HSU Crew Coxswain and Rowing Tips

Rowers and Coxswains: Here a few tips and tricks that Catt and I have found to work throughout the years. If you have any questions feel free to text us, or go to whoever you feel most comfortable asking questions! On here they are all anonymous. Let us know if there is anything you would like for us to expand upon. Hope this helps!

[lumberjackcoxwain]

Ready all, row...

An aggregate resource for all those riding in the 9th seat

Hello, all! 

Nearing the end of the season, but this website is really informative. The woman who blogs all of this useful information gets anonymous questions about coxing or rowing and then explains it how it is (In a way that is very clear). I would highly suggest reading this Q and A portion of her blog to get some ideas of how rowing works as a whole, because it’s difficult when being a walk on to understand the ins and outs of such a niche sport. 

If you’re a coxswain, take note about what she is saying to those asking her opinion! It’s great advice with explanations to follow. Same to rowers!! 

Have a good day, and happy racing! 

[lumberjackcoxwain]

In comparison on water, the handle height is very even and held high in that relaxed position. Translating erging to rowing is made a bit easier when able to see great handle heights being executed in the boat. Look at their hands, and imagine if they were on an erg what that would look like. Very high up! On our team, right above the tape for the entire stroke. Keeping an unnaturally high handle hight on the erg will help translate this to rowing on the water properly more quickly. 

[lumberjackcoxwain]

The most important things to take away from this video are staying relaxed and that he only feathers with the outside hand (minimal wrist movement). Pretty solid video! 

[lumberjackcoxwain]

This is an amazing resource that Catt found! It goes back to the basics of square one. 

[lumberjackcoxwain]

Hey Coxswains! 

Here’s a video of the intermediate 8+ from 2014 when I rowed for Penn AC. The cox is an amazing example of someone who is nice and composed but brings it up right at the end. I have also heard that rowers would like to bring in the “ready, set, go” call at the 500m mark-- which is executed quite well in this video. Typically, we would do this call at the 350 to 400 meters to go. Give it a listen! This cox is fantastic at calling where boats are, and different ways to communicate that we are working our way through other boats. 

[listentothe-windblow]

[lumberjackcoxwain]

How to fix the dig for coxswains and rowers

 For novice that are just being told that they are digging and don’t know exactly what it is, during the drive the blade is supposed to go through the water at a nice, level depth: 

Digging is when the blade and the shaft of the oar are driving through the water, making the entire stroke less efficient and slowing down the speed. 

Coxswains, this isn’t the only problem when the set is off, but it is a very easy problem to identify and get on the path to fixing the problem. It is also a very difficult habit to break, so it is good to work with the individual rowers that have these issues commonly and see what calls work best to show the change. Often, digging is referred to as rowing it in as a circle rather than a box, and here is a little diagram so that makes a bit more sense: 

 The way to fix this is by lowering the outside hand throughout the drive. 

Rowers, to see how much of a difference the outside hand makes, when you are stopped and thinking about whatever piece you did or have to do, sit back in the finish and only use your outside hand to move the blade up and down, and move up the slide with only that hand on the blade as well. Looking at the blade and back at the level of your outside hand, take note of where your hand needs to be when the blade is barely clearing the water, and that is where your hands should be every single stroke. 

What are workouts that can help you keep these level hands through the drive and recovery? Planks. Your shoulders burn once you are keeping nice and level hands, (because you control your oar, not vice versa) and it will get easier and easier when there is less of a fight there. Hope this helps! Any questions, ask whoever you please and I’m sure that person will be happy to help. 

[lumberjackcoxwain]

How Not to Parrot

For coxswains having issues repeating after the coaches, or are looking for a few ways to change up their calls, HERE is a great website that has some information on: 

Ratio (2:1, slowing it down, speeding it up) 

Catches

Swing

Motivation (Choose wisely, some are cheesy) 

Set (Umbrella statements, but good reminders) 

Specifically for set, it would be better to identify what each individual rower is having a problem with yourself or by going and talking to the coaches after practice, and helping that rower fix their problem with calls that work for them. Going and seeing the coaches and talking about how to improve the rowers technique together provides for 110%better understanding so that boats as a whole can improve. You’re all by yourselves out there for your races! There isn’t anyone to figure out what the issue is aside from you relaying what you see into a positive change for the entire boat. 

