Drills Library
Coaching Resource
This comprehensive guide provides detailed explanations of all recommended drills for the AARC Learn to Scull program. Drills are organized by focus area to help coaches select appropriate exercises for specific skill development.
Beginner Drills
Arms Only
Focus: Basic arm motion, blade depth control, finish position
Description: Rower sits at the finish position (legs flat, slight layback) and rows using only arms, keeping body angle constant.
- Start with squared blades for easier water catch
- Focus on level hands throughout motion
- Emphasis on clean extraction at finish
- Keep shoulders relaxed and down
- Maintain consistent blade depth
- Diving blades: Focus on pushing hands away horizontally
- Rising hands on recovery: Imagine sliding hands along a table
- Hunched shoulders: Cue "proud chest" and relaxed shoulders
- Start stationary, then with minimal boat movement
- Build to continuous motion at slow rate (16-18 spm)
- Progress to arms and body drill
Arms and Body
Focus: Coordinating arm and body movements, establishing proper body angle
Description: Building on Arms Only, rower adds body swing while keeping legs flat and extended.
- Pivot from the hips, not the waist
- Maintain straight back throughout swing
- Emphasize sequential movement: body then arms on recovery
- Core engagement throughout movement
- Collapsing at waist: Cue "hinge like a door" from the hips
- Overreaching: Limit body angle to 11 o'clock position
- Early arms: Cue "body swing first, then extend arms"
- Start with minimal body movement
- Build to full comfortable range of motion
- Progress to full stroke with legs
Pause Drill
Focus: Breaking down stroke sequence, body awareness, recovery control
Description: Rower pauses at specific points in the stroke to reinforce proper sequencing and positions.
- Common pause points: hands away, bodies over, half-slide, full compression
- Hold each pause for 1-2 seconds
- Maintain good posture during pauses
- Focus on balance during pauses
- Losing balance during pauses: Slightly exaggerate handle heights
- Rushing through pauses: Count out loud during pauses
- Collapsing posture: Cue "grow taller" during pauses
- Start with single pause points
- Build to multiple pause points in same stroke
- Progress to continuous rowing with mental check at former pause points
Pick Drill (Erg & Water)
Focus: Building proper recovery sequence from finish to catch
Description: Progressive drill that builds the stroke sequence starting at the finish, adding components one by one.
- Start at the finish position (legs flat, slight body layback, arms drawn to lower ribs)
- Emphasize clean hand movement away from body FIRST
- Ensure body pivot is complete BEFORE knees bend
- Maintain consistent hand heights throughout
- Watch for rushing - recovery should be controlled
- Bending knees before hands are away/body is over: Cue "Hands away FIRST, body rock SECOND, slide THIRD"
- Dropping hands after finish: Cue "Maintain horizontal pressure on the handle"
- Rushing the movement sequence: Cue "Slow hands away, feel the boat run"
- Start at the finish position
- Progress through these stages, spending 10-15 strokes on each:
- Arms Only: Extend arms away from body to full reach without changing body angle or slide position
- Arms + Body: Add the forward pivot from the hips after arms are away
- Arms + Body + Half Slide: Add half-slide movement after body has pivoted forward
- Full Stroke: Complete the entire stroke with full slide
Legs Only Rowing
Focus: Isolating leg drive, maintaining consistent upper body position
Description: Rowing using only leg drive while maintaining a fixed body angle and arm position.
- Start with arms extended and body leaning forward from hips
- Drive with legs only, keeping arms extended and back angle constant
- Focus on push from the heels and maintaining straight back
- Keep shoulders relaxed despite fixed position
- Pressure should be light to moderate
- Opening back during drive: Focus on maintaining constant back angle
- Pulling with arms: Imagine arms as "rigid ropes"
- Rising shoulders: Cue "shoulders down and relaxed"
- Practice on ergometer first
- Move to water with very light pressure
- Progress to legs and back drill
Intermediate Drills
Square Blade Rowing
Focus: Blade depth control, clean entry/exit, handle heights
Description: Rowing with blades continuously squared (not feathered) throughout the stroke.
- Focus on clean entry and exit
- Maintain consistent blade depth
- Emphasize handle height consistency
- Start with lower rate (16-18 spm)
- Blade diving or skying: Focus on consistent hand heights
- Catching water on recovery: Slightly raise hands on recovery
- Uneven blades: Focus on symmetry between hands
- Start with arms only, squared blades
- Build to full stroke with squared blades
- Progress to alternating squared and feathered strokes
Quarter Slide Progression
Focus: Building stroke length incrementally, maintaining technique
Description: Rowing with restricted slide movement, gradually increasing slide range.
- Start at quarter slide (minimal knee bend)
- Focus on proper sequencing despite shortened slide
- Build to half slide, then three-quarter, then full
- Maintain consistent pressure throughout progression
- Rushing as slide extends: Keep recovery time constant regardless of slide length
- Loss of technique at longer slides: Return to shorter slide temporarily
- Inconsistent pressure: Focus on maintaining same drive force throughout progression
- Quarter slide: 5-10 strokes
- Half slide: 5-10 strokes
- Three-quarter slide: 5-10 strokes
- Full slide: 10-20 strokes
- Repeat progression
Reverse Pick Drill
Focus: Building drive sequence from catch to finish, emphasizing proper sequencing
Description: Progressive drill that builds the drive sequence starting with legs only, adding components one by one.
