Teams that are uninterested and unmotivated are going to lose- that is a simple fact. Teams which are highly motivated and have talented paddlers are going to be difficult to beat. It is not about what they chose to do but also what they love to do.

It is impossible to motivate paddlers who lack the inner drive and personal desire to succeed. Motivation must come from within the paddlers themselves- the coach can only fuel that motivation.

A team is made of individuals and their personalities may differ hugely, but basically there are winners and losers.

The winners are those who not only want to win, but know what it takes to win. More importantly, they are prepared to do what it takes to win, i.e  practice harder, train longer and go extra metre in the training. However, the ability has got to be there. A winning team will have a fair number of highly motivated and talented paddlers.

Then there are the losers. Losers are full of self-doubt, always rationalizing defeat ( often before the race), they tend to use phrases as “would have”, “could have” and “should have” a lot of the time. They have self destruct button which prevent them from achieving success.

If it is difficult to size up an individual, how much more difficult to figure out the strengths, weaknesses and group dynamics of a team.

Coach can be expected to promote in the team , a very strong spirit and desire for success.

A very real aid to the motivation of any team is the presence of one or more influential and strong minded paddlers who can have a profound effect on the team. He or she will lead by example, set good standards and have the ability to lfit everyone’s spirits. These paddlers are worth more than their paddling abilities.

Fitness is also a vital factor in a paddler’s self confidence. The fitter he or she is, the more confident he or she becomes.

I believe tha team that really want to do well to work on these few factors and the results will automatically soar.

Cheers

It all started in China on the fifth day and fifth month of the lunar calendar with a poet by the name of Qu Yuan. He was very sad and depressed that the government was corrupted, that idiot instead of doing something about it, chose to jump into the  Miluo river to commit suicide. Frankly, I do not know what poems he has composed, but I am very sure he decomposed because his body was never to be found.

The villagers tried to rescue him by putting on the dragon head on their boats to fighten the sea creatures away. They also beat drums loudly as well. Besides that, they threw over night bakchangs into the river hope that the sea creatures would fed on them instead of him.

Here in Kallang River, the tradition continues. We do not beat drum in case the residents in Tanjong Rhu or Pebble bay start throwing bottles at us. We also do not throw rice dumplings into the river as we are sure that the PUB will haul us up for corrective work order for contaminating the jamban jiuce "newater".

If anyone is unhappy with the government , he can still jump into the river to kill oneself. But efficient government will make sure you wear your life vest so that you can be located easily without activating the whole of Singapore to look for him.

Today, despites the good weather to sleep, we got ourselves up early to paddle. Therefore, do the very best of what we can to make it a meaningful and worthwhile day for keeping fit and catching up with friends new or old.

To start the Club, we need all the best volunteers you can find. The following positions are the must to ensure smooth run of the club.

Chairman- This person must obviously be of leadership quality. He chairs the monthly committee meetings, provide the direction for the Club. The Objectives and goals of the club must be spelled out in order for him to carry out his role effectively.

Secretary - the person to handle the administrative stuffs. This include the members information updates, club history and results. He is also the main co-ordinator of the club. He liases with the public and all at large.  Of course, he keeps the meetings and submit the club registration for any competitions and participation in any activities which the club endorses.

Treasurer - He keeps proper accounts of all finances of the Club. e.g. Membership fees, sponsorship, and other contributions to the Club. In another word, he must excercise due diligient and responsiblities handling the Income and expenses statement which must be audited by an auditor. The authorised signatories for any transaction are normally himself , and either or the Chairman and secretary.

Trainer / Coach - This is the person that has the necessary experience to command the respect of all rowers. He should set the Long Term Goal as well as the near term realistic goals.  In doing so, he sets the team mentally to what need to be done inorder to meet the goal set. This include a recording of the individual and team fitness charts.

Members / Rowers- These  are the people  why the club is established in the first place.  There will always be 2 group of members: the competitive ones and the R&R ones. Nothing is wronged about it. The competitive ones is to bring glories to the Club and the non competitive ones provide the social fabric of the team. Many times, the R&R wants could be the one that provide the source of sponsorship to the club funds.

Supporters - The girlfriends, wives, boyfriends and husbands and families. Without their supports, the members would not be able to perform to their best abilities. It is normally the reason why many of the members can continue to come.

Therefore whatever roles nyou may play, everyone of us one way or another will contribute to the success or failure of the club.

