Principle Five
Suspension
You don't pull the handle. You hang from it.
What it feels like
- The moment the blade is buried, your weight comes off the seat slightly, onto the handle.
- The legs drive the feet down into the footplate — not back.
- You're not pulling. You're hanging. The boat is what moves.
Cues
- Hang off the handle
- Feet down, not back
- Weightless seat
- Connect, then push
Common faults
- Pulling early. Arms break before the legs finish their drive. The chain is broken, suspension never happens, the back gets robbed.
- Sitting heavy. Never coming off the seat. Power is bottled in the legs but doesn't transfer to the handle.
- Disconnected catch. Placing the blade and then starting the drive. The connection has to happen with the catch, not a beat after it.
Self-diagnosis
- Did I feel light on the seat at any point during the drive?
- Did my legs and back fire together, or did one rush ahead?
- Was the catch a moment of connection, or just a placement?
- Did I feel like I was pulling — or like I was being pulled forward by my own weight against the footplate?