Sweep Rowing: Techniques on How to Row

Considered one of the best ways to get a total body workout, sweep rowing is a sport that can be enjoyed by both young and old. Individuals who are not in top physical shape need not worry when it comes to learning how to row. A few weeks of consistent rowing will whip anyone into shape.

When it comes to learning how to row sweep, whether it’s a 4-person or 8-person boat (also known as a shell), there are a few terms that every rower must understand. Below are the most basic rowing terms a rower must know:

• Name for the front and back of the boat (bow-front, stern-back)
• Name for the right and left side of the boat (starboard-left, port-right)
• Coxswain (the person that gives commands and directs the rowers)
• Command to stop (way enough)
• Lastly, the command to begin rowing (ready… row)

Now that the short list of basics is out of the way, it’s time to get ready to row.

Learn How to Row Disclaimer

Although the stationary rowing machine found in many homes and gyms offer a general idea of the motions involved in rowing, it is a poor substitute for actually getting out on the water. Anyone who is self impressed with the ability to master the ergometer (stationery rower), get ready to be humbled by getting on the water. Conditions such as heavy winds, choppy water or unstable boat are not taken into consideration on an ergometer.

There is a small moveable seat in which the rower is to place her rear end. In front of the seat is a pair of sneakers. Unlike the stationery rowing machine where one can get away with not securing her feet, in a shell, not strapping one’s feet is a recipe for an unsuccessful row. The rower must insert her feet into the sneakers and tie them up. The sneakers are anchored to the inside of the boat to allow maximum pull/push leg power.

The seat is attached to rollers that allow the seat to slide back and forth. With anchored feet, the rower can comfortably bend and straighten her knees to slide the seat backwards and forwards to accommodate the rowing motion.

Managing the Rowing Oars

In sweep rowing each rower has one oar. Each person either rows port or starboard. The oars themselves aren’t very different, it’s just the person learning to row must know on which side of the boat she is rowing and learn to adjust the body and rowing style accordingly.

The Rowing Motion

When one first learns how to row the rower must get the leg, torso and arm motions down and synchronized. For those individuals who feel they don’t have upper body strength and are afraid to row, fear not. The majority of the rowing strength is in the legs. The torso is the conduit between the lower and upper body and the arms are there to balance the oars and keep the motion continuous.

Being tall is a positive attribute when it comes to rowing. However, vertically challenged rowers need not get discouraged. Shorter rowers must make the most out of their body length as do taller rowers. Rowing forces one to use one’s body length to full capacity. The longer and more fluid the stroke, the faster and more evenly the boat sails.

A Rower’s Leg Motion

Since the feet are stationary and strapped into the sneakers, the knees and thighs do most of the work. By bringing the knees up, the rower pulls the sliding seat until the knees are fully compressed and the seat is moved forward. To begin the stroke, the rower straightens the legs which force the seat to slide back. The more pressure used when straightening the legs and sliding back, the more powerful the stroke.

Controlling Rower's the Hips and Torso

The hips serve to pivot the body forward and back during the stroke. The torso is the motion bridge between the legs and the arms. Once the legs can go no further whether it be forward or backwards, the hips direct the torso to take over. When the hips and torso reaches their maximum range of motion, the arms take over.

A Rower’s Arm Motion

The arms must push the oar handle as far forward as possible at the beginning of the stroke and then pull the oar handle all the way back towards the body just before repeating the stroke again.

The Hand Position:

Inside Hand: One hand is used to turn the oar (called feathering) and the other is used to pull the oar back and forth and add height or depth if necessary. When first learning how to row, newbies must understand that the oar reaches into the water with the blade end perpendicular to the water. The blade is then pulled forward to make the stroke and move the boat forward. To bring the oar back in order to repeat the stroke, rowers want the least amount of wind resistance as possible on the oar blade.

To increase the speed and incur less wind resistance, the oar is ‘feathered’ on the return. In other words, rather than bringing the oar back with the blade perpendicular to the water, it is turned so that the oar blade is parallel to the water allowing it to slice through the air rather than fight against it. The blade is then ‘squared up’ to bring it perpendicular to the water prior to placing the oar in the water to take the next stroke. This feathering motion is controlled by the hand closest to the blade or the inside hand.

The Outside Hand: The hand furthest from the oar blade, the outside hand, is used to pull and push the oar forward and backward and guide the depth of the oar. More experienced rowers don’t have to worry too much about oar depth but newbies just learning how to row seem to either dip the oar too far into the water making it difficult to pull the moving oar back out of the water (commonly known as catching a crab) or not deep enough (catching nothing but air). The outside hand is used to lever the oars depth accordingly. Approximately 3/4 of the blade should be submerged under water.

Learning How to Put the Stroke Together

Here is the most difficult part of learning how to row; coordinating the legs, torso, arms and hands. In technical terms, a stroke begins at the “catch.” The catch is the position when a rower’s body is leaning all the way forward, the knees compressed, seat forward, arms forward, blade perpendicularly set in the water and hands prepared to pull the oar back.

From the catch position the rower applies pressure by straightening the legs. When the legs can go no further, the hips unhinge to allow the torso to continue the motion by straightening up and then leaning back (engaging the abdominal muscles). When the legs and torso can go no further the arms continue the stroke by pulling the oar towards the body. The outer arm remains straight while pulling the oar until it must bend at the elbow to bring the oar further in towards the body about rib level. This is all done in one continuous sweeping motion.

The Return

Once the oar blade in the water has completed its forward motion, the outer hand applies downward pressure on the oar handle causing the blade to lift from the water, the inner hand turns the oar to feather the blade parallel to the water and the outer hand pushes the oar forward to repeat the process.

The return is performed in reverse of the stroke. The arms move forward carrying the torso forward. As the arms and the torso move over the legs, the knees begin to compress causing the seat to roll forward. Before reaching full forward extension, the inside hand rotates the oar so the blade is perpendicular to the water. The rower extends and stretches the body to achieve full length bringing the blade to the catch ready to drop the oar into the water to repeat the motion.

Learn to Find the Rowing Rhythm

The best way to learn how to row is to find the rhythm. It’s very much like riding a bike. Once the new cyclist learns how to balance the bike, steer, turn and stop, she no longer concentrates on each individual aspect of cycling. Instead, she enjoys the motion and exercise that cycling brings. Rowing is no different. Finding the rowing rhythm comes with practice. Once a rower finds her rhythm, she is hooked for life.