The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-23
HlGH GEARED cRERS ts. L0W.
Courtney and Ten EyOk divided as TO
Proper Pace.

The early training OF the college crews
which now are on the water forecasts q rope
tItlon OF the argument as TO the conIbhra-
tive merits Of fast or slow pace for a crew
In rowing four miles. The idea that obtains
with some coaches 10 that twenty eight to
thirty strokes to the minute are the right
number for q boatload TO take II the race
Ia TO be finished at all. Others contend that
a good crew can do thirty-four or thirty-siX
to the minute for the distance. and, in feet,
must do 80 In order to beat the Others. Coach
Courtney OF Cornell is strongly In favor OF
having crews use the low stroke. Coach
Ten Eyck Of Syracuse. Courtney's most i'm
portant and successful rival. holds out FOR
the high stroke.
Courtney's varsity eights won at Pough-
keepsie In 1901. 1902, 1908 ana 1905. Ten
Eyck's Syracuse varsity won In 1904. AS Tar
as results obtained from coaching go, Court
ney has the better Of the argument. On the
other hand, Ten Eyck's crews always have
been In the hunt for the big prizes ana his
opinions are to be hearkened to.
1t Is solely on the question OF the proper
pace that the two men disa gree. Both con-
| cur that there is only one way to row. 1t
Ia on the matter OF strokes to the minut
| that they disa gree. Ten Eyck said recently:
There is only one way to row, and that 10
the right way. This idea OF calling the stroke
Of the winning crew by the name of the coach
makes me urea, lOuEtueS y OphhVh M
Every one knows that there iB a funda-
mental law Of rowing. The crew that Is
Grained to carry out the elementary prln-
olples in the smoothest and most effective
way will win. There 10 no Courtney stroke.
no 'Hanlan' stroke. no Ten Eyek' stroke. no
'anybody's' stroke"
While these experts agree thus FAR In theory.
they differ In the methods OF practical appli-
cation. Ten Eyck's idea Is not 30 much In
smooth form as In the ability to win. The
winning style consists simply in, one crews
rowinG faster than the other, pulling g faster
brin gina them through In quicker time than
their opponents. without, paying TOO much
attention to q form man ana n 5e fant Tas an i e@se Sy5a.
that spoTted the 0ran 90 last June at Popgh-
lines Of Cornell. and although second It was
far behind Courtney q, pets.
| form. and always has coached his crews 80
! that in finish and techu lque they were better
than the other crews IN the race AZ the
The opinion of the ithaca, coach Is; Il do
d tRan o thirty Strokes to The minute. This de-
Ponds to an extent upon the weight Of the
men. A heavy crew necessarily cannot and
Boat By rowing a low stroke In as perfect
form as possible, the men. l think, can. get q
and in consequence can travel down the river
smoother and faster than an other crew which
Is owing a much higher stroke. Just pause
for a minute to consider the diferenc co In actual
wear and tear.
and one that averages "a. In q four mile
race this means that one crew takes about
100 strokes more than the other; In the strain
and fight of q four mile pull these additional
strokes are going to count as 2 drain on en-
a low stroke obviously can go along In better
form than an eight which is simply being
yanked along. Form, counts tremendously
In actual results, or at least ! think II does.
1t is here that Ten EyCk differs from Court
Eyck. that a crew rowing 20 TO the minute
with the power properly applied can beat an
equally good crew owing "a TO the minute
with the power also properly applied. Inc
slow recovery, in the stroke was developed
at Cornell and its use was best e1smpdtt,he,d Tiled
crew rowed best at a 2s stroke. belieye that
a crew which ! should have regarded as
equally good which .rowed "a, 10 the minute
would have beaten that Cornell eight. Why
sidered at the lower stroke. Although the
effect may be more graceful apd pleasing to
the eye, the point of getting the most speed
from the crew L. sacrificed. That ~ TO say.
power and conditions being equal the crew
PULLING a ins,r the %ils sre a6nid p Se tRe oS os to ssrS %iS. in
victories won. Ten Eyck has, done better
with the crews that go only a short distance.
Take, for instance, his freshman and f9nr
record. on the face OF things Courtney has
The question will be settled by these leaders.
for a time at least. when the crews meet at
PouRhkeepsie on June 20 for the annual inter-
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