Tag: ratio

Top 20 Terms Coxswains Should Know: Ratio

Coxing Rowing Technique

Top 20 Terms Coxswains Should Know: Ratio

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Previously: Rush(ing) || Body angle || Pick drill || Suspension || Skying the blade || Quarter feather || Pin || Run || Lunge || Washing Out || Missing water || Footboard || Check

What part of the stroke/stroke cycle does it refer to

The recovery and the drive, but it’s primarily referenced while on the recovery.

What does it mean/refer to

Ratio is the contrast between the drive and recovery. The standard ratio for rowing is 2:1, which means that the length of time spent on the recovery should be twice as long as the amount of time spent on the drive. To understand why this is necessary, read the first paragraph of #2 in last week’s post on check (linked below). Pretty much everything that’s discussed in the “check” post and the “rush(ing)” post, as well as any of the other posts linked in there, will be relevant to this one.

Related: Top 20 terms coxswains should know: Check and Rush(ing)

As you start rowing at higher rates the ratio is going to get closer to 1:1 (the boat has more momentum so the recovery doesn’t need to be as long) but you can still maintain the same sense of rhythm that you have at lower rates by focusing on letting the boat run under you. Another way of looking at it is letting your feet come to you rather than you moving towards your feet. This ensures a consistent recovery speed by minimizing the chances of you throwing your weight forward or rushing the slides.

Relevant calls

Several of the calls I make for ratio are detailed in the two posts linked below. Another call I recently picked up was “execute some patience”, which refers to keeping the recoveries controlled and consistent.

Related: Top 20 Terms: Run, specifically the “relevant calls” section

You want to avoid generic calls like “slow the slides” or “let me see that ratio” (I hate that call) because they’re not effective and don’t give the rowers anything to go off of. Saying “slow the slides” is just asking for all eight people to slow them down at different times/speeds so if you’re going to make a call like that (which you really shouldn’t unless you’re with a more experienced crew that can infer what you mean from that … and even then, use it sparingly), be specific about what you want and use a call for the drive to emphasize the contrast between it and the recovery.

Related: Calls to control rush? There’s only so many ways to say “control the recovery” and “slow the slides.” Thanks!!

Another thing I do here is to make a call about getting the hands away together and at the same natural speed (which should be at whatever speed the boat is moving) – usually I’ll say something like “let’s re-establish the ratio, hands away here … hands away here” where “hands away” is said midway(ish) through the drive and “here” is said (aggressively and succinctly) right as they tap down. Tone and inflection are important here but in my experience it really helps to establish a good rhythm through the back end which you can then carry over into the ratio by following it up with calls to stay long, composed, feel the run, stay steady on the slides, etc.

What to look for

When the ratio is off at lower rates you’ll feel (and occasionally see) the boat move backwards a little when the rowers are on the recovery. It’ll also usually feel like you’re rowing at a much higher rate than you are. At higher rates it’ll feel like you’re spinning your wheels and like the rowers are just moving back and forth on the slides without any real purpose.

Effect(s) on the boat

Moving faster on the recovery than you are on the drive will cause check in the boat, which decreases your speed minimizes how much run you’ll get per stroke.

Related posts/questions

The Four Defaults

I say “catch 1,2” a lot to keep ratio but after the catch when they’re on the recovery, why do I want them sliding back slowly? Shouldn’t that be the quick part when they’re actually taking the stroke? Or maybe my coach likes me to say that just because she still wants us taking it slow?

How do you call a ratio shift to control and stop the rush without lowering the SR? Is it even possible?

Coxed a varsity boat today for the first time. I felt awkward, I didn’t know what to say to them other than to make the calls. Normally, with my novices I know what techniques to tell them to change/fix but it’s awky with var. Also, what’s a ratio shift? My stroke today told me to call it, so I did. It’s just another way of saying “down on the recovery,” correct?  Do you have any tips? Thanks!

To see all the posts in this series, check out the “top 20 terms” tag.

Image via // @merijnsoeters
Top 20 Terms Coxswains Should Know: Check

Coxing Rowing Technique

Top 20 Terms Coxswains Should Know: Check

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Previously: Rush(ing) || Body angle || Pick drill || Suspension || Skying the blade || Quarter feather || Pin || Run || Lunge || Washing Out || Missing water || Footboard 

What part of the stroke/stroke cycle does it refer to

The recovery, primarily the second half.

