Soft Hands

There are many technical subtleties, plus years of training required to reach the level of mastery in sculling once enjoyed by Charley McIntyre. For Charley, the sculler's catch was the holy grail of sculling.

Arguably, one of the most critical elements of the sculler's catch is the relaxation of the hand on the recovery phase of the stroke. It is an important prelude to the relaxation required to make the sculler's catch. Any gripping or tightening on the oar, on the other hand, guarantees a very slow and inefficient catch, resulting in poor sculling.

In this photograph of Charley together in a double with Christi, he provides us with a clear illustration of total relaxation. He maintains contact with the oar, only with the top of the palm of his hand. He makes it look easy and effortless, but trust me, it's not!

Those of us who had an opportunity to scull with Charley are very familiar with the sensation of letting go of the oar just before the entry. In a single, it feels like you are suspended over the edge of a cliff holding onto a string, whilst Charley instructs you to let go for a very brief moment.

Charley spent countless hours teaching me to row. I am not certain how close I came to mastering the elusive "sculler's catch." It hardly matters now. What's matters most is the joy of time spent with Charley McIntyre devoted to the pursuit of the perfect stroke.

Shannon McIntyre Woods