The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-25
less important-must be unity of body
motion, or FORM and oneness Of purpose

motion na 9,,,I Or form, and oneness of purpose
The long and almost uninterrupted series
OF victories of Cornell upon the water has
turned the eyes OF oarsmen a nd those who
are Interested in rowing to the stroke
taught by Mr. Courtney. In brief, the
distinguishing features Of the Courtney
stroke may be said to be It's length and
slowness. This does not mean that the
oar is pulled through the water slowly. 1t
the Courtney oarsmen. Instead OF bring
ing his slide up quickly as ovice would
naturally do, the veteran Comedian allows
his slide to move forward comparatively
slowly.
This slow slide causes no check in the
progress of the boat. Again. at the full
reach, instead of dropping the blade i'm
mediately In the water the oarsmen hesitate
a, moment. Then. as the blade Is dipped,
the shoulders are applied with great power,
the stroke is pulled clean through strongly,
the oar is feathered and the hands are
shot out quickly, while the body follows
more slowly az the seat creeps forward
up the slide. The blade is then slowly
turned for the next stroke. The full reach
Is not an extreme posture.
MIR. Courtney's success upon the water
with this method Of stroking has led the
coaches OF other college crews to follow,
to greater or less extent his system,
their hope being that by combination
OF his ideas and their own winning crew
may be produced.
Wisconsin rows as much like Cornell
as any crew can. At distance, during
practise, 1t is difficult to distinguish
bet ween them. In fact, Wisconsin oars
men carry the slow slide and catch almost
to extremes, Unfortunately In the last
two or three years her crews have shown
a tendency to go to pieces. Her men
have lost control of their slides, with the
result that they row higher stroke than
they have been taught and trained for. and
this has proved fatal to them for no crew
can hope for victory by rowing one kind
OF stroke during practise and another
kind in the race. Wisconsin oarsmen are
always big, and on account OF their splendid
form in practise have often been picked
for first or second place in the varsity
race.
Georgetown, like Wisconsin, has the
slow slide and CATCH but also-like Wis
consin-her oarsmen have at the crucial
moment lost control Of their slides. There
is tendency with nearly all oarsren. in
the nervous tension of race, to shorten
or chop their stroke and to rush their
slides. Especially in a crew behind the
leaders Is their eagerness to hurry the
stroke apparent This work-hurried and
unframed for-carses check in the boats
speed and eShausts the oarsmen
If, then. slow stroke is to he used at
all in race. tho oarsmen must be SO well
will not lose their heads in a regatta. But
this is but another way Of saying that only
Courtney can teach the Courtney stroh
Others have attempted it, but at the fir al
test have generally failed
=, Mr. Goodwin OF Columbia also teaches
the slow stroke. His varsity crew last
June rowed ~ to 20 throughout the race.
In the opinion Of the writer, the Columbia
oarsmen spend too much time upon the
fine details of bladework and not enough
time in the acquisition Of the endurance
and strength absolutely necessary for a
long. fast and hard pull. The Columbia
crews during the last three or four wears
have rowed prettily, but lack in staying
power.
"Coach Ten Eyck's method of rowing is
system. Syracuse oarsmen pay little 'H at.
tention to their slides and the oar is dropped
In the water for the catch Immediately at
the attainment OF the full reach. There is
no hesitancy in the bladework. As soon az a
stroke is finished, the oar is carried quickly
PACK for the next stroke, and as soon as the
blade is turned 1t is dropped in the water
with n hard catch The oarsmen reach
far out and finish the stroke with n snap.
Without rushing their slides they bring
them up Immediately and quickly.
The result is that the boat checks to some
extent. This checking, however. is co,ln-
terbalanoed by, the great strength applied
to the oars and the speed with which one
stroke follows anot her. The extreme
reach, quick slide and catch. and fast re-
covery result In a snappy stroke, and the
shell jumps forward almost as IL alive. Those
who have seen Our crews on the water will
appreciate the figure
Again, where other coaches spend much
time on the details Of badework, Coach
Ten Eyck says hardly a word. His p,r-
pose Is to turn out a crew that can row
hard and fast and long. and not one which
ma kes fine appearance, but is worthless
In racing