What does it mean/refer to

 “When a crew is on the drive, they’re moving the boat FORWARD. As soon as they tap down, get the hands away, and start coming up the slide, the momentum of the boat shifts. This is completely natural. The rowers are now moving in the OPPOSITE direction of the shell’s momentum, which is still going forward.

Related: There’s a lot of like, I don’t know how to describe this really, lurching in the boat? Because I think the girls slide forward to fast and that makes us go back instead of forward if that makes sense. how would you correct this? Thanks!

The reason the ratio of the stroke is 2:1 is because in order for the boat to continue moving forward at the same speed, the disruption in momentum by the rowers has to be minimal. It’s going to happen, but you want it to be as unnoticeable as possible. If the rowers get to the catch and fly up the slide (eliminating the ratio), it’s comparable to driving at 60mph and then SLAMMING on the brakes…then hitting the gas to get to 60mph again…then SLAMMING on the brakes. When you hit the brakes in your car, what happens to your body? You jerk forward towards the steering wheel, right? In the shell, you’re the steering wheel. When the rowers hit the brakes and then rush up the slide, the boat jerks towards you. If you watch slow-motion video (and on rare cases, live video) you can visibly see the boat STOP and then start again with every stroke. Just like starting and stopping wastes gas in your car, it does the same thing in the boat. Your rowers are WASTING their energy because on every drive they’ve basically got to kick start the boat again.”

Related: Top 20 terms coxswains should know: Rush(ing)

Other things that can cause check in the boat include overreaching at the catch (dropping the shoulders down into the catch pushes the stern of the boat down which in turn slows the run of the boat – it’s like dragging your foot on the ground while skateboarding), not keeping your body stable on the seat during the recovery (this will also mess with the set of the boat which only slows the boat down further), and not getting the bodies set before the wheels move (throwing your upper body weight forward at the last second does the opposite of minimizing the disruption in the shell’s momentum).

Relevant calls

Outside of the general calls to lengthen out the slides, control/emphasize/exaggerate the recovery, ratio shifts are the go-to call I make when I feel the boat’s momentum starting to shift.

Related: How do you call a ratio shift to control and stop the rush without lowering the SR? Is it even possible?

That is step one. Sometimes that’s all it takes to fix the problem but other times it’ll persist which means I’ll work through the stroke from the finish to the catch and make calls that hit each of the four components (finish timing, hands away, body swing, and slides) in order to smooth out the recovery and re-establish the boat’s run. (How much time I spend on this is dependent on whether or not we’re doing steady state (more time) or sprint pieces (less time) but if you’re communicating clearly with the crew then you should easily be able to parse down your calls from longer explanations of what you want (like what you’d make during steady state) to short 3-5 word calls without losing any of the meaning.)

Step two is starting at the back end of the stroke and getting the finish timing together. Calls to accelerate and hold the blades in the water (“squeeze” is my go-to here) are what I’ll start with before moving on to getting the hands to match the boat speed immediately out of the finish. From there it’s about watching the shoulders of the (wo)man in front of you, swinging from the hips, and establishing your body position before the wheels move. Once the slide starts, it’s all about maintaining a controlled float into the catch and locking on to stern pair’s rhythm.

What to look for

It’s less about what you see and more about what you feel (see the post linked below on boat feel for more on that). As I mentioned before, it’s like being in a car that’s hitting the brakes then hitting the gas then hitting the brakes again … your body’s response to that is to jerk back and forth (sometimes more violently than others, depending on how bad it is), which almost always causes a line of bruises across your low back from where you hit the back of the coxswain’s seat.

Related: Coxswain skills: Boat feel

If you also notice that your body is particularly tense – like you’re bracing yourself pretty aggressively in the boat to avoid getting thrown around – that’s another sign that you should shift your focus to what’s going on with the slides. The latter is one of the things I try to pay attention to a lot because it’s something I unconsciously do but because I try to make a lot of “keep the shoulders loose”, “stay relaxed with the upper bodies”, etc. type of calls (and shake out my own shoulders as I make them), it makes me spend a quick second checking what my own body is doing. From there if I recognize that my legs, core, and shoulders are really tense, I most likely need to pay attention to the slides and run for a stroke or two to see if a ratio shift or other check-related call is necessary.

Communication with your stroke seat is also important because sometimes they can feel things that are there but at that stage are too subtle for us to notice. I always talk with my stroke between pieces and ask how that piece felt, was there anything happening with the slides that you felt that I didn’t notice, etc. and if they say “yea, when we shifted from the 26 to the 30 I was getting pushed up the slide a bit” then I know to tune in a bit more to the recovery speeds after we make a shift in the rates on the next piece.

