The Art of Sculling (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Sculling can be a true pleasure, especially if you have some idea what you are doing..." (more)
Key Phrases: fellow scullers, many scullers, other scullers, Courtesy Martin Marine (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

YA-- An introduction to the sport, particularly for novices. Paduda writes from the point of view of an experienced coach, beginning with the basics, building on them, then further refining them for more able practitioners. The techniques are illustrated with many photographs and comments. Included are sample workouts, drills, and advice about choosing the correct rowing shell. Tuesday How can it be, that in all of the excellent reviews of David Wiesner's June 29, 1999 (Clarion, 1992; Nov., p. 81), no one has yet mentioned that June 29, 1999 is a Tuesday!!?? JAN DE SIREY Hennepin County LibraryMinnetonka, MNLearn to Be the Master Student I believe your reviewer did not understand the purpose of our book, Learn to Be the Master Student (Maydale, 1992; Nov., p. 131), and I take exception to several of her comments.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Review

"If you're going to row-for recreation or competition-start with this book." -- New York Outdoors

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Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press; 1 edition (December 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071580107
• ISBN-13: 978-0071580106
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #212,059 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read, September 19, 1999

By A Customer

VERY readable, very informative, very helpful and very inspiring. I enjoyed it immensely and found the various training drills and chapters on diet and physiology both useful and fascinating. If you wonder why you bother with sculling and are fed up with not getting any better, read this.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved it..., November 12, 2002

By	fuglyducky (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This is probably the best book I have read to date on sculling. It is geared toward the novice and treats you as an intelligent reader.

I have been sculling for the last 6 months, so I am a newbie to the sport. The information contained in this book is wonderfully presented and arranged. It is easy and enjoyable to read.

For those of you interested in training this book lays down a good base with which to further your skills and performance.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in rowing.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You will refer to this over and over, and it WILL improve your sculling technique., August 21, 2007

By	Mufkins (Sunny SoCal) - See all my reviews

When I first took sculling lessons a year ago, this book and Essential Sculling were recommended by the instructor. I ordered both, and though I read both, I didn't really appreciate the wisdom contained in The Art of Sculling until I fell out of the shell a couple of weeks ago.

I had done a capsize recovery drill in the beginner shell, but not in the sleeker boat to which I'd graduated. Fifteen minutes of flinging myself at the edge of the shell sent me back to the book, and a 2 week hiatus while my sore side recovered gave me much-needed time to reflect. I realized that, like trying harder and harder to recover but with improper technique, I was trying to improve my sculling by working harder, not smarter. I realized that if I really wanted to improve, I would need to learn everything I could about exactly how to scull properly.

I had a new appreciation for so many of the points in this book, like "Good sculling is made up of two very basic ideas; using your energy efficiently and allowing the boat to work for you." Nowhere does he say to just strap yourself in and pull like mad. And he's right! The scullers who invoke envy are pulling smoothly and gracefully and efficiently.

The real value of this book is its' exactness. Everything he says is correct and detailed, and though the importance of a seemingly basic sentence like the one above may not sink it at first, with repeated attempts at learning to scull one does eventually relate, and 'get it'.

The Art of Sculling covers buying and rigging a boat, but the real gold is in the Advanced Technique chapter. Paduda tells you not only what you should be doing, but the how and the why, and exactly how you should feel when you are doing it. He explains how memory works, and modeling and visualization in exacting detail. These are not things that most of us can absorb with one reading. I am finding it helpful to row, then read, then row, then read, and I suspect I will for a long time.

If you are serious about sculling properly, this book is a huge help. - I would say indispensable. I also found that learning to erg properly let me get muscle memory for body movement that transferred to the boat, allowing me to concentrate on bladework, boat movement, etc. when I am in the boat. In that regard a Concept 2 erg, and their DVD on the subject, were extremely helpful. I also used the erg to build up the strength and stamina to row on the water with proper technique, to the extent that I am able, for an hour or so.

Good luck, happy rowing, and may you always have flat water.