Pop up styles and foot planting

[Oldie]

Hi,

my first surf vacation of this year in Spain is over. Unfortunately the Atlantic has been very quiet and we had pretty weak 1-2 foot waves, but still spent a lot of time on the water. While I see good development, I still struggle with consistency of my popup. I get almost all waves I want to get and get to my feet, but often need to do a lot of reshuffling before I am in the right position. My typical mistake is landing too far back and left. The reshuffling takes a lot of time and I lose speed.

When I look at popup guides, I see two variances that look quite different to me:

1. High Hips, springing motion and landing with both feet planted. Like in this video:

This is what I have been teached and practice every day. The advantage I see here is that you land on both feet planted on the board which should give you a solid stand. But I have to throw your hips pretty high (i am 6.3 with long legs) to get there wich is a lot of movement and potential for instability.

2. Crouching motion, back feet lands on its side:

(Go to 6:10)

(Go to 3:10)

This looks like a much more quite motion and less springing but more just moving legs forward. But then I wonder wether you miss stability with your backfoot as that is not solidly planted, in the second video even just landing on the toes.

What is your view on what works best?

[Oldie]

This is an example where my weight was way left, especially the butt being far outside the board, so I am still not in control of the board.

[oldmansurfer]

I am so not sure of what I do popping up but I do ok. From the videos it looks like your back leg is too straight for the tall guy popup and can't see if you are looking at the board or what position your head is in but that could be a problem also. Also it looks like your hands aren't evenly placed so that might be torquing the popup.

[waikikikichan]

My thoughts on the Pop Up :
1) Chicken wing pop up is a Crawl up on the board, too much time used up when taking the drop.
2) Butt up high clears up the area under the chest so the Front foot can move forward and plant firmly, Then the
Back foot can move. This allows the board to plane down and glide instead of stall/wheelie out and having
the weight lean back as you fight momentum to place the front foot later.
3) Most people have their hands too far forward. Place behind your arm pits
4) Look at a far away landmark. Where you look is where you go. ( Can't see your eyes in the photo, but body
line seems you're looking down, unless you got a really flexible neck )
5) It's really hard ( and takes time ) on the back to lean over and straighten up. So get your Butt under your
head and RISE straight up to the sky like some pulls a string connected to the top of your head. Just like
lifting a heavy box or
weights, get close and under it.
6) Don't just let go of the deck, EXPLODE off the deck. That force, propels the upper torso back and up ( again,
less work for your Back )

[Oldie]

2) Butt up high clears up the area under the chest so the Front foot can move forward and plant firmly, Then the
Back foot can move.

Many thanks. Should I leave the hands on the board until the front foot is compeltely planted?. I wonder wether raising them a bit earlier would also create a bit more space for the front foot.

[waikikikichan]

Many thanks. Should I leave the hands on the board until the front foot is compeltely planted?. I wonder wether raising them a bit earlier would also create a bit more space for the front foot.

Physics wise you sorta have to, if not you'll get thrown forward. Don't think in soo many steps, this first, then do this, then after this...... it's got to be in one smooth motion. It's almost the instant the front foot touches, the hand is exploding up. Not one first then the next.
But if you do need to break it down.
#1 Arms straight, chest up, thighs on deck (Hands started behind the arm pits )
#2 Butt rises up to its highest point while still be able to look forward, ( body forms a triangle from side view )
#3 Pick up Front foot and place down at 1-2 o'clock ( 10-11 o'clock for goofys ), at that moment the back foot
should lay down on its side.
#4 Slide/Drag the back foot a bit, then pick up ( a little bit ) and place down at 3 o'clock
#5 If both feet are planted firmly ( make sure the heel is NOT up in the air on your back foot ) and butt under the
head as much as possible, forcefully push off the deck and raise straight up.

Like Tai-chi, practice the motions slowly but not jerky. Then increase the speed.
A good yoga practice is the "Crow" or Bakasana. Try to balance for a bit then rotate the waist and "land" in the 1-3 o'clock stance.

[RinkyDink]

This is an example where my weight was way left, especially the butt being far outside the board, so I am still not in control of the board.

surfpic anonym.jpg

Your picture is, in my opinion, an image of a late popup. Your popup at that moment is essentially the same as a person in the middle of a swimming pool, who is given a surfboard, and then attempts to stand up on the board from a stationary position. The reason why your popup is similar is most likely because you were too slow to pop up and so you've lost all the momentum from the wave face. Your momentum has been spent, your board has stalled out in the trough of the wave, and now you're trying to stand up on a stationary board. That's hard to do. Most popups in surfing will happen, unless you're taking off on white water, on an incline with your board moving forward and often angled down the face of the wave. It's easier to pull your legs forward when your board and body are moving down an incline. Once your board is flat, it gets trickier. My advice would be for you to work on popping up quicker.

