shin angle at the catch

[Alex Lumier]

Hello everyone,

it's been 6 years since I started rowing, and I know that at the catch my shins should be at 90º with the boat. But I would like to know why. Biomechanically speaking, why is that so important? What happens to muscle contraction or recruitment if we don't reach that angle?
It would be great if someone knew the answer and/or know some studies that explain why.

Thank you

[jamesg]

The rowing action on the erg is governed by the fact that the flywheel is moving fast, so we too must move fast and also produce force, to do mechanical work on the handle.

For this the posture at the catch must be close to ideal, so that the action too can be ideal: a hefty thrust with the legs at the catch, followed by hips, shoulders and arms, at ever increasing speed.

This ideal posture is reached with a straight back and by using the hands away, then swing, then slide recovery sequence. This sequence ends forward with the shins vertical or slightly short of vertical, and our weight on the feet. This leaves the knee angle open, offering speed and force of action as needed. At high race ratings we may tend to use a shorter posture, but normally in training or race cruise, the stroke will be full length, in order to limit the force needed for any given amount of work.

What must be avoided is bringing the slide too far forward: the knee angle is small, posture weak, legs cannot act fast. Can lead to injury. Afloat it's impossible, but if you suffer this problem on the erg, put a frontstop on the rail about 50 cm from your heels and use the recovery sequence.

If you have problems with the recovery sequence, try the backstop drill: first hands and swing only, then add slide after the swing. All as shown here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ82RYIFLN8

[MiddleAgeCRISIS]

Hello everyone,

it's been 6 years since I started rowing, and I know that at the catch my shins should be at 90º with the boat. But I would like to know why. Biomechanically speaking, why is that so important? What happens to muscle contraction or recruitment if we don't reach that angle?
It would be great if someone knew the answer and/or know some studies that explain why.

Thank you

I didnt know this for my first 1m of metres and it caused a lot of pain in my ITBs.

Putting in a front stop worked for me. Although the stroke is shorter - i feel it gets straight to the most powerful part of the drive.

I've not rowed on water but i wonder if you would bounce the boat if you went past this angle? I'd love to know.

Hoping to try rowing on the water in the spring on the severn.

[hjs]

Hello everyone,

it's been 6 years since I started rowing, and I know that at the catch my shins should be at 90º with the boat. But I would like to know why. Biomechanically speaking, why is that so important? What happens to muscle contraction or recruitment if we don't reach that angle?
It would be great if someone knew the answer and/or know some studies that explain why.

Thank you

I didnt know this for my first 1m of metres and it caused a lot of pain in my ITBs.

Putting in a front stop worked for me. Although the stroke is shorter - i feel it gets straight to the most powerful part of the drive.

I've not rowed on water but i wonder if you would bounce the boat if you went past this angle? I'd love to know.

Hoping to try rowing on the water in the spring on the severn.

Stroke does not need to be shorter. Getting the shins beyond vertical is caused by not rocking over the hips/upperbody enough and leaving a gap between the chest and legs. Doing this makes the first part of the stroke weaker. From a vertical shin and forward placed upperbody everything is ready to fire.

[MiddleAgeCRISIS]

Hello everyone,

it's been 6 years since I started rowing, and I know that at the catch my shins should be at 90º with the boat. But I would like to know why. Biomechanically speaking, why is that so important? What happens to muscle contraction or recruitment if we don't reach that angle?
It would be great if someone knew the answer and/or know some studies that explain why.

Thank you

I didnt know this for my first 1m of metres and it caused a lot of pain in my ITBs.

Putting in a front stop worked for me. Although the stroke is shorter - i feel it gets straight to the most powerful part of the drive.

I've not rowed on water but i wonder if you would bounce the boat if you went past this angle? I'd love to know.

Hoping to try rowing on the water in the spring on the severn.

Stroke does not need to be shorter. Getting the shins beyond vertical is caused by not rocking over the hips/upperbody enough and leaving a gap between the chest and legs. Doing this makes the first part of the stroke weaker. From a vertical shin and forward placed upperbody everything is ready to fire.

I will take a look at this tonight. Thinking it through presently. My logic was that i lost the gap created by the front stop.

[hjs]

I will take a look at this tonight. Thinking it through presently. My logic was that i lost the gap created by the front stop.

Its almost always different angles. More leg bend and less folding, or just the other way around.

[MiddleAgeCRISIS]

I will take a look at this tonight. Thinking it through presently. My logic was that i lost the gap created by the front stop.

Its almost always different angles. More leg bend and less folding, or just the other way around.

Think I get it, shins and femurs dictate the pelvis position and then the folding or not. Ish.

[Nomath]

There is quite a difference between rowing in a boat and rowing on a static C2 ergometer. I cannot comment on the optimal posture in a boat, but there are several studies on the internet.

On a static C2, after the catch you first have to accelerate your body to a speed that matches the momentary speed of the flywheel before you can apply any power to the flywheel. Your posture at the catch should optimize this initial launch in which all force is applied to the foot stretchers. The shin angle will depend on the height of the foot stretchers. As the stretcher height is increased, the shins will be less than vertical.
You can find more details in the article The influence of stretcher height on posture in ergometer rowing, in European J. of Sport Science, 2010.

[hjs]

There is quite a difference between rowing in a boat and rowing on a static C2 ergometer. I cannot comment on the optimal posture in a boat, but there are several studies on the internet.

On a static C2, after the catch you first have to accelerate your body to a speed that matches the momentary speed of the flywheel before you can apply any power to the flywheel. Your posture at the catch should optimize this initial launch in which all force is applied to the foot stretchers. The shin angle will depend on the height of the foot stretchers. As the stretcher height is increased, the shins will be less than vertical.
You can find more details in the article The influence of stretcher height on posture in ergometer rowing, in European J. of Sport Science, 2010.

Otw, the water needs to be “caught” the speed of the flywheel is now the speed of the boat versus the water.

[Alex Lumier]

There is quite a difference between rowing in a boat and rowing on a static C2 ergometer. I cannot comment on the optimal posture in a boat, but there are several studies on the internet.

On a static C2, after the catch you first have to accelerate your body to a speed that matches the momentary speed of the flywheel before you can apply any power to the flywheel. Your posture at the catch should optimize this initial launch in which all force is applied to the foot stretchers. The shin angle will depend on the height of the foot stretchers. As the stretcher height is increased, the shins will be less than vertical.
You can find more details in the article The influence of stretcher height on posture in ergometer rowing, in European J. of Sport Science, 2010.

Thank you for showing me this article, it does a pretty good job at explaining the importance of the shank angle at the catch.

[Tsnor]

Especially when I am trying to row long/slow and control heart rate, when I get a really good technically correct stroke (shins not past vertical, good forward lean, strong back, lats engaged, heel down leg drive) the split time shoots down at the same perceived effort level.

Suggest you try a few of the suggestions above and try to see the split difference. It's large for me.