In this video analysis, we’ll delve into the technique of Vincent, a surfer who’s transitioning from a longboard to a shortboard. Vincent has been practicing pop-ups in his living room, which is a great way to improve muscle memory.
One aspect of Vincent’s technique is putting pressure on his back toes. While this is not necessarily bad, it’s important to be mindful of the situation. For instance, when taking a late drop, it’s crucial to have pressure on the back toes to keep the surfboard’s rail in the wave. However, excessive pressure can cause the surfboard to dig into the wave, leading to a forward fall, especially in situations where it’s not required.
Another area to focus on is the timing of Vincent’s feet landing on the surfboard. Currently, he’s planting his back foot first, followed by the front foot. This sends a signal to the surfboard to make a hard right, suitable for late drops or quick adjustments. However, for most regular pop-ups, the goal is to have both feet land simultaneously or with a slight delay for the back foot. This allows for a more balanced and stable stance.
Lastly, Vincent has good form in terms of his chest being up, chin up, and eyes focused in the direction he wants to go. To further improve his technique, he can try bringing his chin up a bit more and focusing his eyes about 3 meters down the wave. This may help flatten out his back foot as he pops up. The most important aspect for Vincent to work on is getting his feet to land at approximately the same time.