Comments on: Where Should I Place My Footstretchers In My Rowing Shell? http://www.maxrigging.com/where-should-i-place-my-footstretchers-in-my-rowing-shell how to get more out of your rowing, and rowing equipment Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:04:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Peter http://www.maxrigging.com/where-should-i-place-my-footstretchers-in-my-rowing-shell/comment-page-1#comment-264 Peter Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:43:39 +0000 http://www.maxrigging.com/?p=312#comment-264 I decided on 62cm because it is suggested in the Rowing Australia rigging manual. I've used it now for a few years as I coach junior rowers in a school program and, like the girls above, we jump into boats used by others. It's the quickest and easiest way to get on the water with limited training time. I simply haven't got time to make a heap of adjustments every time we get on the water. The kids I coach know exactly what to do to adjust their foot stretcher when they get in the boat. Most important I find it works well. I've had kids ranging from 5'3" to over 6' in the one boat and they can all row quite comfortably together if they can all finish at the same angle. Where I am lucky enough to have a boat for our own use, I would still use this finishing point, but I would have appropriate foot and seat height for each individual. I have also found using straws placed on the gunwale at the catch angle I want the kids to achieve (sweep) a very useful tool. When they get to this angle I can observe their shin position, which gives me an idea if I need to adjust the height of the feet. Mind you I heard recently that the Olympic crews in the quad final moved their stretchers closer to the bow and finished with hands further away from their body than most coaching manuals would recommend. This helped with getting more leg power when the oars were at the perpendicular position. So it seems some basic rules are meant to be broken if you want to go fast! Some of the new foot stretchers such as those built by Rowfit, allow very easy adjustment of the height and angle of the stretcher - the rower can do it while in the boat. The older stretchers, where you have to take the whole footplate out and take three screws out etc etc are a real pain. I have seen some foot stretchers that have a sliding tube arrangement, but these have a tendency to adjust angle while you adjust position so you always have to be careful. I decided on 62cm because it is suggested in the Rowing Australia rigging manual. I’ve used it now for a few years as I coach junior rowers in a school program and, like the girls above, we jump into boats used by others. It’s the quickest and easiest way to get on the water with limited training time. I simply haven’t got time to make a heap of adjustments every time we get on the water. The kids I coach know exactly what to do to adjust their foot stretcher when they get in the boat. Most important I find it works well. I’ve had kids ranging from 5’3″ to over 6′ in the one boat and they can all row quite comfortably together if they can all finish at the same angle.

Where I am lucky enough to have a boat for our own use, I would still use this finishing point, but I would have appropriate foot and seat height for each individual. I have also found using straws placed on the gunwale at the catch angle I want the kids to achieve (sweep) a very useful tool. When they get to this angle I can observe their shin position, which gives me an idea if I need to adjust the height of the feet.

Mind you I heard recently that the Olympic crews in the quad final moved their stretchers closer to the bow and finished with hands further away from their body than most coaching manuals would recommend. This helped with getting more leg power when the oars were at the perpendicular position. So it seems some basic rules are meant to be broken if you want to go fast!

Some of the new foot stretchers such as those built by Rowfit, allow very easy adjustment of the height and angle of the stretcher – the rower can do it while in the boat. The older stretchers, where you have to take the whole footplate out and take three screws out etc etc are a real pain. I have seen some foot stretchers that have a sliding tube arrangement, but these have a tendency to adjust angle while you adjust position so you always have to be careful.

]]> By: Mike http://www.maxrigging.com/where-should-i-place-my-footstretchers-in-my-rowing-shell/comment-page-1#comment-263 Mike Fri, 07 Nov 2008 11:56:56 +0000 http://www.maxrigging.com/?p=312#comment-263 @ Peter: interested point about the heel height. It could certainly have an impact. On 62 cm, so you adjust using finish length, which certainly is a solid method to use. How did you decide on 62 cm? Experiment or numbers charts?? @ Peter: interested point about the heel height. It could certainly have an impact. On 62 cm, so you adjust using finish length, which certainly is a solid method to use. How did you decide on 62 cm? Experiment or numbers charts??

]]> By: Peter http://www.maxrigging.com/where-should-i-place-my-footstretchers-in-my-rowing-shell/comment-page-1#comment-262 Peter Fri, 07 Nov 2008 10:48:03 +0000 http://www.maxrigging.com/?p=312#comment-262 I find that the easiest method is to put a mark in the boat at 62cm behind the work (ie the pin) and get everyone to adjust the footstretcher so their rear wheel just touches this mark at the finish. That way everyone is at the same finish angle. The problem for these girls using a mens boat is that they are likely to have the feet set much lower in the boat. The other solution is for the girls to put the feet where they want and then let the blokes cope with the problem next time they get in the boat! I find that the easiest method is to put a mark in the boat at 62cm behind the work (ie the pin) and get everyone to adjust the footstretcher so their rear wheel just touches this mark at the finish. That way everyone is at the same finish angle.

The problem for these girls using a mens boat is that they are likely to have the feet set much lower in the boat.

The other solution is for the girls to put the feet where they want and then let the blokes cope with the problem next time they get in the boat!

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