The thing with check, rush, ratio, etc. is that we tend to only notice it when it’s bad enough to be noticed … so on a scale from 1-10, we probably only feel it ourselves when it’s at a 5 or higher (depending on your level of experience – less experienced coxswains might not pick up on it until it’s at an 8 or 9 and they’re getting whipped around like a rag doll). This is why I talk to my stroke seat a lot because I know that the rowers are going to feel it when it’s at a 1-5 and having them point out to me that it’s there, even if it’s subtle, gets me to tune into it so I can make the calls early enough that it prevents it from getting worse.

If you’re riding in the launch, pick a rower and watch their body in relation to something stationary on land, like a tree or something. You’ll be able to see the boat running under them while their body stays “fixed” (as discussed in the post linked below). Assuming the ratio is on point and there’s no check occurring you should see minimal movement of the boat/rowers back towards the coxswain at the catch. If the boat is getting checked down for whatever reason (99.9% of the time because of rush) then you’ll see the rowers move in front of whatever object you’re pairing them with on land.

Related: I’m the senior girl’s cox for my school club and my crew is really struggling with having a slow recovery then accelerating to the finish and putting in pressure. When I call to go slow up the slide they might slow down 1 or 2 points or not even at all. And the pressure dies when the rating slows. Then the rating goes up when I call pressure. Do you have any ideas about how I can help them get into a slow steady rhythm but still put in pressure?

Effect(s) on the boat

Check = loss of speed because … physics.

Related posts/questions

There’s a lot of like, I don’t know how to describe this really, lurching in the boat? Because I think the girls slide forward to fast and that makes us go back instead of forward if that makes sense. how would you correct this? Thanks!

What checks the boats run? Recently in our octo the run of the boat is checked but I don’t know how to prevent it and what to call to make it better. Thanks love this blog, so helpful! 🙂

Hi, I never know what it means when someone asks me what the boat “feels” like. Like the rush for example. I’m not sure what that feels like vs. a boat with no rush. Just in general, I’m not sure how to gauge whether a piece felt good or bad. I feel like the only things I can see are blade height, square up timing, catch timing, and if bodies are moving together, and I can tell if the boat was really moving and if there was power. But what else should I be aware of?

So my team has a regatta next weekend and we have only rowed at all 8s like 3 three times since winter training. When we do there is A LOT of check and the boat is really not set. As the coxswain, is there anything I can say to fix this and help get my boat ready for Sunday? Thanks!

To see all the posts in this series, check out the “top 20 terms” tag.

Image via // @radcliffecrew

The Four Defaults

Coxing Rowing Technique

The Four Defaults

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When there are so many different things happening in a such a short amount of time it can be tough knowing what exactly to look at or make calls for, particularly if you’re a novice and have’t fully grasped all the technical nuances yet. The four things listed below are the “defaults” that you should always be paying attention to (every day at practice and as necessary during races) since they are what tend to have the biggest impacts on boat speed (slowing it down when adjustments are needed and increasing it when adjustments are made).

Related: So, what did you see?

Timing at the catch and finish

This should be the most obvious. Are the blades going in and coming out together? If you notice that the timing is off at one (or both) end(s) of the stroke then you should immediately be making a call, either to a specific person, pair, or the entire crew, to get them back into rhythm with the stroke and following the cadence they’re setting.

Related: Timing at the catch

Ratio

This should be the second most obvious. Standard ratio is 2:1, meaning the recovery should be twice as long as the drive – 2 (recovery) to 1 (drive). Rush during the second half of the recovery (starting from the bodies over position) can kill boat speed so it’s important to call a ratio-shift when you feel this happening to get the crew back on track. Communication with the stroke can be a big help here since they’re usually more aware of when rush is happening than you are (unless it’s really bad).

Related: Ratio

Blade coverage

There should be no missed water at the catch and no washing out at the finish – the blade stays fully buried all the way through from beginning to end. If you’re coxing novices or less-experienced rowers, make sure that you communicate what the proper depth is (there’s usually tape on the oar shaft down near the blade – they shouldn’t be buried past that point).

Related: An Intro to Rigging, pt. 3: Pitch (Quick note: adjusting the rigging should never be your “go to” solution. Fix your technique first then see if any alterations can be made to the rigging to complement the changes you’ve made with your rowing.)