[lumberjackcoxwain]

Coxswains! Here are some videos and websites with recordings:

Over the summer, one of my favorite coxswains was from Wisconsin University. She was amazing, and if you want me to talk more about her and her amazing calls, please ask because I could go on for days. This isn’t a fantastic recording per say, but it’s a very good quality video, and you are able to hear her for the most part despite the wind. I had a lot of the same calls that this coxswain was making, so I assume that my coxswain learned from this one in the video. 

Notice how she really sets the rhythm of the boat, and emulates the stroke with her voice. 

When she is about to go through the bridge she needs starboards to power up for a turn around 8:50 in the video, and she pumps them up rather than telling the ports to power down. This helps the rowers stay on task, and also doesn’t take away from the overall power in the boat.

Small goals! 14:30 She starts calling to take down a split in five strokes. These are nice attainable goals with instantaneous results that really keep the rowers going

ROWERS, notice how their blades are all entering the water at the same time, and their heads are facing forward the entire time. Looking at the woman in front of you is the best way to reassure timing, and that your blade is hitting the water at the same time as your stroke seat. Just watch their consistency, which is amazing. If you have any questions about how they’re doing things, give a holler. 

This website, has a vast amount of resources if you click around. Catt has added some links previously about it. If you click here you can search through 2k recordings (Which are in the Spring) or Head Races, which you will be coxing on Saturday and are in the Fall. I would suggest clicking on the head races! :) 

Hope this helps, and if you need anything let us know! 

[lumberjackcoxwain]

For anyone still stuck on feathering your blade!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLbQVOglDYQ  It goes over all of the basics, and starts out pretty slow. But just as a refresher, if you’re having any difficulty separating out thoughts while you are rowing in the boat. 

[lumberjackcoxwain]

Rowing with Feet Out

Feet out rowing seems to be the theme of this week, and I want to let you all know that it is possible to have solid form while having your feet out. Here is a video that shows how feet out should look (I suggest not having the sound, dramatic music isn’t worth your speakers). Within the video, notice that he still goes into the full layback, and there is contact with the foot boards at all times.  To plainly put it, the issues that you all are running into come from: 

(1) not keeping your feet on the footboards throughout the drive/ recovery 

(2) not trusting your abs, and being timid when in the layback/finish position 

The way to fix it: 

(1) Erging feet out 

(2) Erging feet out with SLIDES --Ask a varsity member or a coach how to set them up! It’s very easy and simulates rowing on the water

(3) Ab workouts. The layback is basically using your entire core to keep yourself from falling into the seat behind you, or in the case of bow seat, water:

If you want ab workouts, technique help, or work on slides, email  [email protected] and they will be coming your way ASAP!!! 

[lumberjackcoxwain]

Coxswains: Confidence and Steering!

Here is a link about Mary Whipple , a two time gold medalist in the olympics for the US Women’s 8--which has been undefeated for eight olympic titles. She writes about keeping confidence in your calls as the 9th seat of the boat: http://www.9thseat.com/intermediate-coxswain/calling-all-rookies/ 

Catt will look around this website to find more specific information relating to topics in coxing, but for now, here is a very beneficial article on steering: https://readyallrow.wordpress.com/2012/12/04/tips-tricks-for-steering-an-8/

Feel free to click around, there is a LOT of information on there.

[lumberjackcoxwain]

I’ve gotten a lot of questions lately about how to keep the boat set, which will benefit everyone who is learning how to row! Set and keel are the same thing, interchangeable words that basically mean keeping the boat balanced. 

The way that I have been explaining it, and many varsity will do, is to keep the inside arm grabbing the gunnel, positioned in front of the oar, and the outside arm grabbing the gunnel positioned behind the oar. The way that he describes holding the oar with the outside hand, also works well! 

When setting the boat, remember that you should be all the way up your slide while others are rowing. Take note of dorky diagram: 

Hope this helps! Any questions, more diagrams, or whatever, ask over on the side bar, or in person! Both are fabulous. 

[lumberjackcoxwain]

Examples of the rowing stroke in motion

Prospective coxwains! Here are a few videos of what rowing looks like when done somewhat smoothly, and how the stroke flows together when putting each step after one another. 

Cal Womens Crew morning Practice: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOvdjBRTEWk 

HSU Womens Crew NCRC 2014 V8: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqYpd3S6AKQ

2012 London Olympics US Women’s 8: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8ewDewMXTw 

Think about arms, body, legs from the layback, and then legs, body arms from the catch. These steps are easier to separate at first, but eventually they flow together, as you can see in these videos, and create a great amount of power for each stroke when applied correctly.