StrokeStrokeTechnique-first coaching for club rowers, masters athletes, and university crews. Repatterned blade work. Measurable splits. Real water.
The plateau
Most club rowers hit a ceiling not because of fitness, but because of four recurring technical faults that compound with every stroke. Here's what we see every season.
Fault 01
You finish the drive before the handle reaches the body. The boat stalls, the stern drops, and you're already in recovery while the power is still available.
Fault 02
Legs fire before the back engages. The most powerful muscle group in the stroke cycle disconnects from the handle — and you're grinding arms and back alone.
Fault 03
The boat is moving fastest immediately after the finish. Every early slide movement kills the run, rocks the hull, and telegraphs panic to the water.
Fault 04
Shoulders round, the lats disengage, and the blade enters at the wrong angle. You're working hard and going nowhere — the puddle tells the whole story.
See all five faults in detail.
Download the free guide — The 5 Faults Killing Your Boat Speed — with annotated diagrams and drills for each.
The method
Method 01
Every session is filmed from multiple angles — side-on, stern-on, and underwater blade entry. We annotate in real time, marking the exact frame where the fault begins and the precise adjustment needed.
Frame-by-frame review · Overlay annotation · Comparison library
Method 02
Structured sequences that isolate each phase of the stroke — pause drills, pick drills, feet-out rowing — building clean movement patterns before adding rate or pressure.
8-week progression · Session plans
Method 03
Periodised training blocks aligned to your racing calendar. Not generic intervals — specific work designed around your current split, your target split, and the time between now and race day.
12-week blocks · Rate ladders · Threshold maps
Method 04
Pacing models, rating profiles, and psychological preparation built around your specific event — from head race 5k to sprint 2k. We prepare the race plan so you can row it, not think it.
Course reconnaissance · Rating profiles · Warm-up protocols
James Alderton
Head Coach · Stroke Coaching
BR Level 3
Certified Coach
British Rowing Level 3
Certified Coach
Coaching since
2011
Athletes coached
340+
BUCS medals
12
The philosophy
Every assessment starts with watching you row. Not a questionnaire. Not a fitness test. The boat tells us everything we need to know.
We track split times, stroke rate, drive-to-recovery ratios, and blade efficiency. If it's not in the data, it didn't happen.
Club rowers. Masters athletes. University crews without a full-time programme. This coaching exists specifically for you.
Results
Athletes coached
BUCS medals
Avg 2k improvement
Return for Season 2
I came back after eight years with a completely broken catch. Within six weeks of video analysis and drill work, my blade entry was cleaner than it had ever been. My 2k dropped 14 seconds.
Sophie Hartley
Nottingham RC · Masters W
We were chasing a BUCS final for three years. James rebuilt our sequencing from the catch forward — the crew finally felt connected. We made the A final and finished fourth.
Tom Reeves
Durham University BC · U23 M
I had been shooting the slide for years and didn't know it. The video analysis was uncomfortable to watch, but it changed everything. I moved up two divisions this season.
Rachel Okonkwo
Twickenham RC · Club W
Before & After
A real club rower, filmed before and after a 6-week programme. Same course, same conditions — different athlete.
Ready to begin?
Book a free stroke assessment — on-water, video review, or erg-based. We watch you row, identify the fault, and give you one drill to start with. That's it.