Hi Sue,

if it's a wooden handle (and you don't mind butchering it) why not gouge a small
line horizontally along where her inside hand's fingers and/or thumb
should sit. Alternatively, for a rubber grip, add a couple of lines of
insulating tape along the same line. That should provide a sufficiently
different
feeling for her to know where the line is.

I'm assuming that she knows the action, but can't tell whether the blade is
feathered or squared. This way, when the blade is squared, the line will be
facing forward, and when feathered will be facing up. The feeling in her fingers
should help her at least get to grips (sorry, unintentional) with the
action better.

Reiterating other points, Magick oarlocks will certainly help too, but try
tightening the concept 2 ones first, by moving the inside bolt on the gate
further in. Also make sure that the blades you're using have reasonably new
sleeves on them with a good solid squared lock-out.

hope that helps.

chris clark.


"No Reply"<notify-dg-youthrowing@yahoogroups.com> writes:
>There are 5 messages in this issue.
>
>Topics in this digest:
>
>1a. Adaptive rowing question
> From: susanxc
>1b. Re: Adaptive rowing question
> From: Scott Sitek
>1c. Re: Adaptive rowing question
> From: Daniel Duxbury
>1d. Re: Adaptive rowing question
> From: drew thiemann
>1e. Re: Adaptive rowing question
> From: Lowery, Michael J CIV NSWCCD Bayview, 726
>
>
>Messages
>________________________________________________________________________
>
>1a. Adaptive rowing question
> Posted by: "susanxc" susanxc@... susanxc
> Date: Thu Apr 19, 2007 4:24 am ((PDT))
>
>I have a highschool girl with low vision -- she can see close up but
>not far enough to see her oar blade. She has never rowed before, but
>ergs properly. We only have 4's to learn in (and I have an Alden
>double), and she is having a terrible time telling when her blade is
>squared, feathered, or over-feathered, causing it to dive under on the
>recovery. Any suggestions beside teaching her to scull in the double? I
>have tried 'setting' her feathering hand position at the dock (she
>inevitably lets go at some point), as well as trying to get her to feel
>the changes of the collar in the oarlock. Thanks in advance.
>-Sue
>
>
>
>Messages in this topic (5)
>________________________________________________________________________
>
>1b. Re: Adaptive rowing question
> Posted by: "Scott Sitek" rowhard00@... sdsitek
> Date: Thu Apr 19, 2007 4:42 am ((PDT))
>
>If you're a USRowing, they have dedicated a resource section to adaptive
>rowing. Maybe that will help. Off the top of my head, I was thinking that
>by emphasizing lateral pressure, it would be eaiser for her to feel the
>blade lock into place. Good luck and great job working with this young
>lady!
>
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "susanxc" <susanxc@...>
>To: <youthrowing@yahoogroups.com>
>Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2007 7:24 AM
>Subject: [youthrowing] Adaptive rowing question
>
>
>>I have a highschool girl with low vision -- she can see close up but
>> not far enough to see her oar blade. She has never rowed before, but
>> ergs properly. We only have 4's to learn in (and I have an Alden
>> double), and she is having a terrible time telling when her blade is
>> squared, feathered, or over-feathered, causing it to dive under on the
>> recovery. Any suggestions beside teaching her to scull in the double? I
>> have tried 'setting' her feathering hand position at the dock (she
>> inevitably lets go at some point), as well as trying to get her to feel
>> the changes of the collar in the oarlock. Thanks in advance.
>> -Sue
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Yahoo! Groups Links
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>Messages in this topic (5)
>________________________________________________________________________
>
>1c. Re: Adaptive rowing question
> Posted by: "Daniel Duxbury" danielgduxbury@... danielgduxbury
> Date: Thu Apr 19, 2007 7:41 am ((PDT))
>
>Sue,
>
>My first suggestion would be to check out the Magicrow oarlocks at
>durham boat. Aside from that - I would make sure that your oarlocks
>are adjusted tight enough to eliminate any "slop" in the oarlock.
>There are a lot of drills that you can do in a set boat to develop
>the "feel" of the oar locking into place. Lastly, I would recommend
