Learn to row

About the Learn to Row Course

Putney Town Rowing Club (PTRC) is proud to announce that the next Men’s Learn to Row course will begin on 9th May 2012 following two open days at the club. This course will be for men only however, women’s courses will also be running later in the year.

The men’s course will run over a course of six weeks at a cost of £110 per person. There will be one indoor tank-based session on Wednesdays evenings and two sessions on the water on Sunday afternoons (2pm – 6pm).

Over the duration of the course you will learn: -

How to handle rowing equipment (boats, blades, riggers, rowing machines)
The basics of rowing technique on the water and on rowing machines
How to improve your fitness through rowing

When the six weeks is up, we sincerely hope you will have had a fulfilling first experience with rowing. Should you develop a hunger to take this further, you can choose to stay on at the club and row as part of a men’s development squad. Here you will be able to take what you’ve learnt forward and progress with in a competitive team. If however, you decide that rowing is not for you, you may simply end your membership with PTRC.

If you are interested in joining the learn to row course, please register your details and come along to the open days outlined below. If you have any questions, take a look at the FAQs at the bottom of this page or contact Ian Kershaw learntorow@putneytownrc.co.uk.

Open days

If you’re interested in joining the Men’s learn to row course or you’re just curious to learn more about what goes on at a rowing club, PTRC will be organising two open days. If you’re considering joining the Learn to Row course, it is strongly recommended that you attend one of the following dates: -

Open Evening: Tuesday 1st May 2012 at 7pm
Open Day: Saturday 5th May 2012 at 2pm

The open days will give you a chance to have a look around the club, take part a short rowing machine challenge and meet previous graduates of the course.

If you’re unable to make the open days but you’re still interested to find out more or if you have any unanswered questions, please email Ian Kershaw learntorow@putneytownrc.co.uk.

IMPORTANT: To take part in the rowing machine challenge, bring along some gym kit (we have showers and secure lockers for valuables).

Get involved!

Rowing is sometimes referred to as the ultimate team sport. When rowing in a crew it is very important to work together and in unison in order to get the maximum speed out of the boat. As such, the Learn to Row course is designed for those wishing to get involved with a competitive team sport. PTRC is very proud to strike an excellent balance between striving for competitive success and encouraging a sociable, friendly environment.

Women’s learn to row course

We will be running a female learn to row course later in the summer. If you might be interested, please register your interest in the course using this online form. We will contact you nearer the time.

Returning novices

If you are wanting to return to rowing after a break or have completed a learn to row course / 3 months rowing somewhere else, then you may well fit in well with the graduates from the May 2012 course. If you are interested in doing this, then please send an email to learntorow@putneytownrc.co.uk with a brief description of yourself and your previous rowing experience (when/how long).

FAQs:

Most people have lots of questions about our rowing courses. We normally answer the questions on our open days, however…

Do I have to be able to swim?
Yes: in order to be able to become a club member you have to sign to say that you can swim 100m in light clothing. Don’t panic however, it is VERY rare for larger boats to ever capsize, and has never happened on our beginner courses in the past.

What do I need to wear?
This will be explained before the course starts properly, but clothing that you can exercise in, and that you don’t mind getting wet is key. For land based activities, normal gym wear is fine.

Do I need to be fit?
It certainly helps, but you will get fit as part of the course. However the main obstacle to being a good novice rower is technique rather than fitness

Where are you?
Although Putney Town was founded in Putney (in the Dukes Head Pub), we are now based in Mortlake. Our members come from all over London, although most members live in West London

Does it matter if I can’t make every session?
Making every session is not essential, but missing water sessions will slow down your progress. Ultimately, rowing is one of the ultimate team sports and we need to get the right number of people in the boats. Preference on the course will be given to those without availability issues.

I am pretty competitive and am looking for a new sport that will get me fit, and will allow me to compete? Will I fit in?
Yes. Rowing is a very competitive sport, and we look to compete as much as possible. If you are keen and get on well, you can progress through the different squads to the top boats all within a season. Half our 2009 Men’s Henley 8 learnt to row at Putney Town on one of our Learn to Row courses.