The recovery

The part of the rowing motion where the blade is above the water is also called the “recovery”. The recovery starts at the rest point, somewhere between fixed seat and ¼ seat. This point is both the start and end point of the stroke. Muscles that are not being used are relaxed. The shoulders are low, that is, they are not hunched up. The arms are straight and the rower is sufficiently bent in.

Slowly and steadily (i.e. at one speed) is slided to the catch. At the catch, the lower legs are vertical (no further) and the chest may touch the legs. During the sliding, the angle of the trunk to the boat does not change. Immediately after the knees, the blade gently squares, with a constant movement. The ratio between draw and recovery is between 1:1.1 and 1:1.5. So the recovery takes 10% to 50% longer than the draw.

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	Hands
	Catch