Technique Terms
Catch: The moment the blade enters the water at the beginning of the drive. A clean catch means the blade enters quickly and fully so the rower can begin driving immediately.
Drive: The power phase of the stroke where the rower pushes with the legs, swings the body, and pulls with the arms. The drive propels the boat forward.
Finish (or Release): The end of the drive, when the blade exits the water. A clean finish means the blade comes out crisply without dragging or splashing.
Recovery: The phase between the finish and the next catch. The rower returns to the starting position: arms extend, body rocks forward, then legs compress. The recovery is the rest phase and should be slower than the drive.
Feathering: Rotating the oar blade from vertical (squared) to horizontal (flat) during the recovery. Feathering reduces wind resistance and clears the blade above the water surface. On the erg, there's no feathering — the handle doesn't rotate.
Squaring: Rotating the blade from horizontal (feathered) to vertical (squared) in preparation for the catch. The blade must be squared before it enters the water.
Rating (or Stroke Rate): The number of strokes per minute (spm). Race rates are typically 30-38 spm for sweep boats and 28-36 for sculling. Training rates are lower (18-24 spm).
Split: The time it takes to cover 500 meters at the current pace. A 2:00 split means 500 meters every 2 minutes. Lower splits = faster speed. The universal pace metric in rowing.
Ratio: The timing relationship between the drive and recovery. A good ratio has a recovery roughly twice as long as the drive (1:2 ratio). Rushing the recovery (1:1 ratio) is a common flaw.
Run: The distance the boat travels between strokes. Longer run = more efficient rowing. You can see run by watching the puddles left by the blades — wider spacing between puddles means more run.
Check (or Checking the Boat): Any action that slows the boat between strokes. Rushing the slide into the catch, slamming into the footplate, or rowing out of sync all cause check. Minimizing check is a primary goal of good technique.
Layback: How far the body leans back past vertical at the finish. Excessive layback wastes energy and delays the recovery. Target: about 11 o'clock (just past vertical).
Body Angle (or Body Prep): The forward lean of the torso at the catch, achieved by hinging at the hips. Typically about 1 o'clock. This forward angle should be established early in the recovery (before the knees bend).
Overcompression: Going too far forward at the catch so that the shins pass vertical. This puts the legs in a mechanically weak position and reduces drive effectiveness.
Washing Out: When the blade exits the water too early during the drive, losing power. The blade "washes out" to the surface before the stroke is complete.
Skying: Raising the blade too high above the water during the recovery, disrupting balance and delaying the catch.
Crab: When the blade gets caught in the water at the finish and the oar handle swings uncontrollably. A "catching a crab" can range from a minor disruption to an ejection (being catapulted out of the boat by the oar handle). It's the most dramatic mistake in rowing.
People
Coxswain (Cox): The crew member who steers the boat, calls commands, and manages race strategy. Does not row. Sits in the stern (most eights) or bow (some fours and pairs). See our complete guide to coxswaining.
Stroke (or Stroke Seat): The rower closest to the stern (and the coxswain). Sets the rhythm for the entire crew. Everyone else follows the stroke seat's timing.
Bow Seat (or Bow): The rower closest to the bow. Often the most technically skilled — their blade work influences boat balance more than any other seat. In coxless boats, the bow seat may have a small mirror to see forward.
Engine Room: The middle seats of the boat (seats 3-6 in an eight), typically occupied by the biggest, most powerful rowers. Their job is to generate maximum watts.
Port Rower: A sweep rower whose oar is on the port (left) side of the boat.
Starboard Rower: A sweep rower whose oar is on the starboard (right) side.
Sculler: A rower who rows with two oars (one in each hand).
Sweep Rower: A rower who rows with one oar held in both hands.
Masters Rower: An adult rower (21+) competing in masters (age-graded) categories. Masters rowing has age brackets in 10-year increments.
Novice: A rower in their first year of competitive rowing, regardless of age. Many regattas have novice categories.
Weigh Enough: The command to stop rowing. Equivalent to "halt" or "stop." One of the most iconic rowing commands.
Hold Water: An emergency stop command. Rowers place their blades flat in the water to brake the boat.
Power 10 (or Power 20): A call from the coxswain for a set number of strokes at maximum effort. Used to make a move on another crew or close a gap.
Settle: The call to lower the stroke rate from the high start rate down to race pace.
Sprint: The final push at the end of a race, usually the last 200-500 meters. Rate goes up, effort goes to maximum.
Launch: (noun) A motorboat used by coaches to follow crews on the water and provide instruction. (verb) To put a boat in the water.
Dock: The platform at the water's edge where boats are launched and docked. Docking is a skill — approaching too fast or at the wrong angle can damage the boat.
Rigging: The process of adjusting the mechanical setup of the boat — oarlock height, span, pitch, footplate angle, etc. — to optimize performance for specific rowers. Also refers to the physical rigger hardware.
ROWING COMMANDS "READY ALL, ROW" – Coxswain call to begin rowing.
"WAY-ENOUGH! " -- Coxswain call to have all rowers stop rowing.
"CHECK IT DOWN! " - Coxswain call that makes all the rowers drag their oarblades through the water perpendicularly, effectively stopping the boat. "HOLD WATER! " - Coxswain call. Another way of saying, “Check It Down”.
"LET IT RUN! " - Coxswain call for all rowers to stop rowing and to pause at the finish, letting the boat glide through the water and coast to a stop. Used as a drill to build balance.
PARTS OF THE BOAT
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