THE SPORT OF ROWING Both these actions start with a conscious decision, taken as you approach the front stops, to paddle really firmly with a good toe-spring backwards; they are continued by going on thinking about the need for full power as you carry on through the stroke. “Unless there is acceleration, your pulling will be largely in vain. The only way to keep the thrust powerful is to increase the blade-speed throughout the stroke, to pull progressively faster, in fact, from beginning to end.”7447 [definitely Schubschlag] “Try and see that your leg drive, your body swing, and your arm pull all finish at the same time, but make sure that you do not bend the arms too early.”7448 [Classical Technique concurrency] Modern Orthodox at Eton On the other side, in 1995, Bruce distributed Guidelines on Grainger, Langfield’s successor at Eton College, Technique to his squad, based on recommendations of the British International Rowing Office: Initial Drive with legs, with the lower back held firm. Connected especially through the outside arm and shoulder. Drive – the back continues to open out, combining with the legs. Leg drive must be in one piece. Shoulder draw added on to leg drive with arms straight for as long as possible. Finish with arm draw with upper body fixed. ACCELERATION THROUGHOUT to keep a firm lump of water in front of, and a hole behind, the blade.7449 This is Modern Orthodox overlapping- sequential Schubschlag. 7447 Ibid, pp. 39-40 7448 Ibid, p. 29 7449 Grainger, Bruce G., Eton College Boat Club Guidelines on Technique, internal memo, 1995 Author Dan Topolski Dan Topolski Daniel Topolski has been one of the most well-known, successful and respected of late 20th Century British coaches. The New Yorker: “Topolski, a slim man with black, curly hair [at least back in 1980], a tanned face and a somewhat broken- looking nose,”7450 learned to row in 1955 at the age of nine. Topolski: “When my father [famous Polish painter Feliks Topolski] arrived in England, he fell in love with traditional British things. He insisted I go to public school and take part in sports, like rowing. But after I had rowed for Oxford in 1967, he said, ‘Enough’s enough!’ – in other words I shouldn’t go on taking rowing so seriously.”7451 7450 Anthony Bailey, The Talk of the Town, The New Yorker, April 7, 1980, p. 32 7451 Qtd. by Bailey, op. cit. 2082