The recent river regatta was really a boob. I really made no sense for team to attend the team managers' briefing as the race was never conducted the same way that was ealier brief.

It was clearly mentioned that lane 1 was supposed to be the one closer to the parliament house, but I think the contractor was not brief and placed the sign board for each lane the other way round. When pointed out, the SG could batantly declared that it is up to the organiser to decide how they want to place them.It just reflect that after 23 years of organising this event that such thing still do occur. In fact, some of the race was done disregard to the lane signboards. This could only happen because such some big sponsoring teams involvement in that race chose to do it otherwise. The majority merely follow the admended lane either due to ignorance or "bo chap".

I only hightlight ed this because in a cultural race rather than a competitive race, we were not only subjecting our team chance to the draw due to the bend of the race course( eddy's current) , we were also at the mercy of  the organiser's favour.

A dozen earth-shattering thoughts about Coaching

1. Not everyone is going to like you
2. Be ready to make some tough decisions.
3. Guard against being insentive.
4. Decision making is not easy.
5. Be ready to do things you don’t like to do.
6. Be where the action is.
7. Never lead by fear.
8. Practice self control.
9. Be loyal and expect loyalty.
10. Have a passion to succeed.
11. Lead by example.
12. Be selfless.

I must take my hat off to these guys organising the last SAVA sprints at Bedok Reservior. Withn such a relatively short period of time, they have managed to bring international standards into dragon boat racings in Singapore.

I simply love the distance 250m , 500m that was properly spread to atleast 2 metres apart  of each boat. The boats used was truly IDBF approved. Only set back would probably be the use of the paddles. You will  not fail to notice that all teams that continue to use the "australian"  paddles suffered. The weight disparity was as much as half the old paddles. How to ensure partiality? I think we should allow only paddles of the same spec to be used.

Of course, if IDBF is to move forward, it should not stick to the traditional and design (hong kong paddles) but allow free design just as they would with kayak , outriggers, etc. IDBF should only ensure certain specs to be observed such as max length , min weight. Given the free for all, it will encourage better designed winged paddles, gripped materials and shape and stiffness, and thereby better promote and market  the sport better.

Coach Profile-

In the Dragon Boat rowing community in , I doubt if there are more respected coaches than Ng Kim Hwa, a former a national dragon boat rower with the   team from 1985 to 1990. In the last 2 decades, he has taken many teams to levels of success not seen in the last 20 years, including several Singapore Dragon boat National championship gold medals . Previously, he led both ITE Macpherson and SAF commando teams to Gold. Besides there were other teams like EM services that requested for his services to achieve results in their respective events.  He was also an assistant coach for Ngee Ann Polytechnics as well as Seahawk Sports club which won many firsts in various competitions. He had served as President of Seahawk Sports Club before stepping down to pave way  for other committee member to move forward. He is technically astute. His teams achieve peak performances at the most important times. Kim Hwa has made the main elements of his approach to rowing technique an open book, generous in sharing his ideas. As rowers, it is critical that each of us develop a clear picture of the rowing style that we are attempting to achieve on the water. Until that picture is burned in, our technical training will always flounder. He once said “ I am definitely not a technical wizard in dragon boat rowing. But like you guys, I try. My own picture of the ideal rowing stroke was one hazy mess until my coaches and friends named Nasiman , Nicholas Yee and Omar Osman came along. In all respects I found their  models to be the same as the one ideal presented here. So, this basic technique has become my personal bias, and the one I will try to perfect on the water for the next decade or so. I think you will find that the philosophy of most elite coaches shares much in common with what is presented below.”   ----

Rowing Technique- Ng Kim Hwa’s Method

POWER, LENGTH, AND RATE

 Three factors determine the speed of the boat. They are:

 1. POWER- How FAST the boat travels in each stroke

 2. LENGTH- How FAR the boat travels in each stroke

3. RATE- How MANY strokes are rowed.

 If the rowers rowed at maximum capacity in all three of these components at the same time, it is doubtful they could row 100 strokes before technique whithered and boat speed faded. The number of strokes required to complete 700 meters is from 300 to 400 and clearly, an equlibrium of power, length and rate must be achieved. Rowing is basically a power endurance sport, but it requires a high level of skill. Choosing the "right" technique and then teaching it is a coaching skill and there are many differing opinions about which method is the best. Whatever the method preferred, power, length and rate are the basic ingredients.

