This document provides summaries of the stroke techniques of Waterman/Pocock/Fitzpatrick and compares them to "Modern Orthodoxy". It summarizes each phase of the stroke - release, entry, drive, and recovery - describing the key elements of the Waterman technique versus the more mechanical Modern technique. The overall effect is described as athletic and continuous flowing movement for Waterman's technique versus a more mechanical and interrupted style for Modern Orthodoxy.

1. The Two Wholes
The Old Scullers’ Movements
By James C. Joy

2. The Two Wholes:
The Release and entry
The Drive and Release
The Two Holes:
The Release and
The Entry

3. The Two Wholes includes the lineage from five coaches and
one athlete. The coaches are Rudy Lehmann, Steve
Fairbairn, Bob Fitpatrick, George Pocock, and Jim Joy. The
athlete is the incomparable Bob Pearce.Do you know your
lineage in the stroke cycle?

4. We live in a world of air.Space is all around your body. One of the constituents of
our freedom is that we can move through space. The most beautiful way in which
humans move through space is dance. Dance is kinetic sculpturing of space. The
formal movement of space honours the dignity of space. The discipline of form
brings into relief the secret nature of space. Ballet is the supreme form here. It is
where the human body seems to leap gracefully away from the burden of gravity.
In modern dance theatre one sees the beauty and variety of sculpture in
movement.
John O’Donohue

5. The Importance of Being a Detailed
Coach; Let nothing Escape Your Eye.
The Simulation Exercises are Critical.

6. Waterman/Pocock/Fitzpatrick
• Sit high with good posture.
• In the sweep it is the two handed
release.
• Elbows come in and out at the
same speed.
• Great finger action. Relaxed. The
handles roll out onto the fingers.
Wrists are flat.
• Shell runs level and continuous.
• Transition is fluid with fingers on it.
Modern Orthodoxy
• Allow the trunk to finish as a “C”.
• In the sweep the hands have
different functions.
• So there tends to be a pause in
the movement. Mechanical.
• Significant break in the wrists.
• Shell stops momentarily.
Release and Follow Through

7. As the complete coach you are
attempting to develop the athleticism
of each individual. Your model is
Hawkeye, Uncas, and Chingachgook,
from Cooper’s, The Last of the
Mohicans. They were wise in the ways
of the woods and your athlete has to
wise in the ways of the water.

8. Waterman/Pocock/Fitzpatrick
• The trunk swing from the hips is the pronounced
characteristic of this phase. Legs are firm.
• Trunk is erect yet relaxed.
• Trunk moves with the shell.
• Trunk angle changes .
• Head is up.
• The body sits lightly on the seat. As Fitz would
say, “the breeze blows under your seat”.
• No need to hook your toes to bring the seat
forward. Trunk swing does this.
• Shell slides under the body as the recovery is
done.
• The body is in a state of recovery and relaxation.
• The Conscious swing becomes a Non thinking,
automatic action.
Modern Orthodoxy
• Here the trunk angle is set out of bow,
mechanical.
• Angle remains the same.
• In the eights the news are not rowing over the
keel.
• In the single the leg action is not firm.
• Hook your toes to bring the seat forward.
Recovery

9. Waterman/Pocock/Fitzpatrick
• Let the blade drop in
• Body position; firm position of the trunk,
and arms.
• Head is up. Blade close to the water.
• See the blade and then it disappears.
• Blade at blade depth.
• Entry is a point on the trajectory of the
blade, a nexus of the blade, trunk, and seat.
• Transition is fluid and fingers on it.
• The hands rise slightly because of the effect
of the oar length (physics), to achieve
proper blade depth and the Bernoulli effect.
Modern Orthodoxy
• The blade is prepared for the entry.
• Blade is carried higher off the water.
• Blade is squared above the water and pause
occurs in the shell run with a pronounced
vertical bow action.
• Then the blade is placed into the water.
• Very Mechanical.
• Severe raising of the hands. Effects the
horizontal run of the shell.
• Blade is placed too deep. No Bernoulli effect.
Entry

10. Fitz, said that Pearce spun the handles with his large fingers
at the entry. I cannot remember how I did it . But, I do recall
feeling the blade at the nexus point* having disappeared
and feeling the impact at the shoulders. I can still recall that
feeling as I sit after those many years have past. An old
picture of my entry on youtube(by Mike Wagner) has my
entry appearing like Vince Reynold’s or Sherry Casuto’s or
Stan Pocock’s. But, the fact remains I don’t know how I
reached this level of skill at this point.
* Nexus Point is where the head, shoulders, arms, trunk,
knees, shins , seat and blade buried intersect.

11. Drill for the Integrated Entry

12. Waterman/Pocock/Fitzpatrick
• Integrated drive from the entry to the
release.
• Arms, trunk and legs are a whole
application for each segment of the drive.
• “Pull what you can handle.”
• Blade at blade depth and maintained
throughout the drive.
• Legs move together as you go back on the
slide. Leg work is symmetrical.
• The arms are a smooth transition from
extension to flexion. The other two
movements of the legs and trunk also
transition smoothly.
Modern Orthodoxy
• Segmented drive
• First the legs on it, then the trunk with the
arms holding on(straining), finally
finishing with the arms.
• The transition phases of the arms, trunk
and leg tend to rough not smooth.
Drive

13. Trunk Position at the End of the Drive

14. The Complete Stroke:
Boys in the Boat

15. Vince Reynolds on the Seneca Canal- 4/26/13

16. The Complete Stroke:
Sherri Cassuto

17. The Complete Stroke - Hobart Crew 2015

18. Waterman’s Stroke
• Athletic continuous flowing
movement. Everything is in a state of
flux or change.
• It is much more of being an athlete.
• Everything, legs, trunk, arms work
together in unison.
• Less words, analysis and description
and more whole stroke doing.
Modern Orthodoxy
• Mechanical, interrupted, and set
positions.
• More words and description, less doing.
Overall Effect
James C. Joy • July 6, 2017