John Keogh, head coach women for Rowing Canada Aviron gave this talk at the 2013 Joy of Sculling rowing coaching conference.

1. John Keogh
Head Coach – Women
Rowing Canada Aviron

2. Technique – Late Drive & Early Recovery
Maximising boat run and preparing the body
correctly in the early part of the recovery are
essential for fast and efficient rowing.

4. Our goal in the final stages of the drive phase is to
keep load on the spoon by suspending our body
weight off the handle, to maximize the distance
travelled by the boat each stroke
Coordination of muscle groups through the drive
phase to achieve the above this is essential
Posture is crucial for effective suspension

5. In boat set-up important to achieve effective and
efficient movement
Rigger height / overlap
Gearing – span versus inboard
Foot placement, angle and height – heel contact

6. Mid Drive
Driving through heels – gluts,
abs, thighs active
Suspending body weight off
seat
Trunk begins to open –
through feet

7. Late Drive
Trunk and legs accelerating through the feet
Arms start to draw

8. Everything driven through feet (heels)
VIDEO

9. Pressure through feet and the pull on the hands is
needed to keep muscles activated and hence
provide postural effectiveness

10. Good posture is a balance between abdominals and
core, and posterior back extensors and deep stabilizers
to keep the back in neutral position
Pelvis in a slight and strong posterior rotation (rocked
back)
Controlled through action of balance between hip
flexors, quads, and gluts

11. Poor posture – the pelvis collapses into full
posterior rotation
Hip flexor and quads mechanically disadvantaged
(stretched), can’t rotate pelvis forward into
recovery
End up with a slouch and rely solely on abs to pull
trunk forward leaving pelvis behind

12. Result – inability to set a good catch position with
the trunk and pelvis.
Increased load on lower back (flexion) and rib area
(increase tension on serratus / oblique's)
Less powerful / lose of power

13. Physical issues that will contribute to poor posture
at the finish and recovery sequence
Tight hamstrings
Poor core control
Tight calf muscles
Over active abdominals
Motor patterning
Over active hip flexors
Weak glut muscles

14. Common injuries from poor pelvic positioning at
the finish and early recovery of the rowing stroke
Rib Injury
Over activation of oblique's and serratus
resulting on excess pulling on the rib
attachments
Disc Herniation
Taking load in a flexed lumbar position
(potentially even more serious in the sweep
motion due to rotation)

18. Ideas on reinforcing good motor patterning in the
gym.
Stiff legged dead lift
Seated rock-over

19. Early Recovery 1
Gluts, thighs and
abdominals active
“Pressure still on the
foot plate”
Outside hand shapes
the turn – “conveyor
belt motion”

20. Early Recovery 2
Relax gluts to allow pelvis
to rock forward
Handle flows away on a
level line
Pelvis swings over
Ischial Tuberosity –
spine in neutral

21. Early Recovery 3
Organized by ¼’’ slide
End Goal:
Organised , weight firmly
placed on feet – ready to
feel the boat run beneath

22. Effective recovery is limited by posture at the finish
Finish poorly – start poorly

26. Why do we want the pelvis to rock-over?
Generate effective length
Place biggest muscles in a position to produce
maximum force
Reduce injury rate

27. Task
In pairs – take turns to observe
1. Standing , (thinking about rowing long), try to touch toes
 Back position observations
 Where did you feel the stretch or limitation?
2. Standing holding hips, swing hips forward maintaining
neutral spine, stop when stretch in hamstring prevents
further hip swing
 Back position observations
 How far from our toes are our hands?
 Where did you feel the stretch or limitation?
5-10 Minutes

28. v

29. ______________________________________________________________________________
Image courtesy of Alison McGregor

30. Acknowledgments
Steve DiCiacca – Physiotherapist, RCA
Alison McGregor – Imperial College, Great Britain

31. Thanks for listening and participating
John Keogh
jkeogh@rowingcanada.org
+1 519 639 8042