"boat feel." What signs can we look for to understand boat feel, and then, what can we say to help fix what doesn't feel right? Moreover, what can the 9th seat see in the blades—and then correct? This pages describes some of what we can feel and see, why it's happening, and how to correct it.
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Check:
you are sliding forward and back (into the bow in a 4+) but it's hard to brace yourself even though you're tense
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loooong slide, long legs
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let's lengthen the last 3 inches of the recovery
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hands up & chests up into the catch
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direct catch
call
why?
a rushed slide is one common reason for the check you feel. If you can lengthen where the rush is, it may prevent check
if your rowers are lunging into the catch, they may be causing check and rushing the slide
if the boat checks, they might be rushing and then hesitating at the catch; you want them to stay crisp
boat feel:
off set:
you feel yourself tense up as you tilt sideways. This may also involve jerky dips to either side
if the boat is unset at the finish:
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let's clean up the finishes
if the boat is unset up the recovery:
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_____side, hands up 1 inch
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pressure against the pin
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engage your core
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control the slide
if the boat is unset near the catch:
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hands/backs up into the catch
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long last 3 inches
call
why?
if someone is finishing late, or washing out, the boat will tilt to their side
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the side it's dipping to can fix the set by lifting their hands
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if they lean away from their rigger, they hurt the set
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strong cores often tidy up the set
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rushing will harm set
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if someone lunges into the catch, they dip their hands and harm the set
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any rushing right into the catch can offset timing and set
boat feel:
lack of acceleration:
the boat is moving, but it feels like you're spinning your wheels and not clearing the puddles
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let's get another 6 inches of clearance off those puddles
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let's take 1 second off the split with our impulses / drive
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accelerate through the drive
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driiiiiiiive
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pop! kick!
call
why?
this is a finite way to watch the acceleration pick up, and you can give immediate encouraging feedback
by getting a bit more of a jump, you should gain speed (concrete way to see improvement)
you should be picking up speed through the drive, not losing power. This can remind them to keep accelerating
there may be a lack of a direct impulse together. This can help get a singular jump together
boat feel:
blade early:
you see (or hear) th blade entering before others... what can you say?
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__ seat, you're early
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__ seat, let's lengthen the last few inches of the recovery
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eyes on the person in front of you
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one boat, one stroke
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together, HERE
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catch... catch... catch
call
why?
On the more direct side, this lets the person know. However, it may not address why it is.
maybe the blade is early because they're rushing; this can help lengthen and get in time
if you don't want to individually call someone's blade, you can make overall timing calls
bladework:
bladework:
blade
late:
you see (or hear) someone's blade entering after others... what can you say?
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__ seat, you're late
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__ seat, let's get those hands away a bit faster
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__ seat, direct catch... HERE
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sharp catches .... HERE
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no hesitation at that catch
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direct ... direct ... direct
call
why?
On the more direct side, this lets the person know. However, it may not address why it is.
maybe the blade is late because they're pausing at the finish and then rushing.
reminds that seat to crisply get the blade in on your call
if you don't want to individually call someone's blade, you can make overall timing calls
bladework:
blade too deep:
the water covers the lower half of the shaft (in a 4+, you may tilt to that side on the drive)... what can you say?
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__ seat, let's stay a bit more horizontal on the drive
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__ seat, try not to open the body too early, legs right... HERE
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these next 5 are for leaning into the rigger
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or, next 5 for keeping pressure against the pin
call
why?
Likely, this rower is opening their body early and digging into the water. You want to remind them to keep their heads horizontal and push with the legs—not pull with the body
if all 8, or 4, focus on keeping pressure out against the pin, they will be less likely to pull up with their upper body
bladework:
rush:
a blade jerks forward faster and out of time with the rest of the oars... what can you say?
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__ seat, let's hit that body over position
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__ seat, let's make sure the hands clear the knees before you roll up the slide
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__ seat, let's lengthen the last few inches of the recovery
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__ seat, hands out of bow
call
why?
if your rower is rushing, they're probably not clearing their hands over their knees. Instead, they're moving everything at once and need to isolate movements.
this is a direct way to let them know that they're zooming into the catch.
maybe they're rushing because they're pausing at the finish, and then rushing to get back in time. This can help
bladework:
dumpy finish:
you see a blade throw up water, hesitate at the finish, and then rush to catch up... what can you say?
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__ seat, let's keep those heels pressed through the foot stretchers at the finish
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__ seat, hands out of bow a smidge more aggressively
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__ seat, tall finish, hands up 1 more inch at the finish
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__ seat, horizontal drive right... HERE
call
why?
letting the heels come up at the finish indicates lack of core engagement, which leads to a dumpy finish
if they get their hands out of bow, they'll be less likely to rush the slide
if your rower keeps a tall back, and their hands up an inch, it will be harder to hunch into the finish
a horizontal direct drive avoids the up-down shoulder motion that leads to a dumpy finish
bladework:
skying
blade:
someone's blade looks higher than the others or swings up near the catch... what can you say?
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__ seat, hands up an inch before the catch
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__ seat, chest up on the recovery
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__ seat, chin high into the catch
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__ seat, nice and direct right... HERE
call
why?
this is the most direct way to say it: your rower needs to keep their hands up to keep their blade closer to the water
other reasons why they could be skying: looking down at the catch, or hunching over before the catch
this isn't as efficient, but it's a good reminder to stay explosive at the catch, avoid skying, and avoid catch hesitation
bladework:
bladework:
wash out:
you see a blade throw up water when coming out... what can you say?
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__ seat, outside hand connected through the finish
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__ seat, let's tidy up the finish
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__ seat, we're washing out
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__ seat, lateral pressure through the drive
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__ seat, stay horizontal with the back / drive
when the outside hand doesn't accelerate through the end of the drive, they're more likely to lose connection against the pin
check-in call to tell them they're throwing water up
directly tells them what they're doing (but not how to fix it)
washing out generally comes from extra vertical upper body movement on the drive - keeping them horizontal helps
Call Why