Why Do People Discuss “Why the Boat Speed Is Not Improving” Based Only on Feeling?
~MITA-ROW as a Way to “Visualize” Boat Speed~
Subjective discussion refers to discussions based not on objective data or numerical evidence, but on personal experience, impressions, and intuition. In rowing especially, where obtaining precise real-time data on rowers and their oars during actual rowing is extremely difficult, discussions often become dependent on each individual’s differing visual perception and personal feeling. Without a shared objective standard, it becomes difficult to reach clear conclusions.
Today, there are objective and shareable measurements for overall boat speed and acceleration. However, when it comes to the direct contribution of each individual rower to boat speed, accurate and objective data is still almost nonexistent.
As a result, when teams discuss how to improve boat speed, they often rely on indirect information such as cardiovascular ability, strength, running performance, ergometer scores, and other land-training metrics. Clubs gather whatever information they can, including reports, documents, training theories, and sometimes even rumors. In many cases, the rowing style of championship crews or the opinions of highly experienced senior athletes naturally gain stronger influence and persuasive power.
However, there is still no universally accepted objective data source directly connected to how rowers contribute to boat speed during actual rowing. Because of this absence, discussions easily become dominated by individual opinions and sensations.
In practice, coaches and athletes are forced to make judgments based on estimation. Without accurate and shareable data showing the movement of rowers and oars during rowing, teams must rely on watching boats from a distance, following them externally, or interpreting video footage afterward. Yet these observations are still heavily affected by differences in visual perception, experience, and intuition, making it difficult to move beyond subjective judgment.
For this reason, rowing instruction has traditionally depended on the judgment and intuition of experienced coaches supported by strong observational ability and rowing experience.
One of the few examples of widely shared objective numerical data is the ergometer, which represents land-based training performance. Discussions based on ergometer data are certainly more objective than pure intuition. However, even these discussions are still largely indirect, focusing mainly on correlations between ergometer performance and boat speed rather than direct measurement of rowing contribution during actual on-water performance.
In conclusion, because there is still no universally accepted direct objective data that clearly connects individual rowers to actual boat speed during rowing, discussions inevitably become dependent on personal judgment and sensation. This is precisely why objective and shareable numerical data is so strongly desired in rowing.
