How To Use Sculling & Sweeping In Rowing Video

Sweep rowing and sculling both require mastery at the competitive level. Learn facts and skills for competitive rowing in this rowing video.

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Sculling uses 2 oars
Sweeping uses 1 oar
Find partner for sweeping

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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, and I will be talking about the differences in sweep rowing versus sculling. Basically, rowing is the complete category where you have two topics, sculling where you use two oars and sweep where you use one. Scullers come in boats of singles, doubles, and quads, and sweepers come in pairs, fours and eighths. With sweeps, since you only have one oar, you need a partner to row with you. The sweeps are what you mostly see when you think of collegiate rowing. Collegiate rowing is all sweep rowing. No sculling as of yet; they are trying to add some. And when you think of masters rowing you mostly think of sculling because it is a little bit easier on your body since you are working symmetrically. Sweep rowing, you actually expose one side of your back to get a little bit more power through the drive and it's a little bit harder as you get older. Most rowers that row at the Olympics do both and most rowers here do both very easily. You can transfer from one to the other just very subtle differences in the two boats.

How to Use Sculling & Sweeping in Rowing Video

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