 RATE

 Rate is the easiest to achieve. Keeping it at its optimum in a race is not the main problem. Length and power are the first to deteriorate when the pressure of the race reaches its peak.

 LENGTH

 The most efficient part of the stroke is when the blade is passing at 90 degrees to the boat. Only when it is at this angle is its force propelling the boat wholly in the correct direction. In theory an efficient length of the stroke is from 60 degrees at the catch to 135 degrees at the finish. In practice the body prevents the oar from reaching more than 120 degrees. To achieve 60 degrees at the catch, the reach must extend beyond this angle. A longer finish can be drawn in a more streamline and water cutting boat but it is inefficient to draw more than 130 degrees.

 POWER

 Maximal power is achieved by appropriate action of the contributing muscles.. Always remember to exhale when exert pressure or pulling.

LEGS ......The quadriceps

BACK..... The lower back

 SHOULDERS and ARMS... The deltoid, latissimus dorsi, trapezius, rhomboids, forearm and biceps.

 The STROKE

I have said before that it is crucial for rowers to develop a clear vision of the stroke they are trying to emulate.  The other influence is me and my own personal rowing experiences.  I have rowed badly, and I have rowed well (or at least better than bad).  All along the way I have combined the on-water experience with what the research says about  biomechanics and physiology.   So what will follow here is some combination of art and science, fact and feeling.  I believe it is close to reality, but I welcome criticism.
 

The Perfect and Impossible Rowing Stroke as a Starting Point

If we could build a rowing robot that mechanically placed, drove and removed the oars in the same manner as human rowers, the force time characteristics of that stroke might look very nearly like this:
 

Figure 1.  Hypothetical Force Time Curve for a Rowing Robot

This is what I call a "Perfect Stroke"  force curve.  It depicts instantaneous acceleration up to peak power, sustained power throughout the drive, and instantaneous deceleration at the finish.  Of, course, this is not how humans row, but it gives us a starting point to think about the three phases of the drive sequence.  I will call them the catch, the middle drive, and the finish.  The depiction above also introduces us to the concept called "rectangularization of the force-time curve."  The graphic also introduces two dimensions: FORCE and TIME.  Multiplying the magnitude of a force times the duration it is applied gives us the IMPULSE.  This is depicted by the area in blue above.  It is the average IMPULSE of each stroke that determines boat velocity, not the peak force alone, , and not the length of the stroke alone.  Think about that.  You can generate a huge, but brief spike in the force time curve, corresponding to massive peak power, and not move a boat fast.

Now here is a major connection between physics and physiology:  Average IMPULSE (and the frequency of those impulses) generated by a rower during a 700 meter race  is going to correlate closely with the maximal oxygen consumption in absolute terms (liters/min).  So physiology constrains the total area under the force time curve.  That is not difficult to buy into.  However, the next step may be harder to take.  Physiology also has a lot to say about the optimal shape of that force time curve.
 

Three Approaches to the Drive:  The Hard Front Catch, The Hard Finish, or the

Next I am going to present three composite force time curves which represent different rowing styles that are observed among rowers.   The force curves represent what is happening at the oar, not the force vector contributing to forward propulsion.  What is happening at the paddler describes the force production of the rower, and that is what matters physiologically.  I will connect that with the impact of an arcing blade on propulsion momentarily.

1.  The Chop

If we try to copy the first aspect of the robot rowing curve above, the instantaneous peak power onset at the catch, then we are talking about focusing on very rapid and explosive entry of the blade.  This style is associated with "chopping the water" in order to help rowers visualize the goal of  quickly pulling the oar and achieving high peak force early in the stroke.  The work is done early and the remainder of the extension through to the finish is almost inertial in character.

2. The Hard

Another approach to the stroke involves trying to achieve maximum power between mid-drive and the finish of the stroke.  In this case, the force-time curve looks like this:

Finally, we have a force time curve that  I will call a  "middle square catch" curve.  In this style the rower is trying to achieve sustained power throughout the drive, without overemphasizing either end excessively.  This stroke is typified by a flattened force peak.

