Take a look at the latest rowing related project on Kickstarter from Aussie outfit, Oar Inspired. 

It’s an instrumented oarlock, footplate and digital display product set.

As the project team say

True performance measurement has to start with “What” each crew member is contributing, and that means measuring what each oar is doing and how it is contributing to the speed of the boat.

The Oar Inspired Solution was based around these three pivotal elements:

Communication: Communication between coach and crews is always challenging. Too often, crews are off the water before real issues could be addressed, meaning the waste of a valuable coaching resource and precious training time reinforcing bad technique.

Embracing the Discomfort: Rowing is a sport that has been built on “feeling”. Many changes in rowing feel uncomfortable or awkward, and often the muscle-patterning and discipline required sees positive changes wrongly discarded as awkward. However with perseverance and real-time feedback, positive change can become a reality.

Retention: Training is as much about developing muscle memory as it is about fitness and strength. Every stroke taken is developing muscle memory. This muscle memory can either be to improve your technique, or on the contrary, without appropriate feedback, muscle-patterning will continue to engrain poor technique and thus harder to rectify. For change to occur, constant relative feedback is required. The feedback must not be obtrusive and not inhibit the experience of the sport.