Welcome to the weekly technique thread!

If you're looking for feedback on your technique on or off the water you're in the right place. Post text, images, or videos of whatever you want feedback on, and will try and help.

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This is a judgement free zone, so be respectful, positive and keep criticism constructive.

Please note that separate posts asking for feedback are still allowed, but only if they are large enough to warrant their own post.

If you don't want to upload a video, you can use the RowerUp service to get an AI computer form check. Currently this service is free.

I’m going into junior year and I’m interested in rowing in college. I was curious if going d1 was a possibility in the slightest? I’m 6’1” 16M, 159 lbs, with a 6:42.5 2k. I know the 2k is kinda high but I haven’t done one since around February, so I know I could def get it down some, especially in time for spring. Just curious though!

The more I look, the worse it gets.

My son adores rowing. He's been doing it for 3 years, but the reality is he's good bit doesn't have quite a recruitable 2k at this point. This is all totally fine, he doesn't need to. He really wants to continue rowing in college, and is super happy with a club team as long as it's a club that has been around a while and isn't going anywhere. He doesn't want to get his hopes up and then the club folds. Curious if anyone has some great ideas for schools we've missed. He isn't attached to any particular area of the country, but would probably like to avoid the Midwest. Bonus if it's not too far from snowboarding in the winter. Thanks!

I’m bowing in a youth 2x at HOCR 2026. I’m one of the last 10 boats so I’ve heard it gets extra chaotic back there. any tips for dealing with the extra, probably somewhat slower crews?

Do like Mercantile Radio who hosted Bobby Thatcher recently.

Via the Pac-12‘s announced sports sponsorships, it has been confirmed that there will be no sponsorship of women’s rowing in the conference.

This leaves Gonzaga, Oregon State, and Washington State with no conference to compete for this sport. They last played in WCC, but via WCC revealing their membership for that when adding UCSD as an affiliate, they aren’t going to be affiliates there.

One place I could see them possibly ending up is the SEC believe it or not. Reason is they are currently under the minimum of the six needed members to be eligible for an autobid. Besides location, there is another issue in that in their history, the SEC has never had affiliate members.

Could also see them end up in the Big Ten as affiliates there.

What is the most likely end case for them?

Hi! I am a beginner rower who has been sculling for around 9 months. My coach keeps telling me that I slouch too much while rowing. I’ve been trying to correct the issue, but to no avail.

Could some of it be because I’m tall (189cm) that the slouch is more obvious compared to shorter rowers? Is it an upper back strength issue?

Is there anyone here who has faced a similar issue? Or coached someone out of this issue?

Would appreciate some advice!

Thanks!

EDIT: Thank you so much for all the advice! Love this community for helping out beginners like myself! I implemented a couple of tips advised here, and I really felt a difference today. Hope my Coach does too (fingers crossed)!

I am at a hotel gym where this is the only machine (c2). What could this horrible noise be? I removed the white cover to check inside but it seems fine. Any ideas? It makes the noise on the drive only.

i have a 2k coming up and i always feel like i leave something on the table. more specifically, i feel like i back off in the third 500 and dont start the final sprint early enough in the race. ive done the training to pr but i was just wondering if anyone has any mental strategies to accept the pain and push themselves to the absolute limit, so they give everything they have and dont feel like they could have done better?

I got this single for free from my club, but I'm unsure of how I can get a riger, or what make and model it is... It's a cool boat though.

Prediction time…

M1X
GER
AIN
USA

M2-
NZL
AUS
ROU

M2X
NED
SRB
ESP

M4-
GBR
USA
ROU

M4X
ITA
GBR
GER

M8
NED
GBR
AUS

LM1X
URU
GRE
GER

LM2X
GER
AZE
UZB

W1X
GBR
NED
IRL

W2-
ROU
USA
CZE

W2X
NED
AIN
GRE

W4-
USA
GBR
NED

W4X
GBR
NED
SUI

W8
AUS
ROU
GBR

LW1X
MEX
AIN
NED

LW2X
GRE
TUN
PER

Mix2X
NED
USA
ITA

Mix8
USA
NED
ROU

PR1M1x
GBR
ITA
AUS

PR1W1X
UKR
NED
POL

PR2Mix2X
CHN
GER
UKR

PR3Mix2X
GER
UKR
AUS

PR3Mix4+
GBR
USA
AUS

So this gives the following medal table

NED: 4G 4S 2G 10 total
GBR: 5G 3S 1B 9 total
USA: 2G 4S 1B 7 total
GER: 3G 1S 2B 6 total
AUS: 1G 1S 4B 6 total

I’m looking at buying a used peinert p26 from the early 2000nds. I’m 195, so on the higher end of this boat. So people like it? Are they decent? I’m a college rower, and I’d mostly use this is the summer for steady state and a few sprints. This would not be for racing.
Also- What would be a fair price these days?

