Here’s a question for you:
If your focus is sweep rowing, and going fast, can sculling help you get faster?
I have my own opinion about this, but I wanted to search out others for their thoughts.
I asked several friends who are rock-star coaches. I got several different responses but the common theme that stuck out was, “it sure can!”
Using Sculling Training for Sweep Rowing
When I prompted one coach for more details she told me “Sculling can help with so many of the small intricacies of sweep rowing that the athlete dismisses as important when the call is loud and clear to PULL HARD.”
The thought here is that sculling is the feeling counterpart of sweep rowing. Like cross-country skiing and downhill skiing—cross country skiing can teach skill sets that are critical to building a foundation for good downhill skiing.
Another coach, world renowned Allen Rosenberg, told me that four main areas may improve when a rower sculls:
- Balance
- Blade work skill
- Body posture
- Sensitivity to the stroke
It also seemed that improvement can begin immediately—eaning that you wouldn’t have to log in thousands of miles before any benefits happen.
A quick Google search will show that this is a topic of discussion for many.
Something to consider if you are interested in making a sweep boat go fast.