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The Recovery

The recovery is the return to the catch, and it's the exact REVERSE of the drive: ARMS away first, then BODY hinges forward, THEN the knees bend to slide you forward. It must be SLOWER and more controlled than the drive (a roughly 1:2 ratio — a quick ~1-second drive to a ~2-second recovery).

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What the camera readsRowing strokeFilm from the side

The recovery is the return from the finish to the next catch. It is the drive in reverse: arms go away first, then the body leans forward from the hips, then the knees bend and the seat slides forward. It is the part of the stroke where you relax and get ready, so it should take longer than the drive at normal training rates. From the side, the app reads your recovery order (arms, then body, then legs) and your drive-to-recovery rhythm across strokes.

Arms away first

1

From the finish (legs flat, slight lean back, handle lightly below your ribs), push your hands straight away toward the flywheel until your arms are straight. Legs stay flat while the arms move.

hands float away first, body still leaning back.

2

Keep the grip loose and the wrists flat, and don't stop at the finish. The positions blend into one continuous stroke.

a smooth turn at the finish, no hitch.

Then hinge the body

3

With your arms straight, lean your upper body forward from the hips to follow your arms until your shoulders are in front of your hips. Aim for a comfortable reach, no more than about 30 degrees forward of vertical. Keep your head neutral and your shoulders relaxed.

your torso rocks over straight arms while the seat stays put.

4

Set this forward body angle early in the recovery, before most of the slide. Then hold it as you slide, so you don't dive forward at the last moment.

body set, then the slide carries you.

Then slide the legs

5

Only once your hands have cleared your knees, let your knees bend and slide the seat forward gradually.

the handle passes over the knees, then the knees rise.

6

Arrive at the catch with your shins vertical, or as close as your flexibility allows, and never past vertical. Keep your arms straight and your shoulders relaxed. It's fine for your heels to lift.

compressed but not crunched.

7

Take your time on the slide. At 24 to 30 strokes per minute, count the drive as 1 and the recovery as 2, 3, 4. At higher rates the recovery is the part that shortens most, but it should still be controlled.

quick on the drive, relaxed on the way back.

Feel it

An unhurried return where you get a breather before the next drive. The arms go away first, then the body leans forward, then the seat slides. The handle passes over your knees without a lift, and you arrive at the catch already in position. Nothing stops and nothing lunges. The app reads your recovery order and your drive-to-recovery rhythm from the side.

Fix-its

  • You rush the slide Put the effort into the drive and use the recovery to relax. Row at 24 to 30 spm and count 1 on the drive, 2-3-4 on the recovery.
  • Your knees come up early Hands clear the knees before the knees bend. If the knees rise first, you have to lift the handle up and over them.
  • You dive forward at the catch Lean the body forward early in the recovery, right after the arms go away, and hold that angle on the slide. Don't reach for the catch at the last moment.
  • You slide too far (shins past vertical) Stop the slide when your shins are vertical, or as close as is comfortable. Going past this point crunches you up and weakens the start of the drive.
  • You stop at the finish or jerk the handle Blend the finish into the hands-away so the stroke is continuous, with no stopping point.

Drill

  1. Warm up with several minutes of easy rowing first. If you are new to the rower, row no more than 5 minutes on day one and build up over two weeks.
  2. Arms-and-body rowing: legs stay flat. Reach the arms out, swing the body forward, and swing back. When you add the legs, they move only after the arms are out and the body is forward.
  3. Pause drill: pause on the recovery to check the order. The arms are out, then the body is forward, and only then does the seat move.
  4. Rhythm count: drive on 1, recover on 2-3-4. Spend less time on the drive and more on the recovery.
  5. Film from the side at 24 to 30 spm. Check that the arms move first, then the body, then the seat. Check that the knees start to bend only after the hands pass them, and that the recovery takes longer than the drive.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-26.

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