[dtc]

to add to wkk - putting your hand further back is v important for tall people. If you are landing to the left its probably because you arent twisting enough (pop up is up and twist, not up and straight). If you put your right hand a bit further back than your left hand, this will give you a slight natural twist. My right hand is actually almost down to my belly button and my left hand is near the bottom of my ribs. This is harder on land because the board isnt falling away but is nice and easy on waves. It means your focus is on lifting your hips not lifting your shoulders

[Big H]

My advice would be for you to work on popping up quicker.

That and angling the board, either on paddle or at takeoff, pushing down on the inside rail. That will buy you a little more time before you run out into the trough.

Maybe catch a few waves and just push up like WKK's dog photo....have your hands back like he said and just push up, pushing a little harder on the inside rail to angle and keeping you head and chin up then just belly ride a bit then turn off the back. You'll be able to focus on the feeling of getting the wave, angling, hand position and keeping your head up when you belly ride without the distraction of actually popping up. Do that a few times then do a couple more thinking "I will pop up......NOW". Then do it only popping up at the right moment. Because you practiced you will be able to anticipate the feels and timing of the movement better it will seem like you have more time.

[waikikikichan]

Maybe catch a few waves and just push up like WKK's dog photo

The photo shows thighs down on the deck. Some people lift up and have the knees come off the deck. Basically they get into a PLANK position, which zaps their energy. Just keep the lower body down and arch the back, back. Then blast off the deck ( like reverse-thrust action ). If you're half way in the air you don't get that full effect.

[Oldie]

Thank you all, very good advice that I will test.

[oldmansurfer]

As an old man I suffer from loss of flexibility especially as related to stance and popup. I currently do some stretching exercises related to this. I first started working on stretching my groin by assuming a wide stance then crouch and move my upper body over one leg and then the other so extending the leg I am moving away from and doing a one leg squat. After I got this down to where it seems easy to do (maybe 2 years or so) I have now started to in addition drop my knee down to the ground. If you watch these videos that is the position they popup to with their back knee close to the surface of the board. Anyway I am no where near as flexible as I used to be but getting slightly more flexible slowly.

[Tudeo]

When the wave won't let me in I sometimes pop up&forward, so when my feet land they kick the board forward into the drop.
But a good popup is dependent on many factors, including the fitness of your body for the day. Sometimes, especially with early morning sessions, my (old) body simply refuses service and I screw up all my popups. Nowadays, after 2 or 3 failed attempts I just give up and save my energy for another day.

[Big H]

But a good popup is dependent on many factors, including the fitness of your body for the day. Sometimes, especially with early morning sessions, my (old) body simply refuses service and I screw up all my popups. Nowadays, after 2 or 3 failed attempts I just give up and save my energy for another day.

The colder water now makes morning sessions harder to get going.....I was stiff this morning for the first half hour....took a while to warm to it. Getting older too. Maybe time to pull out the shorty wetsuit I have in the back of the closet. Probably will do; it's only going to get colder for the next couple months (relatively speaking that is).

[oldmansurfer]

I pulled a groin muscle back when I first tried to do power turns so I started to do this exercise on the beach before I go out but I don't rest my arms on my legs. A couple years ago I added this exercise to my usual daily workout. Just recently I started doing this but then dropping my knee to the ground. I also do weights 2 days a week and do regular squats while carrying two 15 pound dumbbells. To get more power from my popups I lay on my back and do explosive rapid presses using the two 15 pound dumbbells.

https://youtu.be/qRbAcjHk-5M

[Oldie]

Great feedbacks here.

Coming back to the first video, I made a snip and

...
#2 Butt rises up to its highest point while still be able to look forward, ( body forms a triangle from side view )

This then is not something you recommend, right ?:

[waikikikichan]

How I teach popping up and how others teach varies ( and varies on the student ), so take what works for you. BUT......... the guy in the yellow wetsuit pop up is a bit extreme. Also notice he is looking down in your frame grab. He does create a triangle, but it's too much. Raise your butt up creating a triangle with your hands and toes, bring front foot forward and place firmly flat, drag slide back foot on it's side till the moment you can pick it up and place down, now squatted firmly on both feet fully flat on the deck, push off with your hands. Closer you get your feet to your hands, the more vertical will your pop up be. ( thus start with your hands further back )
( p.s. I also don't like his tight hand form/positioning )

[Tudeo]

Cool video showing Front Side Takeoff.

https://youtu.be/8ozJGLI_9FU

[Oldie]

So smooth. Beautiful.

[Tudeo]

It's that easy