Quickness vs Length
Charles Carroll
For some time now I have been coaching myself to have my blades fully and
firmly immersed as I arrive at the catch. But this morning I find myself
with questions about this.
Is having the blades fully and firmly immersed as you arrive at the catch
really the best way to take the catch?
Or should the blades be off the water and square as you arrive at the catch?
If the blades are fully and firmly immersed at the catch, then you are ready
to squeeze back immediately on the pins. In other words, you would be ready
to apply force against the pins sooner than if the blades were still in the
air. So with this technique you would gain quickness in applying pressure.
But what would you give away?
Consider what you gain with the blades off the water and square at the
catch. In this position wouldn't the blades be as far back as you could
position them? And if so, then wouldn't you gain a little more length?
I am not sure I am entirely right about gaining length with the blades off
the water and square, but if I am, then it seems to me that the choice is
between quickness and length. Should we coach ourselves to be quicker in
applying pressure to the pins? Or should we coach ourselves to apply
pressure longer? Which of the two is the more useful in propelling a boat?
Cordially, and with wishes for a Merry Christmas,
Charles
Carl Douglas
Happy Christmas and a less fraught New Year - to Charles and all!
As for your Christmas poser, I'm not sure how you make your distinction,
Charles?
Blades well forward but in the air are, of themselves, useless. Blades
well forward & in the water but not pulling are also useless, at that
instant. But blades well forward, well covered & pulling are extremely
useful. In fact, that's called the start of the stroke ;)
Position don't count if it ain't doin' work. It's all show & no substance.
I suspect that you suppose it difficult to get the blades from coming
forward to being immersed & loaded, but really it is not. When you're
well forward (say 60 degrees ahead) the blades have only to move around
the pin at ~1/2 of the boat speed to be loaded. At the catch, boat
speed in a 1x might be <3.5 m/sec, which implies a blade speed
(perpendicular to shaft) of ~1.7m/sec & a hand speed (again
perpendicular to shaft) of <0.75 m/sec, which is really _slooow_. As
we've discussed on past occasions, you cover your blade with a much
faster vertical movement than that, so it needs take very little time to
bring blade speed up to & above that needed to not backwater.
What does take time is building the load. That's due to the elasticity
of the oar, it takes time & hand speed (above that required to keep the
blade moving with the water) to get it bent & therefore loaded. So you
can never have a substantial instantaneous load - it just can't happen
that way as loads, even violent impacts, always take time to build up &
the more elastic the system the slower the build will be.
Now to the turkey, stuffing, sprouts, pudding, brandy butter and all the
trimmings.
Happy Christmas all!
Carl
--
Carl Douglas Racing Shells -
Fine Small-Boats/AeRoWing Low-drag Riggers/Advanced Accessories
Write: Harris Boatyard, Laleham Reach, Chertsey KT16 8RP, UK
Find: http://tinyurl.com/2tqujf
Email: ca...@carldouglas.co.uk Tel: +44(0)1932-570946 Fax: -563682
URLs: www.carldouglas.co.uk (boats) & www.aerowing.co.uk (riggers)
David Jillings
All I can say from personal experience is that when I concentrate on
speed of entry I tend to go faster than when I concentrate on getting
that last little bit of length. This over many 2k pieces at about 70%
of race pressure, as well as in races. If you use a computer like an NK
and have a piece of water that enables you to make realistic
comparisons between several pieces of work you should be able to work
out which is best for you.
Interestingly, when I occasionally do a fast hands exercise that
involves sculling as fast as possible but only using half slide or less
(rating over 50 strokes/minute) I have noticed that the boat speed is as
fast as I ever get it when rowing full slide.
Not sure if this is helpful, but there you go.
Merry Christmas,
David.
Mike De Petris
wrote:
> All I can say from personal experience is that when I concentrate on
> speed of entry I tend to go faster than when I concentrate on getting
> that last little bit of length. This over many 2k pieces at about 70%
> of race pressure, as well as in races. If you use a computer like an NK
> and have a piece of water that enables you to make realistic
> comparisons between several pieces of work you should be able to work
> out which is best for you.
> Interestingly, when I occasionally do a fast hands exercise that
> involves sculling as fast as possible but only using half slide or less
> (rating over 50 strokes/minute) I have noticed that the boat speed is as
> fast as I ever get it when rowing full slide.
> Not sure if this is helpful, but there you go.
my experience confirms this, and is partially true on a static erg
too, where top speed can be reached almost without slide