The majority of elite rowers open their backs later. I am not an elite rower and recently changed from opening the back earlier like the rowers in the video to opening later. I get extra speed by opening the back later.
Brilliant, very carefully edited to enable all of us to get some really useful ideas to implement next time on the water. Thank you for taking the time to share you skill with us.
Eric reminds me my time 30 some years ago...! I have same body type and rowing style as he has. Unfortunately I don't have any video just few medals. His rowing is really good, You can find always something to fail, you can't be perfect, that is the reason why we do trainings and practices! Thank you for the video and keep up the good job Eric!! Somebody from Peter Kolbe era
Although an old video now.......this is IMO a VERY good summary of the points raised.....if you scull as good as shown here......all you have to do is train, train, train, and you critics will get as good.!!! Look how the boats run and it looks effortless as it should.
I am a 59 yr old English guy struggling with knee issues since my teens. Next month I am starting a learning to row course. I have no great strength but have always had good rythum and timing. This video is inspirational...so elegant...so graceful. I will picture it in my mind whenever I can one I get started.
Great video and useful notes. The most difficult for non-elite rowers (such as I am) is to take out the bad habits acquired while training with a no-so-good technique. As I said before, great and instructive video.
I love all these NON-champions commenting 'poor technique' Lol Not every stroke is going to be spot on perfect even for Olympic gold medalists. But keep criticizing it's hilarious
I was stroking a double once briefly when I used to splash and the bow man absolutely drenched afterwards. He made sure it was the worst three hours of my life😫
Learn your team mates it is a water sport. Most rowers don't have enough back splash. It could be a bit to much on your side, but starting from there is not bad
there are many different ways to move a single scull. Look at any olympic final and they all scull very differently. This is a very german style i.e. the opening up early..in crews boats as long as everyone is doing the same thing it matters far less. This is not the standard technique for many nations but it is how a lot of germans row also how a lot of athletes with greater elbow to shoulder strength compared % wise to knee to hip ratio (i.e. upper body strength)
the widening of the angles is different from the British technique. Here you say widen the angles simultaneously, but where my coaches have always told me to widen first the leg angles and then the back.
I think it is a great video. I would like to say to all the people criticizing, what are your qualifications and experiences to allow yourselves to comment to alleged errors that you see in these rowing techniques? As last the best athletes are the ones who get the best scores not necessarily the ones with the most beautiful techniques.
Agree. I would be very glad to see the video's of the people with the critic. There always will be improvement/development point left (luckily), but this looks rather neat.
@rdominadomina The problem is, you just can't keep your head on a straight horizontal line if you "catch with the back" as they all purposedly do in this video. This said, the first sculler (by far the best here) is nicely horizontal after the initial lifting (and also sends the boat away very nicely). PS if you like, search for the Athens 2004 finals and look at Juri Jaanson or the French 2x for examples of what you want to do
I must keep my back straighter than he shows as I suffer from arthritic pains in my back.I am 72 years old My back would kill me if I did not My best is 6535 meters in 30.06 minutes at level 8 rowing machine
Stern will always dip as sculler's weight moves to front chocks. Not a fault unless amplified by back lifted before catch, further driving the stern down. Can be minimized by boat design eg fuller stern volume or extra stern length from trim if regulation limits total length.
great video. I do have a question though.. After a rowing session my neck hurts for three days.. what do I do wrong? would appreciate your feedback very much.
Obviously rowing at a very high level, however could be more dynamic at the back end with a more "elastic" extension in the early drive phase, and a focus on staying in the stroke with his body longer whilst his legs drive. A very physical style of rowing that has it's limits, but great none the less.
Tell the rower if you know him, he needs to concentrate on taking the stroke in three parts, drive with the legs, then power it with the body then arms in, keep spinning the hands dont pause at the catch, make sure he keeps his back straight throughout the stroke. The more straight lines your body is in the stronger it is, and tell him to stretch his hamstrings, a lot
This is a different style of rowing that is commonly taught in the US. Both the Adam a DDR style developed in German emphasize simultaneous activity of legs and trunk during the stroke.
this is also why my back start to strain, always reminds me to make my legs take the load more and then my back feels like it has to work less to do to make the boat go....
Sorry for calling you in Xeno, Entschuldigung... it's just that Mueller 1996 is my absolute model for sculling ;^) together with Lange 1989 and Jaanson 2004. All people who know how to hang on the leg drive and keep the pull horizontal, although Lange's use of the back has probably been the inspiration for the *mis*use so many Germans seem to do today (IMHO of course)
I think we both agree that the Ger 8+ and 4x rows well. They might look like they're pulling to you, but if that's just how you're describing them then that's fine by me.
The technique of the first boy is overall very good, but (this is meant to be constructive critisism!!) maybe sit up a little straighter. Something that would make it alot easier is making your core and lower back stronger, but something that instantly helps is looking straight ahead of you instead of looking at your feet. One more thing, don’t forget the order. Maybe straighten your arms a bit later and make sure your back comes first. Before anyone attacks me with the comments saying “lol are you an olympic rower or what, do better yourself” etc i would like to say that i am far from an olympic rower, but i do have alot of experience and i only want to help.
Back is a little curved on recovery and that's why u are opening your back up early on the drive. Sit up taller and make sure to get legs down 90% before opening up the back
perhaps... burying blades too deep (as seen by strain getting them out at the finish = slower back end) this only appears to be a problem in the 1st clip bad posture (hamstrings?) the back 'should' be fully over before 1/2 slide, definitely before 3/4 similarly, the back appears to open too soon in the drive late square = slightly rushed front end, having to 'grab' at the water. Again this gets better throughout the video
i agree with NFLDColin, but as reefbreak69, i believe this is the result of german scull technique, although all this rowing technique must be apllied also when the stroke is high not in relatively low stroke training. at the end the final result is´t all that matters.
I would recommend a more straight back,more usage of your uper body and your brush should go faster into the water(that is the most important).Also,you have to push faster your hands so you can slow as much as you can for bigger catch.
Does it say he was the world champion on the 1x? TheOzzass' judgement was right. He won the U23's on a 4x, which might explain why he rows like that ;)
That's kinda wrong.. At catch position your back should be straight we bend it a little but he is curling his back,, it disbalances... The boat if he were on quads the whole balance of the boat would be upside down btw awesome video ;)
not too bad except: he doesn't get any backsplash which means he is missing water on each stroke he opens up with his upperbody before his legs are completely down just some minor pointers to work on haha
hah ok i guess u are right but i dont think its fair many people on youtube do not row for university / high level teams, (they are all high school etc) yet correct him b/c it is their first year etc lol
The first athlete is very good, but his recovery is not allowing the boat to work 100% efficiently, the 2nd athlete is also very good but not allowing the boat to run fully and is missing the catch point slightly. Don't get me wrong they are great technicians, but not perfect
I find that the Germans tend to open up with their backs too early, combining the leg drive and "lean back". This is evident in the video. By doing so, it appears that much of the leg drive is wasted.
congrats and all for olympic wins but I cannot stand looking at that curved back. Especially if you pause at 3:41. I rowed and now coach in Australia and a we're all taught to keep our back straight.