>that you place a lot of emphasis on her hand position on the handle.
>A relaxed grip with slight pressure out towards the oarlock will
>really help too. Best of luck
>
>Daniel Duxbury
>Tempe Junior Crew, Head Coach
>On Apr 19, 2007, at 4:24 AM, susanxc wrote:
>
>> I have a highschool girl with low vision -- she can see close up but
>> not far enough to see her oar blade. She has never rowed before, but
>> ergs properly. We only have 4's to learn in (and I have an Alden
>> double), and she is having a terrible time telling when her blade is
>> squared, feathered, or over-feathered, causing it to dive under on the
>> recovery. Any suggestions beside teaching her to scull in the
>> double? I
>> have tried 'setting' her feathering hand position at the dock (she
>> inevitably lets go at some point), as well as trying to get her to
>> feel
>> the changes of the collar in the oarlock. Thanks in advance.
>> -Sue
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>Messages in this topic (5)
>________________________________________________________________________
>
>1d. Re: Adaptive rowing question
> Posted by: "drew thiemann" coachdrew@... youmustbestopped
> Date: Thu Apr 19, 2007 7:54 am ((PDT))
>
>Sue:
>
>At Yorktown HS, we have had a rower with a similar disability for several
>years. He can read a watch, dial on his cellphone, etc. from an inch away,
>but has low vision of anything beyond. As a freshman, having never played
>other sports or trained athletically, his learning curve was steep. But
>there is essentially no adaptive rowing community in the Washington, DC
>area, certainly nothing available for an under-sized high school oarsman who
>came mainly for the social and recreational aspects. So we agreed to take
>him on.
>
>I found that, as he was learning to row and was relegated to the bow or
>three-seat of most shells (rationale: less kids to follow his occasionally
>disastrous timing), it helped to have the rower directly in front of him
>wear a brightly colored shirt. This improved his vision (and visualization)
>of the swing and helped his timing issues immensely. We were in eights,
>obviously; in fours, you might spend a lot of time in pair pieces to help
>reinforce timing.
>
>Erg technique was focused on keeping him upright, since he had a huge
>tendency to hunch and collapse his body, having never truly "seen" what a
>good rower should look like. On the water, I repeated "silent rowing" and
>"eyes closed" drills ad nauseum, along with plenty of pause work -- a
>universal necessity for freshman boys in the first place, but a huge help to
>this particular rower.
>
>As for feathering and bladework issues, Scott is right: keeping lateral
>pressure on the oar was a serious challenge, because he was always tempted
>to pull the button AWAY from the oarlock at the finish. It took a long time
>for him to string ten or more decent strokes together but, as you might
>expect, his heightened senses of hearing and touch eventually overcame the
>other difficulties. He figured out which clunking sound equated to a
>feathered blade, which one was square, and -- after a few nasty crabs --
>what happens when it's under- or over-feathered. His boatfeel is now among
>the best on the varsity. To whit, he stroked the 3V to a first place finish
>earlier this spring.
>
>
>It will take individual coaching time and energy, likely to the detriment of
>your other rowers at the outset, but eventually the handicap can be
>minimized. There are days he doesn't row, i.e. when there aren't enough
>varsity or novice double-rowers available to make the 3V, but he accepts
>this and is glad to have stuck with the crew into his junior year. There
>were times we didn't think it would be safe or appropriate to keep him with
>the varsity, but I think everyone agrees it was worth it in the long run.
>
>Luckily we had eights to train him in. Hopefully your rower will pick up the
>technique quickly enough so that you aren't sacrificing too much training
>time in the smaller boats.
>
>Regards,
>Drew Thiemann
>Yorktown HS - Arlington, VA
>
>
>On 4/19/07, susanxc <susanxc@...> wrote:
>>
>> I have a highschool girl with low vision -- she can see close up but
>> not far enough to see her oar blade. She has never rowed before, but
>> ergs properly. We only have 4's to learn in (and I have an Alden
>> double), and she is having a terrible time telling when her blade is
