Material on River Plentiful as Bolles Works on Shorter, Smoother Stroke

A shorter reach and elimination of last year's lunge at the catch are the principal changes in form introduced by crew coach Tom Bolles so far this fall.

After the first workout in October, when Bolles had had his first look at the crews, a reduction in the reach was the first new point he stressed in a short demonstration on the machines. While formerly each man tried to get out as far as he could, in the new stroke he only has to reach until the oar is parallel to the outermost bar of the outrigger. The legs are kept closer together with the "inside leg," that nearest the oar, drawn up between the arms. It is thus easier to make a quick, even pull-though with plenty of leg drive. The former stroke was apt to be divided into two sections, a terrific slug at the catch and a weaker finish.

Eliminating Lunge

The most outstanding difference that followers of Harvard rowing will notice is the elimination of the lunge at the catch which used to become pretty violent at a high stroke and cased a noticeable check. The crews are now coached to get all their body angle right after the finish and not try for any more during the rest of the recovery. There is a noticeable improvement in the smoothness and run of the varsity already.

Good Material

Material is unusually plentiful this year. Only three men have graduated out of the whole first and second boats, Lon Eliel and Captain Ray Clark, who rowed five and seven on the Varsity, and Jim Gardner, captain and number four on the Jayvees. There are also last year's undefeated Freshmen to pick from and the entire combination boat which beat Yale by two lengths last year without raising the beat above 30.

As the crews line up now Peter T. Brooks '38 has taken Clark's position at seven on the Varsity and John H. Gardiner '38 is replacing Eliel at five. Whether this lineup will remain next spring is still a mystery although Bolles may have some pretty definite ideas by this time. The Jayvees and former Freshman boats have been holding each other pretty evenly in informal brushes on the river but the lineups have been rather disrupted by afternoon laboratories and classes.

Bolles plans to keep the crews on the river until about November 13, when the floats have to be taken up for fear of their being frozen in by the ice. The Freshmen will then continue rowing on the machines and the tank but the varsity crews will get a layoff until after mid-years. Tom hopes to get in considerable mileage after January, before the first race of the season on April 24 against Princeton.