The Block Essentials

The Block is the fundamental frame position held by the upper body during the water phase of the stroke. A strong block which is connected to the legs is essential for efficiency and maximum power transfer.

  • The rotation should always be led from the legs/feet The athlete should be careful not to lead the rotation from the shoulders, hands, or arms

  • The core remains tight throughout the rotation The block should not break at the waist

  • The pull arm should remain in a fixed position in relation to the shoulder The only way the arm moves is as a result of the rotation (the pull arm does not actaully ‘pull’ backwards)

  • The chest should stay open with the shoulders locked back and down (packed) If the block is weak and the shoulders drift forward or up, or the chest collapses inwards or downwards, the athlete will loose much of the power from the legs and back and be forced to pull with the arms – reducing total power and increasing the rate of fatigue (alternatively the athlete may naturally pull with the arms, causing the shoulders or chest to collapse with the same end result)

 

1 – Standing Block Rotations

In the standing block rotations the focus is on keeping the shoulders locked together and feeling the rotation led from the floor. The shoulders should stay connected to the hips being careful not to over-rotate at the waist.

2 – Broomstick Block Rotations
  • In the broomstick block the entire frame should remain frozen throughout.
  • The athlete rotates from the legs + hips.
  • The arms do not move at all, they simply follow the rotation (the top hand doesn’t mimic the real stroke exactly).
  • The head stays looking forward.
3 – Resisted Block Rotations

Using an elastic for resistance, this exercise helps strengthen the block. The focus is to use a strong block to pull yourself forward for the new stroke – (making sure the back hip moves forward not only the shoulder).

The ‘pull’ arm should stay tight, low and straight, and move together with the leg as a consequence of the bloack rotation. The whole system should move together but it can be useful to think hand connected to the foot, shoulder connected to the hip if the athlete is pulling first with the hand before engaging the legs.

Special attention should be paid to the shoulders to make sure they stay locked back and down throughout the exercise and don’t creep forward on the return.

4 – Weighted Slider Block Rotations
  • Lock the frame before intiating the movement
  • Use the block to pull the body forward onto opposite leg
  • Pull arm follows the rotation and moves wider through the stroke (not down or back)
  • Top elbow moves parallel to the floor

An athlete may have very strong legs, core, and upper body when these are tested separately in the gym, but if the block (and the connection) is weak, the top arm & shoulder will drift up, and the pull arm will pull down strongly, close to the ‘boat’ during this exercise. In this case, the athlete moves the slider using the Grave Digging Stroke. On the water this stroke will push the boat down into the water, creating a brake (quickly helping the athlete to dig their own grave…)