Steering is a fundamental rowing skill. Learn facts and skills for competitive rowing in this rowing video.
Use 1 paddle to change directions
Use both oars for subtle direction changes
Charles is the head coach/chief instructor at the Texas Rowing Center and has been a rowing coach for many years. He loves heading outside to row every morning and enjoys the view.
CHARLES BARKSDALE: Hi. My name is Charles Barksdale with the Texas Rowing Center. We will be going in to how to steer one of the rowing crafts right now. This is [PH] Catherine and what she is going to be doing is showing us the first way to steer which is similar to what if you were to row a canoe or paddle a canoe or a kayak where you just use one paddle, the other oar keeps you stable, and you just use one oar to move yourself around. In rowing, you always do the complete motion where you feather and square the blade and this will turn the boat very easily for you. This is for making drastic steering changes like turning around. Now if you were to make subtle changes like to keep yourself in a line, what you do is reach out a little further with one hand in the other. We are going to have [PH] Catherine go out to catch and reach out just a little further with her left and here we go. And now we are going to row with both. So by reaching out just a little bit further with one, she makes that stroke a little bit longer and that allows her to turn the boat just very slightly. Anything more than about 3 degrees is going to slow the boat down so you want to turn very subtly especially when you are racing.
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