Robbie Manson Coaching

1. Smoothness into and out of the catch, picking the boat up with as little check as possible.
2. Staying loose through the shoulders and arms. I physically wriggled my fingers and rolled my shoulders before the start to shake out any tension.
3. Maximising the middle of the drive, rather than rowing too long at either end of the stroke.
4. Avoiding an overly aggressive leg drive at the catch. Instead of pushing too hard too early, I focused on connecting through the glutes, moving the hips first, and hanging elastically before swinging through the second half of the drive.
5. Trusting myself to row my own race. I knew I had good speed if I could relax into my rhythm. Rather than getting tense or worrying about being behind, I focused on finding that rhythm first.

Set yourself up well from the finish. Sit tall and rock the pelvis over so the body is moving from the hips, not rounding through the lower back. This requires enough mobility and hamstring length to keep the posture strong as you come forward.

Let the recovery be relaxed and consistent. Move at the speed of the boat, not faster or slower. Hands away, body over, then controlled knees — one smooth sequence. Keep the slide speed steady from finish to catch.

Arrive at the catch loose and tall, especially through the shoulders and upper body. This allows a clean blade placement and connection without grabbing.

From here, suspend your bodyweight off the handle through the lats and core, and drive in time with the boat. It should feel like a firm, supported press rather than a heavy lift. Too hard and you load the boat; too slow and you miss the run.

Coordinate the drive: suspend, swing, then draw. Hold the connection through to the finish, release cleanly, and let the boat run.

Once the movement and rhythm are stable, you can layer more power on top. That’s when the real speed comes.

I coach athletes through structured TrainingPeaks programs focused on technique, rhythm, and sustainable speed.
Click the link in bio to find out more.

Coaching session this morning with the West End Rowing Club mixed masters 8 as they get ready for Head of the Yarra next weekend.

We focused on holding pressure through the finish and keeping the hands even and level on the recovery — small details that make a big difference in boat speed.

This crew has been following my program for the past 11 weeks, so it was great to get on the water with them and sharpen things up before going to Melbourne.