I got a question from a Faster Masters Rowing newsletter subscriber And I asked the community how they would help answer their question.
I am a 68 year old recreational rower and not all that stable. I am struggling to learn to back. Some people turn their oars upside down. Some don’t. I have tried with blades squared as usual. But I am missing something. The blades get sucked down on recovery and my balance is worse. There are not many videos out there on backing. Any ideas?
Sometimes it’s as simple as saying that backing is just a stroke in reverse. Hard to believe but true. The reason that the oar is turned upside down is to get the flat side of the shaft pushing on the gate. That way it doesn’t try to turn as you push. Worth noting that you can use full slide going backwards too. When coxing, especially eights I’ll often alternate single full strokes forward and back on opposite sides. It’s a really quick way to spin the boat 180 degrees.
Dermot Balaam
Some people use short choppy strokes some longer when turning. For me slow long strokes are more effective and better balance.
Form your lean back. Take you time, set your blade, the a slow solid, long arms away and body over. Don’t flip the blade upside down, just extra effort.
After you have this turn around, same technique with both blades, slow and solid.
Tom Hury
Keep your hands relaxed in normal ‘square position. as you finish the ‘backing’ drive, reverse feather and bring the handle [s] to your ribs before squaring again.
Lu
Back up now….you are asking me to talk about backing? Okay, I will do my best to say something useful.
1. Is this rower backing all the way to the catch? I back with arms and a just a little back.
2. Go easy. Most of the time we don’t need to hurry the backing. For sure practice backing when you aren’t being rushed.
3 Practice backing. I try to back into the dock at the end of my rows if there aren’t a lot of boats at the dock.
Glenda Howard
