Help with top turns?

[benjl]

Hey guys

I was working on my bottom turn in the weekend and focusing on really getting the board to pivot round the bottom of the board so the nose flicks around.
I think previously I was turning the whole board too much and sometimes catching the rails mid way down the board. I guess more trimming style?

On a couple of waves I really whipped the board round with what felt like a deep, sharp, carving bottom turn that bit the rails in and put me right in the pocket.
The downside is that for the first time ever, after doing that manouever I found myself stalling or getting stuck and the wave rolling past me.
I guess I wasn't used to doing such a sharp bottom turn without an equally fast top turn to put me back down the wave face.

Do you guys have any tips? Has this happened to any of you while learning how to do a cutback or similar?

Cheers!

[oldmansurfer]

Bottom turn is the most important maneuver you do surfing (other than popping up and catching a wave). It sets up what else you can do on a wave. As you make your bottom turn look at the wave and decide where you want to go. then un weight in that direction usually right back up the face to the top of the wave. Once you have the bottom turn down then you work on the top turn. If the wave is passing you by then you need to turn back down the wave sooner. During the bottom turn you compress your legs and push down into the board as you come out of the bottom turn you sort of jump or hop the board back up the face. It may seem weird at first but you look at where you want to go and kind of jump there by releasing the downward pressure on the board then move your legs in the direction you want to go. I have had a problem going over the back of the wave on my top turns as I relearned how to surf. If I recall I had the same problem the first time around and the solution is to turn back quicker. In my old age it involves being more flexible and more centered and in tune with my center of balance. Ideally you go from a bottom turn smoothly into a top turn and back to a bottom turn then a cutback and another bottom turn all smoothly connected. It took me three years to get my frontside bottom turn down to where I felt I had it. For some odd reason my backside bottom turn has been good since I restarted. But for a while I have been messing up on my other turns on my backside most likely because I rarely go backside. I would turn too late and the wave would pass me by but lately I would turn less late and make a steep reentry instead or hit it just perfect. It just takes time in the ocean surfing to get the timing down. Yeah so ultimately it's turning back sooner that's gonna fix that

[oldmansurfer]

Some thing to help with a smooth transition from bottom turn to top turn. Keep your legs bent but when you make your bottom turn extend your legs as you lean in the direction you want to go, this puts more power into the turn and gets you ready for a smooth move. Then as you move back up the wave bend your legs more and more till at the middle of the transition you are crouched down completely again but as you start to top turn extend your legs again but keep your center of gravity below the top of the wave so stay low and lean toward the beach a bit. So you try to keep your body below the wave but your legs and board go up the wave. I don't know if this helps but that's what I do.

[oldmansurfer]

I recently started freeing up my hips and this helped me to control my center of gravity and keep it below the top of the wave.

[TowelCircus]

1. Pop up then concentrate your weight on your front foot, you want to get maximum speed before you get to the bootom of the wave. To achieve that put your arms and chest forward and bend your back knee, your back foot apply the minimum pressure and your front foot the maximum thanks to your arms and chest weight.
2. Feel all that weight on the front foot and the speed you are getting, get a look at the section of the wave, enter the rail in the water. To keep all the speed you will have to bend your knees, getting your butt very low and start to transfer weight from your front foot to your back foot.
3. In the middle of the turn your front and back foot are balanced (slighly back footed to maintain drive), your knees are bend, you want too feel very heavy, all your weight pushes the board down while the power of the wave is pushing you up. Appreciate this moment, take your time, look up at the lip, dont release the pressure to quickly.
4. Unleashes the power you have accumulated : your front foot gets light, extend your body, throw your front arm upward, unbend you front knee progressively, you want to be light, the only pressure you apply is on your back foot because you need to drive your board. You get maximum speed, that s like a rebound.
5. Entering your top turn, your front leg is pretty straight, you start the rail transition but that's another story.

As a tip think about aballoon you sink deeply and slowly under water, when you release it jump out of the water.
On the wave try to feel how heavy or light you can get.