I was having a conversation with a client last week, who is enrolled in my Novice Rowing Coach Accelerator program, and the topic of rate capping novice crews came up. It’s an issue many novice coaches grapple with: how fast should you let your crews row early in the season? That conversation inspired me to write this post, because I believe this advice can be helpful for any coach working with novice athletes.
The temptation to allow novice crews to row at higher rates early in the season is understandable. After all, faster rowing seems synonymous with faster boats, right? But, in my experience, rushing to higher stroke rates without focusing on the fundamentals can limit an athlete’s long-term development. One of the best strategies I’ve adopted over the years is to rate cap novice crews at 24 strokes per minute (spm) during their first races of the head season. This might seem counterintuitive, but capping the rate allows athletes to build the foundation they need to become faster, more efficient rowers over time.
In fact, let me share a story about how this approach paid off in one particular season.
A Season of Progress: From 24 spm to Victory
A few years ago, I was coaching a novice crew, and we entered our first race of the season at the Head of the Oklahoma, one of the first big head races of the fall. I made the decision to cap the crew at 24 spm for that race. Some of the athletes were initially unsure of why we would impose a rate cap. After all, other teams might be rowing at 28 or 30 strokes per minute—why would we want to hold ourselves back?
The goal, I explained, was not to hold them back but to teach them control. At 24 spm, they would have the opportunity to focus on blade work, connection at the catch, and developing the power application that would send the puddles away cleanly and efficiently. This slower rate would give them the time to feel how their bodies moved through the stroke and refine their technique.
Three weeks later, we traveled to Austin, Texas, for the Head of the Colorado regatta. By this time, the crew had put in more miles at the lower stroke rate, focusing on clean catches, controlled acceleration, and powerful releases. For this race, I let them take it up to 28 spm. The result? The crew won their event, beating several other teams that had been rowing at higher rates all season. The key to their success wasn’t just the increased stroke rate, but the fact that they had developed the technique and control to move the boat efficiently. By forcing the athletes to find intensity at a lower rate early in the season, they were able to apply that power effectively at higher rates later.
This experience reinforced a fundamental belief I have about coaching novice rowers: early rate capping can lead to long-term success.
Novice Rowing : Why Rate Cap at 24 spm?
So why cap the rate at 24 spm for novice crews, especially in their first races? The answer lies in helping athletes develop control, body awareness, and a feel for the water—qualities that will serve them throughout their rowing careers.
A common error for novice rowers is to confuse a higher stroke rate with higher intensity. They may think that the faster they move up and down the slide, the more power they are applying. In reality, high stroke rates without technical control often lead to inefficiency, sloppy catches, rushed recoveries, and missed water at the beginning of the drive.
By capping the rate, you are forcing your rowers to focus on the quality of each stroke rather than the quantity. At 24 spm, they must learn how to apply power throughout the drive, accelerate the blade smoothly, and release cleanly. This slower rate gives them time to make the technical adjustments that are necessary for efficient rowing.
Steve Fairbairn talked about “water boiling aft!” which refers to the concept of sending the puddles away cleanly and powerfully. This is exactly what we want novice rowers to learn early on—how to connect the blade at the catch (quickly, but not bang the catch), apply force effectively, and row the blade through the water in a surging fashion. Rate capping ensures that they are not rushing through this process but are instead learning how to maximize each stroke. Sending the boat is what we want and by capping the rate you can teach rowers to find that rather than letting the rate go haywire any which way.
The Role of Technical Coaches in Novice Programs
Another critical element in the development of novice rowers is the quality of coaching they receive. Too often, novice squads are handed over to less experienced coaches, while the more senior coaches work with the varsity teams. In my view, this is a missed opportunity. Novices need your best technical coaches, the ones who can break down the stroke and teach the fundamental movements of rowing.
The first three months of a novice’s rowing career are the most important in shaping their habits. During this time, rowers are like sponges, absorbing everything their coaches tell them. If they are taught proper technique from the start, they will carry those good habits with them as they progress. On the other hand, if they develop bad habits, it will be much harder to correct them later.
