Lifting my heels too high?

[GJS]

The suggestion here is that heel lifting - or perhaps, more accurately, an initial drive from the toes - is not merely a thing that tends to occur naturally but is actually a thing that should be encouraged.

The argument presented applies both to boats and ergs.

http://www.biorow.com/RBN_en_2008_files ... News07.pdf

[Anth_F]

I personally think a little bit of lift is fine (i'm no expert on rowing) This is just from my personal experience! I lift my heel a little bit each stroke

I still however 100% support the drill shown in that video, and would deem it a very useful idea to people with issues that the OP has. And help eliminate excessive lift!! Bottom line is, excessive lift is not efficient on the erg, period.

[jamesg]

But I don´t know. Do people push with the heels at the beginning of catch/drive or just with the balls of the feet? Does my heel lifting "problem" sounds like a potential reason to my trouble to involve the legs?

If we can do the Asian Squat while waiting for the bus, then probably we can also keep our heels down at the catch. At a guess, genetics determines the configuration of ankle bones and no doubt the typical WASP configuration has its advantages too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibzp-bFBu_Y

We get round the erg "problem" by swinging forward first onto the feet, before moving the slide, and not going too far forward with slide and knees, which is a weak position for the catch anyway, so not a good idea. The standard recovery sequence (arms swing legs) allows a fast leg catch, which is what's needed.

[Marben]

Ok. Here is a video. Unfortunately it´s no good quality and the person who filmed me didn´t film the whole machine but I suppose it´s better than nothing. About the heel lifting I suppose it´s nothing to do about, I simply can´t keep the heels down more.

Any feedback about my technique is very welcome. Be hard on me if it can help me row faster.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8qOg-7 ... e=youtu.be

[GJS]

Link doesn't work for me, Marben.

[Citroen]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8qOg-7CnEU

You need to re-publish your video as public

[Marben]

Oh, sorry. I think I have made it public now. At least I can watch it from the link without beeing logged in at Youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8qOg-7 ... e=youtu.be

[gooseflight]

Not bad.

You over compress coming into the catch, mainly because you rush the recovery. Your shins are well beyond vertical.

On the recovery the seat is the last thing to move.

1. Hands away (legs stay down)
2. Pivot upper body forward from the hips
3. Bend knees

At the moment your recovery is all one phase and you lift the handle over your knees. Break it down and your recovery will be slower and smoother. This will prevent you rushing into the catch and will reduce your heel lift.

[Marben]

Thanks Gooseflight! I´ll try the "three way recovery" you suggested.

[gooseflight]

You're welcome. A bit of heel lift is fine. On the erg it's in our interest to pull as much chain as possible -- one reason why tall rowers have an advantage. If lifting allows you a little farther forward that's fine but at the same time closing the knee angle too much is undesirable

At the start of the drive stroke the first couple of inches are wasted as we take up the slack on the chain and clutch of the mechanism. After that the real work can begin and by then your heels are probably down anyway. So nothing is lost by starting the drive off the toes, as many do.

[hjs]

I will try to make a video but I´ve to do it at the gym and that´s not easy since I´ve to make sure no one else is recorded.

About the strapless; I´ve tried that but I really can´t understand it. I´ve to press my heels down (towards the floor) not to fall of. How am I supposed to push with the legs and still sit stable on the seat? I´m tall and slim which maybe makes it more difficult for me.

Its not the legs, but the arms that finish the stroke and get all energy in the chain.

Re heals, depends a lot on flexibility, lifting the heals is normal and does not hinder the legs working well.

[hjs]

Oh, sorry. I think I have made it public now. At least I can watch it from the link without beeing logged in at Youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8qOg-7 ... e=youtu.be

Ankles are not the problem, you overcompress a good bit, thats the problem, sequence is also off, you bend the legs before your back comes back.

[Marben]

Hjs: With overcompress do you mean that I lean back to much at the end of the drive?

[Bob S.]

Hjs: With overcompress do you mean that I lean back to much at the end of the drive?

Your knees are too far forward at the catch. Your shins should not go past vertical. It is no wonder that your heels lift a bit.

Also, you use an energizer bunny stroke, i.e. very little difference in the timing of the drive and recovery. The drive should be short, quick, and hard. In contrast the recovery should be long, slow, and relaxed. Get the most out of each drive and use the recovery for just that - recovery. The recovery is not just to recover your position for the next drive, but to get a smidgen of rest between drives. That's for training rows and long time trials. For short races and time trials, and for intervals, recoveries get shorter so that you can increase the stroke rate. Even for short distances, however, the recovery should take longer than the drive.

[hjs]

Hjs: With overcompress do you mean that I lean back to much at the end of the drive?

Your knees are too far forward at the catch. Your shins should not go past vertical. It is no wonder that your heels lift a bit.

Also, you use an energizer bunny stroke, i.e. very little difference in the timing of the drive and recovery. The drive should be short, quick, and hard. In contrast the recovery should be long, slow, and relaxed. Get the most out of each drive and use the recovery for just that - recovery. The recovery is not just to recover your position for the next drive, but to get a smidgen of rest between drives. That's for training rows and long time trials. For short races and time trials, and for intervals, recoveries get shorter so that you can increase the stroke rate. Even for short distances, however, the recovery should take longer than the drive.

What Bob says, knees are the problem, you bend your lets way to deep.

Rating, you go up and down to fast, make the strokes count, drive hard, recover relax.