Most rowing crews, regardless of experience, will struggle with boat balance. Coxswains will often see, and hear from rowers, that the boat is down on one side or the other (usually it is down on bow side) and/or the boat will rock from side to side as it is “running”. This is a big problem because
- rowers will not be able to row properly and apply power effectively;
- the boat is in a poor position for maximum “run”; and
- the boat will slow down a little each time it rocks or rolls.
Drills for level hands and boat balance
Use the following drills to determine the correct hand/handle levels for all rowers and to practice rowing with proper handle levels throughout the stroke.
- Stop the boat and with all rowers in the finish position, blades buried, call for them to tap it out and hold. All six hands/handle should be at the same level and the boat should be completely balanced. Reset and repeat a few times.
- Use the pause drill at bodies forward – check for level hands at the tap out, at the pause point and moving into the catch.
- Use the cut-the-cake drill to work on handle and blade control during the recovery – check for level hands at the tap out and as rowers are carrying/pushing the handle forward.
- In the catch position, drop the blades in the water and hold them loosely to allow them to float. The boat should be balanced. Rowers should lift up slightly to bury the blades without disrupting the balance in the boat.
- In the catch position, square the blades and hold them just above the water and buried in the water. Rowers should have the same handle heights when the boat is balanced.
Down on one side
Problem: the boat is consistently down on one side and runs slowly because it is “off keel.”
| Possible Causes | Correction |
|---|---|
| Body weight is unevenly distributed in the boat. | If possible, try to seat rowers so that there is an even amount of weight on each side. |
| One or more rowers consistently rows with a different hand level than the others. | Ensure that the boat is balanced, with the blades buried and with the blades out of the water, before you start to row. Rowers should keep those hand levels as the row. |
| One or more rowers is leaning out over the side of the boat. This could be a lack of flexibility in the hips and hamstrings causing the rower to move in a semi-circle rather than straight forward. | Rowers should be sit tall and relaxed and move straight forward and back from the hips during the recovery and drive. |
Rocking and rolling
Problem: the boat rock and rolls all the way down the pond. Crews should know that a boat that dips to one side and rocks back will never be a really fast boat because the boat slows down on each rock and roll.
It is hard to pinpoint the issues of a boat that rocks and rolls because there are so many contributing factors. Poor execution of the various phases of the rowing stroke and timing are the big factors. When timing is off, one side of the boat is left unsupported and the boat will dip down on that side and roll back. Movements and timing must be perfect to ensure that the boat is supported equally on both sides at all times.
Rowers should continue to develop individual and team technique and timing so that the boat feels stable and stays “on keel.”
Fixed Seat Rowing 