>> squared, feathered, or over-feathered, causing it to dive under on the
>> recovery. Any suggestions beside teaching her to scull in the double? I
>> have tried 'setting' her feathering hand position at the dock (she
>> inevitably lets go at some point), as well as trying to get her to feel
>> the changes of the collar in the oarlock. Thanks in advance.
>> -Sue
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>--
>Drew Thiemann
>Crew Coach
>Yorktown HS / Potomac River, DC
>Capital RC / Anacostia River, DC
>(571) 331-0095
>
>Messages in this topic (5)
>________________________________________________________________________
>
>1e. Re: Adaptive rowing question
> Posted by: "Lowery, Michael J CIV NSWCCD Bayview, 726"
michael.j.lowery@... m_lowery
> Date: Thu Apr 19, 2007 12:20 pm ((PDT))
>
>Sue,
>
> First ensure there isn't an equipment problem (i.e., pitch.) Check
>the oarlock pitch through it's range of rotation and also the pitch on
>the oar (particularly if the same oar is used in the same seat.) If the
>rower is a novice, she will not recognize or know how easily a slight
>pitch change can cause oar diving.
>
> Ensure the oar's wear plates and/or oar sleeves are not excessively
>worn (square edges versus rounded worn out edges.) Also ensure the
>oarlocks are not excessively worn.
>
> If a C2 oarlock, make sure the oarlock width is adjusted properly,
>eliminating all of the "free-play" in the oarlock. The oar lock should
>have just enough clearance to turn the oar without any excessive "play"
>when half-way between feathered and square positions.
>
> Might think about the MK1 oarlocks from Magik Rowing. These have a
>pressure lever which helps set the oar sleeve into the oarlock seating
>surfaces in both the squared and feathered position (provided one
>doesn't use a death grip on the oar handle.) I have been using these
>oarlocks since they came onto the rowing market in 2004 and from my
>opinion they perform as advertised and help set the oar into position,
>particularly in choppy water conditions.
>
> Also Concept 2 has developed their "green oarlock sleeves" which have
>a wider footprint (seating surface) than their older white sleeves if
>you have C2 oars (can be retrofitted.) This increased sleeve width
>helps the oar seat more solidly in the oarlock.
>
> Any of the above would increase the "feel" of proper oarlock docking.
>
> Other than equipment changes, the best approach would be proper
>rowing technique. Focus on a relaxed grip on the oar handle to allow
>the oar to fall into or set into it's seating surface in the oarlock
>once it's rotated and/or pressure is applied to the blade. If proper
>technique is learned the rower won't need to see the oar blade to know
>it's position.
>
> Otherwise if visual cue is absolutely necessary, mark the oar handle
>where the rower might see it's orientation better within her range of
>vision. Such as painting a stripe or line, tape, etc. on the topside of
>the handle when the oar is in it's fully squared and fully feathered
>position. However, this should be a temporary approach as this would
>tend create another problem of rowing with her head down instead of up.
>
> r/
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: youthrowing@yahoogroups.com [mailto:youthrowing@yahoogroups.com]
>On Behalf Of susanxc
>Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2007 4:24
>To: youthrowing@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [youthrowing] Adaptive rowing question
>
>I have a highschool girl with low vision -- she can see close up but not
>far enough to see her oar blade. She has never rowed before, but ergs
>properly. We only have 4's to learn in (and I have an Alden double), and
>she is having a terrible time telling when her blade is squared,
>feathered, or over-feathered, causing it to dive under on the recovery.
>Any suggestions beside teaching her to scull in the double? I have tried
>'setting' her feathering hand position at the dock (she inevitably lets
>go at some point), as well as trying to get her to feel the changes of
>the collar in the oarlock. Thanks in advance.
>-Sue
>
>
>
>Messages in this topic (5)
>________________________________________________________________________
>________________________________________________________________________
>
>
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>



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