Stan Pocock Way Enough P.299 The pause before the catch, which we always insisted upon, was designed to eliminate the tendency of some oarsmen to use their rush up the slide as a windup for the catch. I had several who liked to do this. Their argument was that they could make a more effective catch by compressing the body and springing into it, muach as one does in the snatch when lifting weights. What they had to learn was that I did not want their catch to be that strong and heavy – just quick. I looked rather, upon the recovery as part of the previous stroke and the pause as marking the end of one stroke and the beginning of the next one. For more.
The quick catch and quick catch drill demonstrated by young Huskies and Ancient Mariners (former Huskies, including legendary Quinault stroke Guy Harper)