Rowing Technique Drills

Rowing Technique Drills: Rowing technique drills are isolated exercises performed on the ergometer that break the stroke into segments to develop specific aspects of technique, timing, and body awareness.

What is Rowing Technique Drills?

Technique drills on the erg isolate specific parts of the rowing stroke to develop motor patterns and body awareness. Common drills include: legs-only rowing (hands extended, body forward, drive with legs only — develops leg drive connection), arms-only rowing (legs flat, pull with arms and back only — develops finish mechanics), pause drills (pause at specified positions: arms away, body over, half-slide, full compression — develops body sequencing), pick drill (progressive addition: arms only → arms + body → arms + body + half-slide → full stroke), and square-blade rowing simulation (exaggerated finish and release). Drills are most effective during warm-up (5-10 minutes) or as dedicated technique sessions. They should be performed at low intensity and low stroke rate (16-20 spm) to allow focus on movement quality. Video analysis (filming yourself from the side) combined with drills dramatically accelerates technique improvement.

How Watta Uses Rowing Technique Drills

Better technique translates to better Economy in the Effort Score — producing more watts per heartbeat. Drill sessions may produce lower overall Effort Scores (since intensity is low), but the technique improvements they develop pay dividends in all future high-intensity work.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Related Content

Rowing FormRowing form is the overall quality of body positioning, movement sequence, and mechanical efficiency throughout the rowing stroke on the erg.The CatchThe catch is the starting position of the rowing stroke where the blade enters the water (or on the erg, where the chain becomes taut), with shins vertical and body compressed forward.The DriveThe drive is the power phase of the rowing stroke where the rower pushes with the legs, swings the back, and pulls with the arms to accelerate the flywheel.The RecoveryThe recovery is the non-power phase of the rowing stroke where the rower returns to the catch position, following an arms-back-legs sequence.Erg Technique GuideRowing for BeginnersFor BeginnersFor RowersFor Rowing Coaches
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