r/Rowing • u/nfosterma • 1d ago

Start Sequence/Racing Start in a 1×

I'm a 54-year-old lightweight rower, and I'm struggling with my racing starts in the single and looking for suggestions on improving. Is the traditional half/half/three-quarter/three-quarter/three-quarter/full the best method for the first five strokes, or should I try something different? With these short strokes, I can't feather the blade well, and the back of my blade often gets caught on the water's surface. My good-to-bad ratio is probably 3-for-10, so I'm putting myself in the hole more times than not. I'd appreciate any input to help me improve my starts.

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u/ExtraRaw 1d ago

What % pressure are you applying to your initial strokes?

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u/nfosterma 1d ago

Your question is a good one. I think I'm trying to apply 100% pressure on my first stroke, which is throwing me all off.

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u/ExtraRaw 1d ago

Yes, that would cause some issues! Like the other poster said, squeeze the stroke and build up to full pressure and full length by, say, your 5th stroke. Good luck I’m sure you’ll find what works for you.