What is the Recovery in Rowing?

Definition

The recovery is the half of the rowing stroke that happens between strokes. The blade has just left the water at the finish, and the rower needs to get back to the catch position to take another stroke. During the recovery the rower applies no power to the blade - the boat continues forward by inertia from the previous drive.

The recovery is sometimes called the "slide forward" or the "return". It is the only time in the stroke when the rower is not directly producing boat speed, but it is critical for boat run and for setting up the next catch cleanly.

The recovery sequence

The recovery sequence is hands away, body forward, slide forward - in that order:

• Hands away: the arms extend forward while the rower stays leaned back. The handle moves away from the body until the arms are straight.
• Body forward: the back swings forward from the lay-back position to forward body angle. The seat stays at the back stop during this stage.
• Slide forward: only after the body angle is set does the rower start to slide up the seat toward the catch. The slide is gradual and accelerates only as the rower nears the front stop.

Recovery pace and ratio

The recovery should be slower than the drive. At low rates (18-22 spm) the recovery is 2-3 times longer than the drive - this is the 1:2 or 1:3 drive-recovery ratio. The boat has plenty of time to glide between strokes and the rower has time to set up the next catch cleanly.

At race rate (36-40 spm) the recovery shortens dramatically and the ratio approaches 1:1. Maintaining a long, controlled recovery at race rate is one of the markers of a fast crew. Use the stroke rate calculator to convert rate and split into distance per stroke and see the boat run from different recovery patterns.

Why slow recovery is faster than fast recovery

Beginners often think the recovery should be quick - they want to "get back to the catch" as fast as possible to take another power stroke. But boat speed comes from the drive, not the recovery. Rushing the slide back to the catch does not make the boat faster; it shortens boat run, costs balance, and arrives at the catch off-rhythm.

A long, controlled recovery does three things: it gives the boat time to glide (so total distance per stroke is higher), it gives the rower's muscles a brief rest before the next drive (so power per stroke is higher), and it lets the rower set up the next catch cleanly. All three are wins. The recovery is recovery - in both senses of the word.

Common recovery errors

The recovery is the most-coached part of the stroke at club level because errors here cost balance and rhythm:

• Rushing the slide: the rower starts the slide before the body angle is set. The recovery becomes a single jerky movement instead of a sequenced one. The boat surges and the catch is off-balance.
• Lurching the body: the rower throws the body forward fast, often combined with rushing the slide. The boat is destabilised and the catch position is rushed.
• Hitting the front stop: the rower slides into the front stop with too much momentum. The seat slams against the stop and the catch is jammed rather than smooth.
• Over-reaching at the front: the rower extends past the natural catch position trying to get more reach. The slide goes past full compression and the rower loses leverage at the catch.

Drills that train the recovery

Pause drills are the standard recovery training tool. Pause-at-hands-away (rowers pause for 1-2 seconds after the arms extend, before the body swings forward) trains the hands-away phase. Pause-at-body-over (rowers pause after the body angle is set, before the slide starts) trains the body-forward phase. Both drills force the rower to sequence the recovery rather than blur it into one movement. Square-blade rowing also trains a controlled recovery because feathering errors are obvious when the blades stay square - the boat sets the rower up rather than the rower setting the boat up.