One of the best long-term strategies for any rowing program is to ensure that your novice coaches are among your most technically proficient. These coaches should have the patience to focus on drills and the ability to identify and correct technical flaws. If you can provide your novice rowers with three months of solid technical coaching, the results will be dramatic—not only in their first season but in the seasons to come.
Drills to Build Body Awareness and Good Habits
Incorporating technical drills into your novice practices is essential for helping rowers develop body awareness and the correct movement patterns. One of the most effective drills I’ve found is the pause drill, where the rowers pause at specific points in the stroke to reflect on their body position and develop a better understanding of the mechanics of the stroke.
I like to use two key pause positions:
1. Pause at the release: In this drill, rowers pause at the release and the blade out of the water. This gives them a moment to feel what it’s like to finish the stroke cleanly/with send, and with good posture and body position. During the pause, I encourage them to think about their posture—are they sitting up tall, with their shoulders relaxed and their core engaged? This reflection helps rowers develop better body awareness, which is crucial for consistency in the boat.
2. Pause at the upper body over position: The second pause I use is at the upper body over position, which occurs at the beginning of the recovery. In this drill, rowers pause after they have pivoted from the hips and are moving toward the catch. This helps them focus on their body’s position during the recovery and reinforces good posture and control. It also gives them a moment to check in with themselves—are their arms straight? Are they hinged properly from the hips? This pause encourages rowers to develop a controlled, effective recovery.
Learning To Create "Torque" and Send!
These pause drills are particularly effective for teaching novice rowing because they force them to slow down and think about each part of the stroke. Over time, this builds muscle memory and helps them develop good habits that will carry through to higher stroke rates.
Learning to develop connection at low rates is a matter of building “torque”. One of my favorite drills to help develop this on the ergometer is 2’ hard at 20spm with 3 minutes of light paddle x 6 to 8 intervals.
On the water, a good go to drill is acceleration drill. For example, if you are coaching an eight, start with stern pair rowing ten hard strokes, then add in five and six seat. As the boat picks up speed, the rowers will need to adjust their pick up and send as more seats are added in. After another ten strokes add in three and four seats, and another ten power strokes, once you finish this, add in the final pair and then do 20 power strokes all eight.
It’s a good idea to rate cap this all eight rowing and teach the crew to suspend and accelerate together, thinking about accelerating their puddles away as much as possible. This external cue is a more helpful focus than an internal focus such as coaching feedback related to contracting muscles in a certain order. We want the crew to suspend their body weight and send the shell. Emphasize moving the boat past a point in the water. Developing this “feel” acceleration and connection is the key to more boat speed.
On the next cycle start with another pair of seats, and then build from there and keep adding pairs in until the 20 power strokes, rate capped, all eight. Get them to lift and send, and then let the boat run!
Acceleration Drill Example
This is one example of how to teach novices to lock their blade in the water and accelerate through the drive. There are others as well, to be sure. But this is a classic.
We want our rowers to “find” the intensity at the low rates, so they can progress to high rates and not “spin their wheels”.
Novice Rowing: Building a Stable Foundation for Future Success
Ultimately, the goal of rate capping and technical drills is to build a stable foundation for your rowers. As coaches, we want our athletes to grow like a house built on rock, not sand. Rushing to higher rates without first developing good technique is like building on an unstable foundation—it may work for a while, but eventually, the cracks will show.
By rate capping at 24 spm and focusing on technical development, you are giving your novice rowers the tools they need to be successful in the long run. They will develop better connection, control, and body awareness, which will lead to more effective rowing at higher rates. When they are ready to row at 28 or 30 spm, they will do so with the technique and efficiency needed to excel.
As you head into the season, I encourage you to consider the long-term benefits of rate capping for your novice crews. It may seem counterintuitive at first, but with patience and the right approach, you’ll see the rewards—faster, more technically proficient rowers who are ready to take on higher rates and more competition as the season progresses.
Looking To Improve Your Coaching?
If you found this article helpful and one of your goals is to improve your coaching and level of mastery, consider my Novice Rowing Coach Accelerator program. I’d be happy to discuss this opportunity during a free 30-minute consult. Take the next step in your coaching evolution and accelerate your journey so that your athletes win medals and your career can take off!
