“Mike, Do you know of a book that holds all of the skills and drills necessary for coaching?”

Pat desires to get better at rowing drills (which is great) but he may be asking a little too much—I don’t know of any resource that holds ALL the drills. Each resource is biased by whoever produces it and he or she will usually include only their favorite ones.

So although I don’t know of a definitive resource there are certainly several good resources available.

At the most recent USRowing Convention in Atlantic City I purchased the entire set of DVDs offered by USRowing. (In the flavor of disclaimer I had nothing to do with the production of these videos although I do work with USRowing, and I don’t receive any affiliate fees from them). This is one resource that I recommended to Pat and thought you might like to know about them also.

There are several titles in the series, here are a few of my favorites:

• Coached Drills
• Sculling Fundamentals
• Introduction to Rigging
• Coached Drills II
• Trailering I
• Safety DVD 2007
• Sweep Technique, The Art of Moving the Boat
• Coached Drills III, Starts & Sprints

(The titles are self explanatory.)

The Good Stuff

There are three great things about these disks.

1. They hold some stellar information, and most use several current coaches to discuss and show how their drills work.
2. The director, Willie Black, puts his heart and soul into these.
3. Most cost only . . . drum roll please . . . $20.00 each.

I found the info in these disks to be simply presented, with discussion and presentation of the drills in action. The Coached Drills disk was especially helpful and I saw a few drills that were new to me. A good teaching component of the drill disks is to show athletes the drill on the disk first, before they attempt it, to help them learn it correctly.

What Could Be Better

Most of these disks are CDs not DVDs, so they hold less information than you would normally get with a regular DVD.  That means you won’t see a lot of flash and fancy effects yet the message is still there. I would have also liked more detail in some drills, possibly more in-depth discussion.

Overall

I’ve found these DVDs a great resource and highly recommend them to beginner to intermediate coaches/coxswain/rowers. My money was well spent.

So What Action Should You Take?

Do an assessment of your rowing or coaching, in terms of an area that you would like to improve. Then check the list of USRowing DVDs and see if there is one that might help.

Additionally, if you have a resource of drills please leave a comment and share it with us.

Review: USRowing’s Coaching Videos is a post from: Max Rigging

What I Like

There are several things about the meter I like. It fits in your pocket with no sharp ends that can really get your attention. It is lightweight. Seems durable. And it can be used to measure more than just a rigger’s pitch. For example, it does a great job reading the angle of a footstretcher.

I especially like the “hold” button which allows you to find the pitch and then “hold” the measurement so that you can read the screen at your convenience. This is especially handy when it might too dark or too sunny to read the display.

The buttons are easy to press, and the meter fits right in the palm of your hand. I also like the accuracy and precision of the meter, and having readings in tenths of a degree is a plus.

What I Didn’t Like

There was little that I did not like about this meter, but a few items that I want to note. First, rowing is a water sport and often electronics and water do not blend well. Although I have not had an issue with this yet, I would be very hesitant to take the meter in a launch or use it outside on a rainy day.

Second, I am pretty tough on tools, as I would guess most coaches/Riggers are. Although the meter has been durable so far, I am not sure how it will handle life in a tool box, or a drop from a shell onto concrete. It does comes with a small case that offers a little protection. In all, something to consider.

MaxRigging Buying Advice

If you are looking to take your rigging to a new level then this would be a tool to consider. It does offer some convenience and accuracy that older manual meters do not. The compactness is also a nice benefit. However if you are just starting out in rigging or are on a tight budget you may want to consider a simple mechanical meter first.

• Electronic Pitch Meter
• Nielsen Kellerman
• Rating: 4.5/5
• Price: $85.00 US

Electronic Pitch Meter (Nielsen Kellerman): Product Review is a post from: Max Rigging

However long before comfort comes into play, heel cup height plays a signifcant role in how efficent a rower is.

This short video shows how to measure the height. A few simple steps and you have it.

To get an idea if your height is within a range good for you, check the numbers page. And from there do some fine tuning.

Find this post helpful? If so (or if not) please use the rating below to let me know.

How To Measure the Heel Cup Height in a Rowing Shell is a post from: Max Rigging

In sculling span is a very critical measurement. It tells the distance between the port and starboard pins. This is an important dimension of determining the leverage of the boat (how heavy or light it will feel).

Many scullers just stop once they get their span measurement, but there is a need to go one step further. The distance of the pin from the centerline of the boat needs to be equal on both sides.

In other words:

Span is really not very helpful without also knowing the spread.

This short video will explain how to do both. It was requested by a reader (whose name I cannot find . . . sorry). Thanks greatly!

Have a different method, or got a question or comment? You can leave it below.

Row Slow . . . and get more out of life!

