Graham Cawood responds to our article The Paradox of the Quick Catch in Rowing

Rowing Catch on Ergo

Instead of “calling” for a quick catch, we need a “how?”

May I suggest the following method.

Thr Rhecon style:

Arms remain comfortably bent and blades feathered  during the recovery. As your body stops against your knees the momentum of the moving blades straightens your arms. When this happens square the blades. and at full stretch of the arms drop the spoons in the water. The rebounding arms  and body very quickly get the spoon to water speed and allow a quick, clean entry.

The common requirement for straight arms  in the recovery transfers the very quick changes at the catch from the arms to the  much heavier torso. Hence the unintended  slow catch,

You might like to also try the early layback technique. While the spoon is entering the water pivot your body ABOVE the hips by moving the seat closer to your feet as your shoulders move towards the bow. Now when you build the work your upper bodyweight will reduce rather than increase the load on the back.  This will also give you a longer leg drive.

Both these techniques will work on the erg.