3.  The

 
Now, don't try to visually compare the area under the curves in the drawing above because they are not to scale.  However, mentally comparing the areas is worthwhile.  Remember, physiological capacity is going to constrain the area under the force time curve.  In a short race of  say 200 meters, it is constrained almost completely by the anaerobic capacity (muscle mass and pH buffering capacity) of the rower or crew.  However, in a 700 meter race (or even a 500 meter masters race), the aerobic capacity (cardiac pumping capacity plus specific muscle endurance) of the rower will account for about 80-85% of the performance power.  So, you can change the shape of the curve with technique, but you're not going to magically increase the average IMPULSE by some huge percentage.  However, I think that optimizing the SHAPE of your force curve through the drive can result in significantly better average speed over a 700 meter race.  We are trying to find the rowing stroke that allows us to maintain the best combination of applied power and technical stability from the first 70m ~100 m through to the finish line.

So, which style is best?  For a 700 meter race or longer, the answer appears to be The MIDDLE SQUARE catch.  The reasons are both physiological and biomechanical.  First, the Physiological.

1.  Producing very steep force-time curves is VERY energetically costly.  In order to reach peak power very quickly, the muscles call even more dominantly on the fast twitch motor units.  Consequently, for the same IMPULSE, the rower accumulates lactic acid more rapidly then if the force production were distributed over a longer time period.   This reason makes the chopping catch ineffective for more than a 50 to 70 strokes, or a 200 meter sprint at best.

2.  A force-time curve based on the "Hard Finish" creates similar problems.  Whether by conscious choice or due to bad technique (like missing water at the catch), many rowers try to "jerk" the paddle to greater velocity from the mid-drive through the finish.  This time the physiological consequence is a focus of loading on the muscles of the forearm,back and shoulders.  At the same time, pressing the boat downward into the water, but the quantity of muscle mass generating the force is reduced, and local lactic acid production increases.  This stroke pattern is never effective, even for a few hundred meters!

3.  The Middle Square Catch represents a happy medium.  The catch is still important.  The rower is trying to extend the power application over a longer time period.  Peak force during the stroke will probably be slightly lower than that achieved with a hard, chopping catch.  Even distribution of force application and lactate production over the entire rowing muscle mass is emphasized.  When I say even distribution, I mean relative to the size of the muscle mass involved.  Every muscle group is contributing in proportion to its mass and leverage.  The rower must be "equally fit" in all the rowing muscles to achieve this.

The Biomechanical Advantages

The Middle Square Catch is also the preferred approach biomechanically.  The component of the rower's force production that contributes to forward propulsion is relatively lower at the catch and finish, and higher in the middle of the drive. Therefore a force-time curve which focuses the majority of the impulse at the time when the blade is sweeping between 60 and 110 or 120 degrees is going to result in greater boat velocity.  It is not hard to see how two rowers with the same aerobic capacity and IMPULSE development can have very different 700m race times, if one rower distributes his force production more optimally, and directs more of his applied power towards boat propulsion.

The Middle Square Catch does not abandon the important idea of a quick catch and firm leg locked, it merely optimizes it.  The force- time curve is rapid enough to fully load the blade well before the 60 to 120 degree arc area begins,  storing energy in its structure that will be released nearer the finish, but not so rapid as to spill excessive energy into splashing water instead of moving the boat forward.

 The firm pressure early combined with proper forward extension of the shoulders at the catch  also places the muscles of the upper back and posterior shoulder in a position of stretch. Without enough preliminary stretch of the muscles force production is sub-optimal.  This is another reason why the style emphasizing a "hard finish" comes up highly ineffective.  The muscles being emphasized in that style are not effectively pre-locked  by the pulling arm leg..
 

Application to Training

The style in which you row has profound and very specific effects on your physiological makeup. I have one study which demonstrated this difference brilliantly by examining the rowers and the strokes in many teams. Because of the positions of the blades relative to the boat, the rowers employed different force time curves in order to keep the boat moving straight. They had different muscular enzyme characteristics and lactate profiles as a result. Physiological adaptation is THAT specific. If you are a rower who has been rowing ineffectively for years, then two things are going to conspire against you if you try to change your technique.  They can be overcome, but you need to understand them in order to overcome them.

1.   The thousands or millions of strokes you have taken have resulted a motor program that is basically "hard-wired."  Without great concentration, your body will quickly fall back into that pattern because it is the "path of least resistance" from a motor control (coordination) standpoint.

2.  While the way you row may not be optimal in the big scheme of things, your body has adapted specifically to it. So, it will feel optimal even when it isn't.  If you try to row differently, it will feel worse initially.  You will be quickly exhausted because of the use of different muscle groups.  So, you will tend to fall back into the familiar pattern for this reason as well.