Jump at the catch

This is also referred to as the “impulse”.  It’s a result of getting a strong, committed, and deliberate push off the foot boards as the blade enters the water and the slide changes direction. The further into practice/the race you are, the more likely it’s going to be that you need to make a call for this since it relies heavily on maximum engagement from the legs.

Related: Boat feel

Keep in mind that this is something you can feel more easily than you can see. If the the rowers are missing water at the catch then that’s a visual indication that the “impulse” isn’t happening but if you’re experienced enough to have a good sense of boat feel then the boat feeling sluggish, heavy, etc. should be another indication that you need to spend some time focusing on reigniting that impulse at the front end.

Image via // @j.bluff

Coxing Drills Q&A Rowing Technique

Question of the Day

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What checks the boats run? Recently in our octo the run of the boat is checked but I don’t know how to prevent it and what to call to make it better. Thanks love this blog, so helpful! 🙂

For those that don’t know, an octuple is an eight rigged with sculling riggers so that each rower has two oars instead of one. They’re raced very infrequently in the US because they have the ability to move way too fast to be considered safe.

Related: There’s a lot of like, I don’t know how to describe this really, lurching in the boat? Because I think the girls slide forward to fast and that makes us go back instead of forward if that makes sense. how would you correct this? Thanks!

Check out the post linked above – it’s definitely the most “in depth” one I’ve written in regards to check, what it is, and what drills you can do that help the crew work towards eliminating it. It’s not something you can directly prevent – the best thing you can do is explain the concept of ratio, why it’s important, etc. since it seems like the lack of ratio is your biggest contributing issue right now. As far as calls go, simple/obvious ones like control, relaxed, long, etc. that really focus on and emphasize slide control on the recovery would be good to incorporate while you’re working to figure out what the underlying technique issues are.

I’d also have your coach watch from the launch to see if he/she can pinpoint any individual issues that are contributing to the boat feeling checked, as well as who specifically is rushing the slides or whatever so that you can direct some of your calls directly towards them. Talk with your coach after practice and have them go over in a bit more depth what they saw so that you can understand what you should be on the lookout for (individually and with the whole crew), in addition to having them go over some drills that you can do with the rowers either on the warmup or when you’re just sitting by yourselves that can help the rowers (either as individuals, pairs, etc.) work towards gaining a little more control on the recovery.

Related: Hi! My coxing has gotten to the point where I can see the technical problems in my rowers, but sometimes I’m not sure how to call a correction on them. For instance, I know if someone is skying at the catch I can call the boat to focus on direct catches and “hands up at the catch” and things like that for stability…but there are others I’m less sure about. Would you please touch on good ways (positive reinforcement, they hate the word “no” in the boat) to call for the following problems in a rower?

We had this issue earlier this season with one of my boats so we did some double-pause drills one day during practice, which seemed to help a lot. (I talked about this a bit in the post linked above in the “rush on the last 1/3 of the slide” section.) I would try incorporating that drill into your warmup (when rowing by 4s or 6s) and really emphasize slow slides coming into the catch on the last part of the recovery. Another thing is making sure the rowers have got their full body prep by the time they reach bodies over (there’s a reason why that stage of the stroke is called bodies. over.) since not having the bodies prepped can lead to them throwing their chests forward on the last inch or two of the slide to get all the length that they should have had half a stroke sooner. The “throwing forward” of the body weight also contributes a lot to the boat feeling rushed and checked, especially if you’ve got more than one person doing it.

Coxing Q&A Racing Rowing Technique

Question of the Day

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When during a 2k race should you make a call for ratio? What characteristics/flaws should tip you off that ratio is the necessary adjustment?

Ratio calls aren’t necessarily something that should be part of your race plan. Like, the way you say “we’re taking a 10 at the 500m, 1000m, and 1250m”, you don’t say “we’re taking a ratio shift at 800m”, if that makes sense. The times when I’ve called a ratio shift during a race are usually somewhere between 750m and 1250m. That’s an easy spot for the rowers to get frantic, especially if they’re being passed, or let the effects of fatigue cause their technique to get sloppy. The third 500 is another spot to watch for this and make that call if necessary.

Related: How do you call a ratio shift to control and stop the rush without lowering the SR? Is it even possible?

