Page 1 of 1

Help! How do I SWITCH FEET before I turn????

PostPosted: Sat Nov 16, 2013 2:15 pm
by Lmrutledge
I'm 6' 5 and weigh 240 lbs. I've been trying for a long time to switch my feet BEFORE I turn onto my strong side. I can turn to Toeside the other way and switch my feet to Heelside pretty good.

Riding along Heel, then trying to switch feet before my turn is been VERY Frustrating to say the least.

I'm riding surfboards that are 21-23 in Wide.

Any ideas or Training that I can do? I do not like having to drop down then switch the Board direction to ride back Heelside the other way. I'd pay someone to teach me!!

Lawrence

Re: Help! How do I SWITCH FEET before I turn????

PostPosted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 6:07 am
by Main
Mate just keep practicing. Your board is pretty wide so you don't need to go wider. I find the critical part is when you move your back foot up beside the front one - I look down and make sure my front foot is right beside the stringer, toes forward (obviously not on it or I'll lose balance when I bring the other foot beside it) and my ankles are touching for a split second before I step my other foot back. I turn my front foot back to 45 degrees after moving the other foot back.

I've seen a video of a guy jumping his feet back and forwards but I noticed he's on a pretty thick and wide fishy board whereas on a normal short board it's too hard for me and I lose balance.

To learn i went to a flat water spot and kept practicing. When I started I couldn't do either side but over time I eventually nailed both sides consistently. Funnily enough I know when im super tired and it's time to come in after a long session as I start falling on gybes, jumps etc....

Re: Help! How do I SWITCH FEET before I turn????

PostPosted: Sun Nov 24, 2013 5:01 pm
by eabmoto
I try to make the switch in one move. If you're trying to shuffle your feet around you're spending more time in an awkward position and falling, possibly. It feels strange, at first, to commit to making the switch all at once, but In the long run it's easier and helps when you need to switch your feet quickly in the surf. If you're making the switch in one direction, you'll get it soon.

Re: Help! How do I SWITCH FEET before I turn????

PostPosted: Tue Jul 08, 2014 12:01 pm
by chenzo
Try one, or a combo of these.

- slow your speed down
- put your kite high 11:30 or 12:30 ish
- go downwind a bit

It just takes a bit of time to get it dialed.

cheers!