Rowing Drills

Rowing Drills · RowingRelated

The RR
Rowing Drills

A field guide to better technique — from Olympians, national champions, and the coaches who built them. Land drills, water drills, and expert perspectives on developing the modern rowing stroke.

11Expert Interviews
2Environments
Land + WaterCoverage
The view from the coaches' launch on the Montlake Cut, Seattle
The view from the launch on the Montlake Cut, Seattle — Photo: RR
In This Guide
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Rowing Drills on Land

Land Drills

On land, rowers should take pains to accurately simulate the motion of rowing — focusing on the technical aspects of the stroke without the distractions of wind and water.

Reverse Pick Drill

One of the best ways to get started on the rowing machine. The reverse pick drill forces you to focus your efforts on the legs, and helps inexperienced rowers understand the correct body position at the catch, as well as how to accelerate with the leg drive without yanking or pulling with the arms and body.

The reverse pick drill is the reverse of the regular pick drill, which can also be a good way to begin a session on land — burning up the arms early keeps rowers from over-leveraging their biceps during the rest of the workout.

More Solid Land Drills
  • Catch / Top Quarter Drill
    A modified legs-only drill where the goal is to just pick up the catch and then release the pressure. Builds the right mechanics at the front end of the stroke while developing a feel for how to pick up the weight.
  • One-Leg Drill
    Place one foot on the floor and the other on the foot stretchers. Rowers quickly find they need correct leg position — knee moving up and down in a single vertical plane — to get the leg drive going. Switch legs frequently; this is meant to last only a few strokes.
  • One-Arm Drill
    Have rowers hang onto the middle of the handle with one hand, placing the other arm behind their backs. Makes it virtually impossible to tug or yank the handle early in the stroke. Switch arms frequently.
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Rowing Drills on the Water

On the Water

On the water, rowers face additional challenges — wind, waves, currents. Mastering technique here means developing the ability to adjust to changing conditions while maintaining proper form and balance.

Practicing a variety of drills in different conditions develops a well-rounded set of rowing skills. Mastering the fundamentals of technique lets rowers increase their efficiency, speed, and power on the water — while also helping to prevent injuries and maintain overall fitness.

In light of all of the above, we've interviewed some of the top performers in the sport, from Olympic athletes to the winningest coaches in the country, to get their insights on developing the right technique. Their responses make up the RR Best Rowing Drills series below.

The RR Best Rowing Drills Series
01
7 Questions with World Champion Coxswain Phelan Hill
Olympic champion Phelan Hill on his favorite drills from his experience as coxswain of the GB men's eight.
02
Finding Effective Stroke Length with Frank Biller of Virginia
Hoos coach Frank Biller — who helped build Virginia's ACRA program into a national contender — shares his methods for maximizing effective length on the water.
03
Keeping It Moving with Ohio State's Andy Teitelbaum
NCAA Champion coach Andy Teitelbaum on how to run a training session that is both effective and efficient.
04
5 Favorites of Olympic Champion Esther Lofgren
The Olympic champion in the USA women's eight offers some of her favorite drills for boat feel and mechanics.
05
Newport Aquatic Center's Nick D'Antoni on Sequencing and Drive Mechanics
Multiple national champion junior coach Nick D'Antoni shares how he instills the right sequence into the drive and ensures rowers know how to accelerate the shell through the water.
06
3 Top Skill Drills from Michigan's Gregg Hartsuff
Michigan Wolverines head coach Gregg Hartsuff — the winningest ACRA coach of all time — offers his three favorite drills for developing boat skills.
07
Carlos Dinares on Body Awareness Drills for Rowing
International sculling and rowing coach Carlos Dinares on how to help athletes develop an understanding for how their movements affect boat speed.
08
The Athlete's Perspective, with Olympic Bronze Medalist Megan Kalmoe
USRowing's Megan Kalmoe on how she approaches drills with a touch of gamification and fun to keep things interesting as an athlete.
09
Dartmouth Women's Head Coach Linda Muri Talks Technique
Coach Muri shares three of her favorite drills for developing the finer points of technique and body control, including feet-out and inside-arm only.
10
Addressing Limiting Technical Factors with Cal Crew's Mike Teti
Longtime USRowing men's coach Mike Teti walks through how he finds and addresses the central issue that may be holding a particular athlete or crew back — and how to fix it.
11
Two-Time NCAA Champion Kevin Sauer of Virginia's Fave 5
Veteran coach of the Cavalier women Kevin Sauer's unique twists on rowing drills include a characteristic bit of humor — and subsequent free speed.

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