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Rowing technique: the drive

This is an excerpt from Indoor Rowing by Caley Crawford & Michelle Parolini.

The drive phase of the stroke shown in figure 3.5 is the work phase. This is the only part of the stroke where you can generate power, so it is critical to ensure that you’re following the proper sequence of legs, body, arms throughout the drive. The leg muscles are the largest and strongest muscle group in the body, contributing about 60% of the work during the rowing stroke. Once the knees extend, the upper body maintains the acceleration the lower body initiated, performing an additional 30% of the work as the body swings open. From here, the arms finish the last 10% as they move quickly into the chest and then back out to initiate the recovery phase.

KEY POINT
The drive is the only part of the stroke where you can generate power, so it is critical to ensure that you’re following the proper sequence of legs, body, arms throughout the drive.

Body Position

• Brace your core.
• Keep your shoulders in front of your hips throughout the drive until you almost fully extend your knees.
• After extending your knees, swing your body back and pull the handle to your sternum.

Arms and Shoulders

• Extend your arms fully through the drive to the finish.

Hands and Grip

• Once your body swings open, pull the handle to your chest.

Moving out of the catch position, the lower abdominal muscles brace to protect the lower back, and the hamstrings contract to initiate the force against the foot stretcher. The quadriceps femoris muscle group (rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and vastus intermedius) extends the knees. As the knees extend, the back muscles (latissimus dorsi, lower and upper trapezius, rhomboids, and erector spinae) work in conjunction with the gluteus muscles to swing the hips open. The biceps and deltoids will activate to finish the stroke by pulling the handle to the chest.

One of the most common stroke errors—opening the hips too soon or leading with the shoulders—happens on the drive, causing a less efficient generation of force. Opening the hips too soon forces you to rely on the upper body and back to generate intensity, and you miss out on the full use of leg power. It can also put additional strain on your lower back, increasing the risk of injury.

More Excerpts From Indoor Rowing

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