Rowing Oar Grip — Case Study

Product Design · Sports Ergonomics

Rowing Oar Grip Redesign

An ergonomic redesign of the rowing oar handle, addressing blistering and asymmetric hand strain through a rotating ratchet mechanism, developed with Stanford Rowing and refined across foam prototyping, user testing, and CAD.

Role

Manufacturer & Human Factors Researcher

Method

Ergonomic analysis, prototyping

Partners

Stanford Rowing

Deliverable

CAD-rendered grip design

I led the human factors side of this project — running the ergonomic analysis, designing and administering the comfort/tension rating scales, and translating rower feedback into dimensional specs — and manufactured the foam prototypes used across every round of user testing, from the initial ribbed variants through the final 45mm ratchet-mechanism model.

Ergonomic Analysis

Rowers get blisters. Then they get calluses. Then, sometimes, they get torn skin that never fully heals.

The outside hand does most of the pulling and takes most of the damage, so it absorbs the most friction against the handle. If skin doesn't callus properly, the raw, irritated tissue makes it almost impossible to hold the oar at all.

Diagram of inside and outside hand claw grip around the oar handle, showing tighter and looser grip zones for feathering and squaring

Photo of the current rowing oar handle design with green rubber grip, labeled for outside hand and inside hand position

01Reduce friction/contact between skin and oar
02Waterproof
03Variable hand size accommodation
04Accessible length for variable shoulder widths
05Supports prolonged use without skin irritation
06Maintain consistent contact during motion
07Optimal space for a strong grip
08Material that minimizes blisters and calluses
09Lightweight material
10Reduce moisture buildup
11Integrate with existing blade technology

Physics of Rowing

Where the forces actually land on the hand.

The oarlock acts as a fulcrum, the handle produces rotational torque, and friction between the hands and the handle is what keeps the blade from rotating unintentionally, exactly the force we needed to redesign around, not eliminate.

Diagram overlaying force vectors on a rower mid-stroke, showing input force, output force, normal force, and friction force between hands and handle

Force diagram overlaid on a Stanford rower mid-drive

Diagram comparing the outside hand's looser claw grip and the inside hand's tighter grip, both marked for skin contact area

Skin contact differs meaningfully between the inside and outside hand

Design Exploration

Dozens of grip concepts, narrowed by what hands actually do.

We explored ribbing, segmented grips, tapering, and rotating mechanisms before converging on a two-zone handle: a stationary inside grip and a rotating outside grip connected by a ratchet mechanism.

Wall of hand-drawn grip concept sketches in varied colors and textures, narrowing toward a final ratchet-mechanism design

Concept sketches → variations of width and two-hand emphasis → final direction

The outside hand needs to rotate freely to feather and square the blade. The inside hand needs to stay still. Most grips make both hands do the same job — ours doesn't.

User Testing

Testing with the people who'd actually feel it.

We tested foam prototypes across a range of diameters and mechanisms with rowers, measuring hand size, marking pressure points, and scoring comfort, style, tension, and ease of use.

Photos of user testing sessions: hand measurements, blister documentation, prototype handling, and a comfort rating scale

Diameters tested: 40mm – 50.8mm

Ribbed vs. non-ribbed

With/without thumb ridges

Ratchet mechanism at 40mm and 45mm

Users overwhelmingly chose the non-ribbed prototype with the 45mm ratchet mechanism, but didn't enjoy the larger 50.8mm, double-ribbed versions.

Foam Model

The 45mm, non-ribbed, ratchet-mechanism prototype.

This version scored highest for comfort, style, and ease of use. Testers liked the thicker grip and the ease of rotation when feathering with the inner hand. It scored lower on tension, particularly protracted elbows and wrists, feedback that carried directly into the CAD refinement.

Two hands holding the final pink foam grip prototype from different angles

CAD Renderings

From foam to a manufacturable spec.

The final render locks in a stationary inside grip and a rotating outside grip, connected by a ratchet mechanism that stops precisely at the squared blade position to prevent wrist overpronation.

Labeled CAD render of the ratchet mechanism handle showing outside and inside hand position, hole and handle diameters, and taper details

Ratchet mechanism render

Handle diameter45 mm
Hole / shaft diameter30 mm
Grip length (each hand)20 mm
Blade + oar shaft length270 mm
Full oar length118 in
MaterialSmooth rubber, waterproof

Final clean CAD renders showing the inside hand remaining steady while the outside hand rotates in a ratchet wrench mechanism, plus full oar length spec

Final spec: inside hand remains steady, outside hand rotates