- Start with very light pressure
- Focus on clean sequencing - legs, back, arms
- Maintain relaxed upper body even as components are added
- Watch for proper timing of component addition
- Legs Only: Drive with legs while keeping back at the forward angle and arms straight (10-15 strokes)
- Legs and Back: Drive with legs then swing back (no arm pull) (10-15 strokes)
- Full Stroke: Add arm draw after leg drive and back swing (10-15 strokes)
- Early back swing: Focus on pushing legs first while maintaining back angle
- Early arms: Keep arms straight until legs are down and back is swinging
- Rushing the sequence: Slow the stroke rate down to emphasize proper sequencing
Feathering Practice
Focus: Blade control, clean feathering and squaring, wrist movement
Description: Focused practice on the feathering motion with emphasis on timing and technique.
- Feathering happens after the extraction, not during
- Turn comes from rolling the wrists, not gripping tightly
- Maintain level hands throughout the recovery
- Square the blades just before entry
- Early feathering (before extraction): Cue "pull in, hands down, then feather"
- White-knuckling the handle: Cue "loose fingers, roll the wrists"
- Late squaring: Cue "prepare blades before catch"
- Practice stationary in slings
- Practice during arms only rowing
- Incorporate into full stroke
Sequencing Drill
Focus: Proper sequencing for both drive and recovery, developing muscle memory
Description: Deliberate practice of the full rowing sequence with emphasis on timing.
- Drive sequence: Legs → Back → Arms
- Recovery sequence: Arms → Back → Legs
- Emphasize the separation between components
- Start with exaggerated pauses between components
- Gradually reduce pauses while maintaining distinct sequence
- Blending components too early: Return to paused practice
- Incorrect sequencing: Use verbal cues during stroke - "legs-back-arms, arms-back-legs"
- Rushing recovery: Count out recovery timing - "one-two-three"
Blade Control Drills
Tap Down Drill
Focus: Clean blade extraction, handle heights, finish position control
Description: Practice of the downward motion of the hands at the finish to cleanly extract blades from the water.
- At the finish, focus on pushing hands down slightly to extract blades
- Keep wrists flat during the tap down motion
- Extract blades fully before beginning the recovery
- Maintain connection to the foot stretcher during extraction
- Blades dragging on water during recovery: Exaggerate tap down motion
- Pulling hands too high at finish: Focus on horizontal pull to body, then down
- Early extraction (before finish): Ensure complete draw to body before tapping down
- Row at light pressure with focus only on clean extraction
- Slightly exaggerate the downward motion of hands to ensure clean extraction
- As skill improves, make the motion more subtle while maintaining clean extraction
- Incorporate into regular rowing
Boat Control Drills
Basic Turning (One Arm)
Focus: Boat manipulation, turning mechanics, spatial awareness
Description: Practice turning using one oar to develop steering control and build confidence in boat manipulation.
- Ensure boat is balanced before attempting turns
- Start with small, gentle motions
- Look in the direction of intended travel
- Use port oar to turn starboard, starboard oar to turn port
- With boat at balance point, draw one blade across the water surface
- Apply light pressure to turn boat
- Practice both port and starboard turns
- Focus on control rather than speed of turn
- Losing balance during turn: Slow down the movement, focus on posture
- Ineffective turning: Ensure blade is at proper depth (just submerged)
- Looking down: Remind rower to look in direction of travel
Pivot Turns (One Backing/One Rowing)
Focus: Advanced boat control, maneuverability in tight spaces, coordination
Description: Using opposing oar motions to create a tight, pivoting turn in place.
- Push away with one oar while pulling with the other
- Maintain consistent pressure on both oars
- Keep the pivot point centered in the boat
- Focus on controlled, deliberate movements
- From a balanced, stopped position, square both blades
- Push one blade away (backing) while pulling the other (rowing)
- Apply equal pressure to both blades
- Continue until desired direction is achieved
- Boat moving forward/backward: Adjust relative pressure on the oars
- Blades digging too deep: Focus on blade depth control
- Inconsistent pressure: Practice equal force application
Traffic Pattern Practice
Focus: Navigation, river rules, safety procedures, situational awareness
Description: Guided practice navigating standard club traffic patterns and developing awareness of other water users.
- Review traffic pattern before getting on water
- Practice looking over shoulders while maintaining technique
- Emphasize understanding of right-of-way rules
- Develop consistent checking pattern (look behind every 10 strokes)
- Practice verbal commands for passing situations
- Coach guides rowers through standard traffic pattern
- Practice navigating specific hazards or landmarks
- Rehearse passing situations with coach narrating correct procedures
- Gradually reduce coaching prompts as confidence builds
- Drifting out of pattern when looking: Practice quick, efficient looking technique
- Forgetting to check surroundings: Coach prompt until habit forms
- Hesitation in meeting situations: Clearly call out what to do before each encounter
