Drive sequence
Early arm bend, early back opening, and moving into layback before the knees are mostly down.
Built from a rower's problem
Rowing feedback without looking away from the stroke.
RowCoach is a private, browser-based technique aid for indoor rowers who want useful feedback while they are actually training at home.
Why RowCoach exists
Created by the anonymous creator of RowCoach, an intermediate masters rower who wanted at-home coaching feedback without buying a mirror, repeatedly turning sideways, or interrupting the stroke to inspect form.
A mirror still asks a rower to divide attention between the movement and a sideways reflection. Recorded video can be valuable, but it moves the useful observation until after the set. RowCoach was built to keep the rower facing forward while a side-view webcam watches the sequence and surfaces one correction at a time.
How RowCoach reads a stroke
MediaPipe Pose Landmarker runs in the browser and preserves its image-space and world-space landmarks when present on each current camera frame. RowCoach then evaluates relative movement across the catch, drive, finish, and recovery. It looks at relationships—such as when the elbow begins to close compared with knee extension—rather than treating one frozen pose as perfect form.
The rule engine is deliberately conservative. Sensitivity is adjustable because camera angle, clothing, lighting, body proportions, mobility, and erg setup can all change what a camera-based pose estimate sees.
What RowCoach checks
Catch position
Over-compression based on current knee, ankle, heel, and toe evidence near the catch.
Finish position
Excessive, early, or missing layback and whether the arm draw reaches a useful finish position.
Recovery organization
Hands-body-slide sequencing and whether the recovery is rushed compared with the drive.
Privacy by architecture
Camera video and pose analysis stay in the browser. RowCoach does not upload, record, or store webcam video. Account, subscription, support, and aggregate product analytics are separate from camera processing; analytics never include video or pose landmarks. The Privacy Policy explains those boundaries in detail.
What automated feedback cannot do
RowCoach cannot see force at the handle or footplate, feel discomfort, understand an athlete's medical history, or replace the judgment of a qualified coach. A partially hidden joint or poor camera angle can create an inaccurate flag, and the absence of a flag does not prove that every part of a stroke is effective.
Use RowCoach as one source of observation. Stop if rowing causes pain, dizziness, or unsafe discomfort, and seek a qualified coach or medical professional when that expertise is needed.
How we write technique guidance
RowCoach guidance begins with observable product behavior and the creator's first-hand rowing experience, then checks general stroke-sequence claims against official sources. Each technique guide identifies product-specific interpretation and practical limits. Useful starting references include Concept2's indoor rowing technique guide, British Rowing's indoor technique model, and USRowing's stroke overview.
RowCoach does not claim that its creator is a professional coach, clinician, scientist, or biomechanist. Technique articles distinguish official guidance from product-specific interpretation and state meaningful limitations.
Contact and support
For camera setup, account, billing, accessibility, privacy, or correction requests, visit RowCoach Support or email support@rowcoach.live. To learn the stroke before using live analysis, start with Learn to Row.