
- Lift the hands from the shoulder and drop the blade square into the water so it is just covered.
- Drive from flexed to straight legs. There should be a distinct feeling of hanging off the oar as the legs drive.
The drive
The blade must accelerate through the stroke from catch to finish.
Drive with the legs first, then add the back and shoulders, and finally the arms. The back and arms connect the leg drive to the oar handle; they should not absorb the power. The blade should remain at the same depth and the oar should be pulled around the pin in an arc.
The kinetic chain
Maximum power comes from sequencing the strongest muscles to the weakest: legs, then back and shoulders, finally arms. Keep the trunk square to the boat and rotate through the shoulders.
The finish and recovery
Extract the blade square with a light tap down from the inside hand. The recovery reverses the drive: arms straighten, body rocks forward, then legs bend. “Hands away” lets the boat run after the power input and prevents the recovery from wasting speed.
Common faults
- Poor posture or hunched shoulders.
- Pulling before the catch or hovering at the catch.
- Arms breaking too early.
- Pulling up on the oar instead of rowing the boat past the blade.
- A rough recovery that disturbs the boat's run.
- Blade too deep, catching crabs, or a short stroke caused by poor trunk flexibility.