Ratio shifts are just that – they’re shifts to adjust the ratio back to what it should be (2:1) so you shouldn’t call for one unless you have to. This is why communication with your stroke is important because they can feel when the ratio is off since they’ll be getting thrown up their slide. Sometimes you can see it and/or feel it (it’ll feel very obviously like you’re spinning your wheels) but for the coxswain to feel it it’s got to be bad. My stroke and I have a one-word communication system too for when we need to get it back on track – she says “ratio” and I make the call. Simple as that.

For more on ratio, check out the “ratio” tag.

Coxing Drills Q&A Rowing Technique

Question of the Day

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I say “catch 1, 2” a lot to keep ratio but after the catch when they’re on the recovery, why do I want them sliding back slowly? Shouldn’t that be the quick part when they’re actually taking the stroke? Or maybe my coach likes me to say that just because she still wants us taking it slow?

After the catch … you mean the drive? The drive is when where they’re taking the stroke and the recovery is when the blade is out of the water and they’re sliding forward into the catch. You wouldn’t count out “catch 1, 2…” on the drive though because that’s “fast” part of the stroke when the blade is in the water. Ratio is always 2:1 or 3:1, meaning that the recovery is two to three times longer than the drive.

Related: There’s a lot of like, I don’t know how to describe this really, lurching in the boat? Because I think the girls slide forward to fast and that makes us go back instead of forward if that makes sense. how would you correct this? Thanks!

When you take it slow like that, are you rowing with any kind of pressure? The only time I can think where I’ve had an exaggerated drive instead of an exaggerated recovery is when we’ve done rushed-recovery drills. They work on having quick catches because you’re taking no time on the recovery. The drive, on the other hand, is slow and there’s no pressure on the stroke – you’re basically reversing the ratio, so instead of it being 3:1 it’s now 1:3. Does that sounds like what you’re doing? If that’s not it, then I’m not sure what your coach is having you do. I’d definitely ask for clarification though so you’re sure you’re communicating the right stuff to the crew.

Coxing Q&A Technique

Question of the Day

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How do you call a ratio shift to control and stop the rush without lowering the SR? Is it even possible?

Well, with ratio shifts you’re not actually doing anything to the stroke rate even though it feels like the stroke rate is going down. All a ratio shift does (or is supposed to do) is shift the ratio from being something like 1:2 (recovery : drive) back to 2:1. What you have to communicate to the crew and help them understand, particularly if you’re coxing a younger crew, is that all you’re doing on a ratio shift is slowing down the recovery and powering through more on the drive.

If the boat feels rushed, what does that mean? It means that less time is being spent on the recovery than the drive and there’s no slide control, so you and the stroke need to communicate and determine if a ratio shift is necessary. If it is and it’s not something your crew has done before or they’re not used to doing them, explain that the amount of time that they’re spending on the recovery is too short so they need to lengthen out and slow the slides down with the stroke while keeping the drive solid and quick through the water. To help them understand, give them the numbers – standard ratio is either 2:1 or 3:1. If you’re rushing, the numbers will be reversed. Call for the shift “in two, that’s one … and two, on this one.” Remind them to swing out of bow together, start the wheels together, roll into the catch at the same controlled speed, and maintain a powerful push on the drive.

When I call for a shift, I use my voice to help them sense the ratio. Right after a shift to ensure the power doesn’t drop, I always tell them to make that first stroke the most powerful stroke we take so that’s usually when I’ll throw in a “BOOM” call at the catch. The “boom” reminds them not only to have a strong catch but to make the drive powerful. If the drive is powerful, the blade has to move fast through the water. In order for the boat to benefit from that powerful stroke the recovery has to be controlled, regardless of the stroke rate.

If we’re drilling or doing steady state and it feels rushed, I’ll call the shift and say “Let’s take a ratio shift in two, that’s one … and two now, catch looong.” The “catch” part stays aggressive and direct but the “long” call is drawn out to the help guide them through the recovery – basically I want them to match the length of the recoveries to the length of time that I’m holding out the call. I’ll also use my voice to enunciate what I want if I’m coxing novices and counting out the timing. “One – two – three – catch, push. Controlllll – two – three – catch. Move together and send. Let’s keep this run – hook through, smoooth now on the slides.” Recovery calls are drawn out, catch calls are short and staccato, and drive calls are aggressive.

The experience of your crew will also play a factor into how little the stroke rate changes when you call for a shift. The majority of the crews I’ve coxed in the last several years have been experienced enough that when I call a ratio shift, regardless of whether we’re at an 18 or a 30, the stroke rate hardly ever changes. It’s something that comes with concentration, experience, and practice.