Newton 's Law has an important training correlate.  A body trained one in one technique for years likes to continue training that way, and resists outside efforts painfully!
 In a perfect world, a good coach gets a rower when they are new and young and teaches them how to row.  The coach teaches a rational, effective rowing technique and they have young athletes who are very responsive to learning new coordination patterns. The greatest gift of youth is learning coordinative patterns, not strength and power.  The rower becomes technically proficient long before they are strong enough to really row fast.  The rower grows into their good technique as their body matures and training volume and intensity ramp upward.

In the real world, many rowers are introduced to the sport relatively late and when they are, their models for good rowing are often either poor or non-existent.   Maybe you are one of these real-world rowers.  I am, and I have the "battle scars" to prove it.  Fortunately I happened to meet a really some good coaches and friends and discussed it.   Based on my experience, here is what you should expect from a coach if you are to ever really fundamentally change your rowing technique for the better.

1.  That coach needs to have a clear vision of what they are trying to accomplish in the rowing stroke.  If the coach is not sure  what they want and why they want it, then you sure as heck not going to figure it out.

2.  The coach  (and you) have to be willing to break things down to their structural fundamentals and rebuild the stroke.  This is hard and often seems counter-productive at first.  In essence, a good coach has to be willing to be treat you like a kid even though you are a slow learning adult.  And a rower who really wants to get better has to allow themselves to be broken down and rebuilt.

3.  You need the luxury of time and a lot of sessions for reinforcement.  Radical technical changes don't stabilize overnight.  The rower must not only learn the new coordination pattern, but also adapt physiologically to the unique demands of a new force-time curve.  If you change the stroke, you change what muscles are active, when, and how much of the work is performed by different muscle groups. You will use some muscles more than you ever have, often to great surprise.  You will have to reproduce the perfect, powerful stroke at low ratings before you can hope to repeat it for 300 strokes at race pace.  Why do we row at these low rates like about 30 strokes per minutes so much anyway, if we race at 60 strokes or more?  By rowing at low rates, you can ingrain the proper force-time curve on your stroke before you are sufficiently adapted to reproduce it for 700 meters at race pace.  The coordinative adjustments required to row the same technique at a higher rate come quicker than the biological adaptations necessary to support that effort.

 The boat is only as fast as the paddle blade that effectively catches the water.

 The power transferred through the blade to the boat is only as much as the pulling forearm, back and shoulders can supply.

 A good technique is based on the work of the shoulder back to create most of the total power. ( Big Muscle Group)

 THE CATCH

 "FIND the GRIP in the WATER"

 The faster the blade inters the water the more positive will be the grip, the longer will be the stroke and the faster the boat will travel. The important points are:

 1. Upper arm  guide while the pulling arm drop the blade into the water .

 2. Legs “kick” locked.

 3. Trunk and arms link shoulder & back to blade

 MIDDLE of the STROKE

 "the most efficient part"

 All the muscles are working through their middle range and the blade is at its most efficient point in the stroke. Make full use of this advantage by ensuring the “square catch” or maximum resistance.

 THE FINISH

 "power all the way"

 Retain pressure on the blade through to the finish by pressing toes on the footboard, by using the leverage of the rowing foot, and by keeping the arms almost locked, the shoulder back should be forward twisted to minimize breathing obstruction. The upper arm will guide the pulling arm without pressing the boat into the water. otherwise boat speed will be delayed.)

 RHYTHM

 The rowing stroke comprises grip movements and relax movements. The essence of good rhythm in the boat is the contrast beween them. Done well, a good motions looks smooth, continuous, and unhurried, so it can be difficult to see that contrast. The GRIP movements begin with the entry of the blade and continue through the stroke and the movement of the hands away from the body after blade extraction (the finish). The relax movements begin when the upper arm  took over the pulling arm and continue until the next stroke. The inertia created by the power of the stroke carries the hands down and towards your waist . The pulling arm relaxes immediately as the blade leaves the water so there is no interference with this natural free-flowing movement. Note that the upper arm should recover at almost a straight line manner instead of drawing circle which retard the stroke speed.. The rower prepares by gathering, ready to slight twist forward onto the next stroke.