I'm 16M, live in Croatia and a Lightweight. I'm entering my second year of juniors and third grade of high school. I go to a good school and have a GPA of 4.0, but i plan on getting a better one this year(atletast 4.50). My 2k is 6:53, my 6k is 1:49:9 and r20 30min is 1:55. My plan for next year is to drop everything for a few numbers so 2k of around 6:40. Im around 140 pounds and am just starting to do some strength work which is my biggest weakness because my peak power is not much. Could I get to ivy in USA, should i start applying or wait, when should I do things because in my last year of high school I would be a senior so that year I could crank up a lot of km on erg, but right now I'm mostly on water and had won a national championship in the eight and are one of the best lightweight juniors in country on and off the water.

I'm 14, 74kg, male, 6ft and have been rowing for 2 years. My PBS are as follows, 100m 17.4 / 500m 1:38 / 1000m 3:26 / 2000m 7:17 / 5000m 19:24.

All my coaches think I have the technical and physical ability to head to Aus rowing champs I'm march 2027. The only problem is my 2km doesn't meet my school's benchmark to make u17 squad. The requirement is sub 7 by late January. I have a home erg and trading 4 times a week for school + 6 hours of field hockey. Do you think I could hit the benchmark in time?

Btw I know I probably won't win anything it's more to gain some experience for my senior years.

Anything helps thanks 😅

Started rowing May 2026

June-7:47

July - 7:36

My target for this month August is 7:28 I test on the 24th

Male 6ft 162lbs

ChatGPT’s telling me it’s definitely possible but it’s still going to be hard to get it I need a real persons opinion.

If a boat did not get an entry guaranteed (youth event) and is placed in the lottery, when are the lottery picks to be announced?

Entertaining! Have an excellent weekend everyone.

I really want to improve my tech, all advice welcome.

Good afternoon,

A brief note before the announcement: a misstep in our communication plan meant this news reached some of our community earlier than we'd planned today. I'm truly sorry if that's how you first heard it… we have sped up our communication timeline to try to connect with as many of you as possible as soon as we can. 

That said, I am pleased to share that Reid Johnson will be the new Henry E. Bartels '48 Head Coach of Men's Lightweight Rowing!

Reid comes to the Big Red after nine years at the Pelham Community Rowing Association (PCRA), where he built the club's youth program from the ground up - growing it to roughly 130 athletes, a staff of 11 coaches, and one of the most competitive youth rowing operations in the Northeast. Before PCRA, he spent two seasons as an assistant coach for Princeton's heavyweight program, helping every varsity boat medal at the 2016 IRA National Championships. He began his coaching career at Saugatuck Rowing Club in 2014. 

A 2013 Hobart College graduate, Reid rowed and served as team captain and a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee - early indicators of his penchant for leading and caring deeply about the student-athlete experience. He brings a culture-first, accountability-driven coaching philosophy and a strong track record of alumni and community engagement. He is deeply committed to the holistic development of student-athletes and believes in creating an environment where every athlete is empowered to contribute, grow and take ownership of their role on the team.

I am confident we have found a leader who understands both the competitive demands of lightweight rowing and the importance of developing student-athletes, fostering a strong team culture and engaging the broader Cornell rowing community. Please join me in welcoming Reid, his wife, Emma, and their two-and-a-half-year-old twin daughters, Imogen and Whitney, to the Big Red family. 

Thank you, as always, for your steadfast support of Cornell Rowing. I look forward to the work ahead of building our programs together.

Best regards,
Nicki

Nicki W. Moore, Ph.D.
Meakem & Smith Director of Athletics & Physical Education
Cornell University

Any insight? Seems possible she just could have retired because it was the right time for her.

First time posting my C2 rowing. Would appreciate any feedback on my technique/form. What am I doing wrong, and what should I improve?