Been on the erg for about 5 years and have just discovered it's an entirely different sport to sculling... Got in to a real boat for the first time last week and I've had 2 sculling lessons, first in a twin and second in a single.
My 18 year old son (also only 2 lessons) has no problems at all. He can string a few minutes worth of flat-out, full power strokes together. So much that he gets sweaty and breathless. Not so for me. Catching crabs with one side or the other about every 3rd stroke once I'm on full slide. I think it's the tap-down part of the tap-down-then-feather part that's catching me out. I don't seem to have very much (any) space below my hands in which to tap down. I'm sort of "forcing" the handle down in to my lap and that's the point where it all goes wrong. Although it was only my second lesson, I did fall out 3 times because of this.
Been watching scullers on YouTube and it looks like they are feathering the blade while it's still in the water. I can't notice any discernible "tap-down". I've looked frame-by-frame and to me it looks like the blade is exiting the water already feathered. My son says he isn't really conscious of what he's doing to feather, he just "lets it flow". The coach says I need to concentrate more on the tap-down.
I'm sure this will eventually all come right - I just want it sooner - ha ha! Any advice?
I've always concentrated more on my stroke technique than most other ergo-only rowers and plenty of on-the-water rowers have complimented what they've seen of me on the ergo. The main thing I've discovered on the water is the punishment for mistakes in a real boat is much higher than on the ergo!
Funny how I thought my ergo-fitness would translate exactly to the boat (I do about 120k/week on the ergo with 3 hard flat-out days per week). I've discovered that it's the tiny muscles used for balancing that are getting the work-out in the real boat...
Do you think it'd be realistic for me to enter Henley Masters (I'm 57) next year? Just to take part... I'm not even sure if it's an open competition or if there are entry criteria that takes a few years to build up?
Anyway, completely hooked on the single scull and looking forward to new adventures.
My 18 year old son (also only 2 lessons) has no problems at all. He can string a few minutes worth of flat-out, full power strokes together. So much that he gets sweaty and breathless. Not so for me. Catching crabs with one side or the other about every 3rd stroke once I'm on full slide. I think it's the tap-down part of the tap-down-then-feather part that's catching me out. I don't seem to have very much (any) space below my hands in which to tap down. I'm sort of "forcing" the handle down in to my lap and that's the point where it all goes wrong. Although it was only my second lesson, I did fall out 3 times because of this.
Been watching scullers on YouTube and it looks like they are feathering the blade while it's still in the water. I can't notice any discernible "tap-down". I've looked frame-by-frame and to me it looks like the blade is exiting the water already feathered. My son says he isn't really conscious of what he's doing to feather, he just "lets it flow". The coach says I need to concentrate more on the tap-down.
I'm sure this will eventually all come right - I just want it sooner - ha ha! Any advice?
I've always concentrated more on my stroke technique than most other ergo-only rowers and plenty of on-the-water rowers have complimented what they've seen of me on the ergo. The main thing I've discovered on the water is the punishment for mistakes in a real boat is much higher than on the ergo!
Funny how I thought my ergo-fitness would translate exactly to the boat (I do about 120k/week on the ergo with 3 hard flat-out days per week). I've discovered that it's the tiny muscles used for balancing that are getting the work-out in the real boat...
Do you think it'd be realistic for me to enter Henley Masters (I'm 57) next year? Just to take part... I'm not even sure if it's an open competition or if there are entry criteria that takes a few years to build up?
Anyway, completely hooked on the single scull and looking forward to new adventures.
