The following is a model that I use to teach relatively inexperienced coaches how to identify common rowing technical errors and a suggestion of some rowing drills to help fix them. There are a few videos that I would like to add to this (as indicated), and now that my schedule is becoming less busy I plan to update over the summer. This is not the definitive guide and I welcome feedback on improving the model and suggestions of drills to help fix common errors.
Please use the comments below or email me at neil@coachbergenroth.com with your questions or feedback. I also include a link to the document as it stands at this point in time and you can download that just below here.
>> Document For Common Rowing Technical Errors and Drills To Fix <<
Technical Model Example and Rowing Drills
Novice rowers should have a clear picture of what technique looks like and all coaches should be teaching the same technical model. Uniformity is important at all levels in your program. I would suggest finding video of some rowing that looks like the technical model you coach and using that from time to time as a benchmark. Below as an example of a technical model.
>> Click here to access the technical benchmarking file <<
The following are a list of common errors made by novice rowers, how to identify them and example drills to help fix the technique.
Holding The Oar Handle
Sculling: Coaching the correct grip
Sweep: Coaching the correct grip
Recovery
| Common Error | How to Identify | Rowing Drills To Fix |
| Hands and body not moving out of the bow before knees rise | Knees break before the upper body angle is established. | Pause Drills
Body Over Pauses on Ergometer Cut The Cake Drill |
| Rushing the Slide | Rower accelerates toward the catch or is not in control of the run or allowing the boat to run underneath them | Understanding what that should feel like. Here is a link to an article** that the rowers can read that helps them to understand what that should feel like. I have copied it below as well
Teach the rower to use the oarlocks as a means to control the speed of the slide.
|
Catch
| Common Error | How to Identify | Rowing Drills To Fix |
| Skying the blade | Rowers blade moves away from the water line at end of the recovery | Catch Placement
Slap Catches |
| Missing the catch | Blade moves toward the stern before it is placed in the water | Tap Drill
Slap Catches If you have a tank, try the following drill. Assisted Catch Placement |
| Blade and rower not connected early in the drive | No bend in the oar until later in the drive. | Backing drill https://youtu.be/yAwBEYJCL2o |
Drive
| Common Error | How to Identify | Rowing Drills To Fix |
| Opening the back to early on the drive | Rowers shoulders move toward the seat before legs engage. | Tap Drill
Drive Sequencing Drill On Erg Legs Only Drill |
| Missing the catch | Blade moves toward the stern before it is placed in the water or the rowing “misses” the catch thus shortening drive length. | Tap Drill
Slap Catches |
| Blade and rower not connected early in the drive | No bend in the oar until later in the drive. | Backing drill |
| Blade goes deep during the drive | Rower “rowing over a barrel” and therefore drive not horizontal. | Allow the rower to partially let go of the blade so that the blade “sits” at the correct height in the water. Explain that the oar is engineered to “sit” at the right depth without much help from the rower. |
| Rower not accelerating through the stroke to the release | You can see that the rower is not accelerating through the drive. | Acceleration drill. https://youtu.be/Ov718V5h3yc |
Release
| Common Error | How to Identify | Rowing Drills To Fix |
| Blade not buried through to the finish | Puddle becomes messy, you can see the blade coming out of the water early. Rower drops the outside elbow at the release. | Bring the outside hand close to the inside hand.
Learn How To Feather and Square |
| Outside wrist breaks and elbow drops too low | You can see the rower breaking the wrist at the release and learning away from the rigger with the elbow too low. | Drill to help teach the correct positioning of the elbow at the release. https://youtu.be/ucKWyvZNHCc |
| Blade feathers early | Rower has difficulty getting the blade out of the water. | Late feather drill
¼ feather drill Square Blade Paddling |
| Rower not tapping down to release the blade | You can see that the blade doesn’t clear the water or there isn’t much space between the blade and the water as they feather to blade and move the blade toward the bow. | Pause Drill
Pausing at the release with the blade out of the water. Square Blade Paddling |