How To Measure the Span in a Rowing Shell is a post from: Max Rigging

The following video shows my way to measure the work-through of a rigger.

Hope you find it helpful.

Measuring the Work-Through in a Rowing Shell (Basic Rigging Video) is a post from: Max Rigging

I recently wrote on how to do a super simple quick rigger-height check while on the water. The following video is about measuring the height while the boat is in slings (although it can be measured while the boat is seats down if you are adventurous).

The steps to measuring are simple, and so are the needed tools. You can go more advanced with tools, such as with the Active Tools rigging stick (which I like) but a basic tape measure and straight edge is really all you need.

Hope this video helps, and if you have questions or comments please leave them below.

Measuring Rigger Height in a Rowing Shell (Basic Rigging Video) is a post from: Max Rigging

Knowing how long your oar is, and the length of your inboard, are two very important pieces of information that you need to have to rig your shell properly. Without that info you really put your rowing efficiency and effectiveness at risk.

As important as having the measurements is, knowing how to measure them correctly is just as important. Although simple to do, many people have difficulty with getting correct readings.

The short video below shows how I measure both oar length and inboard. The audio is a little low in spots. Still, I hope you find it helpful.

Have suggestions on ways to improve this, or your own way of measuring? Please share in the comment box below.

Measuring the Length and Inboard of an Oar (Basic Rigging Video) is a post from: Max Rigging

Stern pitch is basically the angle the oarlock pin has towards the stern of the boat. Since most oarlocks today come with pitch in them we measure the stern pitch with the oarlock on the oarlock pin. This is done, measured, with a pitch meter.

There are many pitch meters available, and I plan on a review of some of those in a later post, but for this video I use a meter made by Bill Leavitt. Bill has made some very handy rigging tools and is a wonderful coach (since retired). If you have a chance to try one of his pitch meters, I suggest you take advantage of it. They are simple, and work well.

There are a few steps you should take before measuring to help you get the best readings:

1. Put the boat in a safe spot, in good slings, so not to worry about it falling over
2. Make sure the oarlock is clean and not worn
3. Take the measurements in a place where you have enough light, and space, to read the meter and move at your own pace.

I’ve measured the pitch in a wide variety of places, and even with the boat upside down. You can do that (although you probably don’t want to make a habit of it) and get a good reading but it takes a steady hand and experience. If you are just starting out find a quiet place that is has good light, and take your time. Double check your work.

You do not need to worry about the boat being level from bow to stern, it can be at an angle. But for accurate readings the boat should be level from side to side.

The video explains the basics.

If you have questions, please leave a comment, or go to the Submit Question page.

Hope you find it helpful.

And have you signed up for the RSS feed to get posts sent directly to you? Or our email delivery?

Measuring The Stern Pitch Of A Rowing Shell’s Rigger (Basic Rigging Video) is a post from: Max Rigging

I really enjoy the camera and have recently bought two more to use with our coaching staff. The following 5 minute video will give an indepth review, along with actually footage taken with the camera.

Below are links to the camcorder, tripod, and the Pelican box I showed in the video. A disclaimer, these are affiliate links, and we receive a small amount for each purchase made through these links. If you are thinking of buying any of these items we would greatly appreciate you purchasing through these links—the funds help support us to continue providing quality information. Thank you.

1. Flip Video Mino Series Camcorder, 60 Minutes (Black)
2. Flip Tripod for Flip Ultra and Mino Camcorders
3. Pelican Micro Dry Case (1030) (Yellow)

Product Review: Flip Mino Camcorder is a post from: Max Rigging

To me the spread is the foundation that the house is built upon. If it is not correct then regardless of how well the house is built from that point up soon there will be problems, most likely major ones.

For you scullers out there who are getting ready to tune out this post I will say, “Read on!” Scullers need to know how to measure spread also. Although you use span (the distance from one pin to another) the only way to tell if the pins are equal distance from the centerline of the boat, and not skewed to one side or another, is to use spread.

The nice thing about spread is that it is also one of the easiest measurements to find. With a regular tape measure you can take your measurement in a matter of seconds, regardless of the position of the boat (guts-up or guts-down).

The following video will give you the lowdown, and here is a quick step-by-step procedure:

1. measure the width of the shell at the rigger position where you desire to measure the spread
2. divide that number by 2 (one reason the Metric systems rocks!)
3. take that number and place the tape on the gunwale at that mark on the tape
4. extend the tape out to the pin
5. find your spread mark where the pin intersects the tape

Give the short video a watch for some tips and to see it in action.

Questions? Leave a comment.

And so you don’t miss any video posts subscribe to my RSS feed.

Cheers!

Measuring The Spread In A Rowing Shell (Basic Rigging Video) is a post from: Max Rigging