Interview: Henry Smith, Head Rowing Coach, Christ’s College

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Henry Smith, is Senior Rowing Coach at Christs College Christchurch New Zealand.  They had a spectacularly successful season winning the Maadi Cup [Schools national championships].  Rowperfect contributed to that success.

CAMBRIDGE, NEW ZEALAND – APRIL 02: Crews in the Girls U15 Eights compete in the Maadi Cup Rowing Regatta held at Lake Karapiro on April 2, 2011 in Cambridge, New Zealand. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

How do you use Rowperfect in your coaching?

We (the coaching team) also erg with the crew as well as rowing with them in the boat.  I try to sit in the middle of the crew or in the middle of the line of ergs.  What I find is that you can feel the rush off the back.

On the Rowperfect we link the handles together so you feel the pull on the flywheel as part of the drive sequencing.  As the load of the flywheel adjusts from legs to body/arms… if someone is opening up their shoulders off the front or if releasing their gluteus maximus early – you can tell.

As coaches, we use this as an affirmation to back up what you have seen from the boys rowing.

It takes a bit of practice but we now we go for up to 30 minutes with them.

Do you use the RP software?

What works well is that without a number on the screen we get a technical focus.  When we do 3 x 15 minutes and rotate everyone n the group through the RPs so we get everyone to have a go.  [The school has 4 original RPs which they use linked together.]

The Rowperfect has no numbers and the good thing is they focus on technique and it helps reinforce [the technique] without external factors of stability and environmental conditions.

We are looking to upgrade ours and purchase new RP3s…. we only put monitors on every couple of sessions – to reinforce the pick up and drive.

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