Improve the Stroke - Sweep hand on the oar position   (+ Common Problems)

Please look at the examples below and review your own positions or that of your crew.  Anthony Edwards, 5 times Olympic athlete demonstrates common issues.
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​Hand position on the sweep oar is important from a power and from a feathering perspective.  If the hands are too far apart less power is the result and if too close together then not only is feathering an issue but the stroke is shortened due to the finish being compromised.  

Watch to ensure that the hands are in the the appropriate places for better outcomes. 

Correct Position:
Here we see Eddy demonstrating the correct hand position in a sweep boat.
Please keep the outside hand on the end of the oar and avoid putting the little finger on the end of the oar otherwise pain can be the result, see below for more explanation.
sweep-handle-for-beginners.html

The inside hand should be in a comfortable position about three hand widths apart, please see the video below for more detail.
sweep-handle-exercises.html
how-to-handle-the-sweep-oar.html​

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Hands too close issue:

​​Here Eddy demonstrates having the hands not far enough apart, we suggest using rubber bands to educate the athletes as per the below video.

Using a rubber band on the sweep handle - easy way to fix the issue

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Tense grip Issue:

It is very important to have a relaxed grip on the oar as a tense grip causes many issues in the boat from adversely affecting balance and boat run to health issues in the wrist and upper body.

In the video below, Lyall discusses relaxed grip, both for sweep and sculling

​The vital importance of grip and relaxation

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​Inside hand too far down the shaft  issue:

Here the the inside hand is too far down the shaft with a loss of feathering control and less power in the drive phase.

Hence we suggest watch for this and use rubber bands as described in the above video repeated below to correct the issue.

Using a rubber band on the sweep handle
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