THE RECOVERY

 "Let the boat glide, rest, and prepare for the next stroke"

 Hands, Body, Slide

 1. Move the pulling arm forward without bending. Almost in a straight arm locked position

 2. Twist the body forward.

 3. Ensure seating position comfortable locked and pulling arm foot leveraged.

 4. Move forward, rest the body and let the boat glide through..

The movement from the side should look like a loci. That is seating upright , the rower twisting forward while maintaining the same level. At the front 60% dropped down the shoulder level to obtain the square catch. As the paddle reaches the waistline line, at the same time the shoulder level gradually recover back to its original position. Thus reducing the breathing diaphragm from any obstruction.

Position level of the shoulder

 PREPARE FOR THE STROKE

 To achieve optimum position for the application of power and good forward length. Note the following points.

 1. Head High- encourages good posture for body and spine. Minimise head movement.

 2. Chest - Rotation should be centered around the hip joint, not the upper or lower back.

 3. Resting point at the front of the catch.

 4. Relaxed but alert- poised like a cat ready to spring

 THE HAND POSITIONS

 Paddle (My additional comments)- The handles should be held in the fingers, not the palms. The hands should generally be at about 1 palm or 4 inches grip away from the blade to maximize inboard leverage, with the thumbs pressed against the handle nub to generate sufficient outward pressure. The handles should be grasped like one was holding a small bird: Firmly enough to hold on, but not so hard as to kill it. The grip of the fingers around the paddle will automatically increase sufficiently when contact with the water is made. The arms and hands should extend along a horizontal plane as the blade angle is increased in preparation for the grasping of the water. The entry of the blade into the water will be accomplished with a relaxation with a  slight pause of the blade while maintaining the 60% angle and a slight rest point. Your recovery point is at the front not the rear.

With the blade poise for entry into water, the upper arm should be arm 6 inches above the forehead. When executing the pull, the pulling arm lead the upper arm. This should be done without drawing circle by drawing in almost straight line to recovery. During recovery stroke, the pulling arm will now lags the upper arm. All this allow both arms to recover alternatively thereby reducing the lactic acid built up.

 RELAXATION

 Contract only those muscles needed to perform a specific function. This is achieved by relaxation of the hands, arms and shoulders, the areas where tension will be most prevalent. The muscles of the upper body will be more effective if they enter into the catch in a relaxed condition. Muscles will contract instantly when a load is forced upon them.

 BLADEWORK

 The importance of bladework must be appreciated. Only the paddle blade move the boat, therefore an important part of the technique is the skill with which the blade is controlled.

 A good blade is described as:

 1. A long stroke in the water

 Minimum loss of reach forward ( splashes)

 Quickly grips the water (1/4 blade)

 Covered throughout the stroke. (Square Catch)

 2. Utilizes power.

 Grips the water with pulling arm foot locked.

 Works in a horizontal plane .

 Covered throughout the stroke (full blade in the water)

 3. Does not interfere with the glide of the boat. ( entry together without oppressing the boat movement forward.)

 Clean extraction. Minimise pressing the boat downward.

 Carried forward clear of the water . High recovery.

 Balances the boat. Team weight balance and comfortable seating and reach position.

 Rhythm-Where to Poise

 It is always necessary to compose before any dynamic action (i.e throwing a discus, lifting a weight, hitting a ball, or rowing a boat). The question is, Where is the best place to "poise" prior to the action? There are different schools of thought in rowing on where the poise should be and currently, it is popular that it be during the first half of the recovery. The attack on the stroke begins after the blade enter the water about 1/4 blade. The seat must be comfortable from the poise position into the stroke and is thought to be the best way of achieving a fast catch. If poise position is at the end of stroke, the disadvantages are.... The movement is robust and energy consuming.

 The method taught by me is to poise during the last part of the movement just before the blade entry. The inertia created by the catch allow the rower has time to relax, let the boat glide, and to prepare for the next stroke. The poise just before blade entry is sufficient to achieve a very fast but unhurried catch.

 ROWING STYLES

 Rowing styles differ in where emphasis is placed. The emphasis, for example, may be the catch, the finish, or the rhythm. Body positions and movements will be influenced by this emphasis. The method I prefer is based on rhythm. The stroke is divided into two phases: 1) The STROKE or power phase, and 2) The RECOVERY or resting phase. The rowers are trained to apply full power to each stroke and to rest during the recovery, which will help them apply power to more than 300 strokes or the number required to complete the race.

 The ability to apply power is an essential physical requirement. Physical capacity is acquired by training, but the coordination of muscular contraction in the rowing stroke is the essence of good technique.

 ALTERNATIVE METHODS

 The rowing action is full of compromises. We all see things differently. Here are a few examples: