Shooting the slide...

Question
I am a recreational rower, 5'10", 44, strong, and female. I row #4 in an 8 and practice 3 times a week on the water. I have access to an erg. My fitness level is modest: 2:04 split in 2K. I shoot the slide, and I am about to shoot myself if I can't correct this. My coach has explained it until he's blue in the face.  I've been on the erg and I still can't correct shooting the slide. At this point I'm panicing that I'll never know what it feels like to 'feel the connection'.  Any drills or erg-related exercises that will at least show me if I'm doing it correctly?  In the boat, I am keeping my chin up, shoulders down, and trying to 'catch' before pushing with the legs. I also try to squeeze the abs.  Needless to say, I am doing planks and situps..Thanks for any help. I am discouraged.  

Answer
Hi Ruth: I can commisserate with you.  One of my problems when I rowed competitvely was the dreaded "shooting the tail." The nasty thing about tail shooting is that it is evident to everyone...except to you.  

It's obvious from your description and splits that you are in good shape.  Chin up, relaxed shoulders, etc., as you describe are all important.  But are you sitting "tall in the saddle?" I think one of the best things you can do is to make sure that your back is straight.  A rounded, forward slouching back just invites you to shoot.  Lunging at the catch (another problem of mine) is another way you set yourself up to shooting.  One thing I did early on was to consciously try to start my back movement an instant before I started my leg drive.  That helped, but it is not the most correst way to row.


When your coach talks about "feeling the connection," try to brace your lower back so that it is 搒et?against the legs at the catch.  By sitting tall and bracing your back & legs, you can use the legs as the prime movers through the drive.  Try to feel the set in the lower back, beginning just above the hips. That way, for every inch you drive on the slide, you move the oarhandle a corresponding inch.

The best thing you can do is strengthen the muscles of your lower back.  Power cleans, dead lifts, and squats are the traditional free weight ways.  But they can hurt your back if done improperly.  Nautilus and Cybex have specialized machines for the lower back.  As for erg/on-water drills.  Try doing back only (legs extended as if you were at the finish), making sure you are sitting tall and applying your hip.  One crazy drill a coach had us do was to go to the catch.  But instead of driving straight back, he made us drive our back and legs upward (to a near-standing position) so that you actually came up out of your seat and flopped down into the gunwales.  It felt weird, but you definitely felt the set.

Below is the classic Common Mistakes in Rowing article.  It's over 28 years old but it is still good today.

Good Luck/AP  


http://www.crew.stuorg.iastate.edu/misc/Common_Mistakes.pdf