In a boat, balance is currency. This drill teaches the rower to feel a stable platform.

Equipment needed: A single, double, or sweep boat. Calm water.

Setup: Rowing at low rate, blades feathered.

How to run it:

  1. Take five normal strokes.
  2. On the sixth recovery, pause halfway up the slide — body forward, knees bent slightly, blades just off the water.
  3. Hold for three beats. Try not to let the boat tip.
  4. Resume the stroke. Repeat for ten cycles.

What to look for: The boat shouldn’t rock during the pause. If it does, the rower’s body is shifting. Hands stay at the same height through the pause.

Variation: Add a balance test — pause and try to tap one blade on the water without the other blade dragging. Reveals which side the rower favors.