Feet positioning for better turns. And Fin Flex.

[Wascrackin]

I’m not going to talk about my surfing, where I’m at, the board or the waves because I’m at the decent enough point where I know where my surfing needs to improve and I need help. Firstly, when you drop down the face ready to execute a bottom turn, how do you make it more powerful and get loads more flex from your fins. Sometimes I feel like when I commit to a bottom turn I use only the rail and my fins aren’t flexing and springing me (I still have enough speed to get to the top and execute a maneuver but it’s weak) . Which is sad because sometimes i do get spring and smash the lip but I want that feeling everytime and my question is what’s the technique for turning that you can feel stability and spring through your turns better?

Secondly, I’ve been watching some surfing recently and I’ve notice surfers with STOOPID drive spring like mick fanning, sometimes it appears as if his feet aren’t both aligned on the stringer or aligned with themselves(frontside). Question is why does it appear is feet aren’t aligned and what can that do for your surfing.? Instead of his feet like this 0—0 his front foot is more below ( or to the left of the stringer).

Lastly I’ve been surfing purely on my back foot which I’m coming to realize isn’t really all that good. When you drop down to do a bottom turn is it good to use just a little bit of your front foot to roll over and then use your back foot to do the rest? And above all of this could I possibly just be putting too much weight and pressure on my back foot the hole ride?

[jaffa1949]

I’m not sure how you can ask how to improve your bottom turn to get more flex from your fins to drive you to the top to really hit the next turn, without mentioning your surfing. But I am glad you know you need help!
Then of course we don’t know what sort of board you are riding, what fins you are using and of course you are not talking about the sort of waves you are riding either.
So any advice we give you belongs to the mystery school of let me guess what!
You are among friends at all levels of surfing, let it all hang out!

[oldmansurfer]

Getting more power out of your turns has to do with putting more power into your turns. I suggest you forget about Mick Fanning for now as because a highly skilled individual can do something doesn't mean you should. Partly it has to do with the waves you are riding and the board you are using as well. Then another factor is where your feet are on the board. But basically you extend (stand up) on the drop then compress (crouch) into the bottom turn. When you make a bottom turn you have the force of gravity acting with your weight on the board while you turn this loads pressure on the fins and helps to keep speed in a turn. To add more pressure you drop your weight so that in addition to the normal gravity effect your center of gravity continues to fall a further distance allowing a greater acceleration and more force into the board and then you extend your legs in the turn and this adds more force. If you do it all smoothly then it results in a much greater amount of force plus after you extend your legs you release or bend them back in the direction that you want to board to go so you are already leaning that way and you bring your legs up and the board shoots back up the wave. It's a fairly complex thing but once you get good at it it's just like walking, you never think about it. But you should probably tell us more about you and the board and the waves. It's possible that the problem is your top turn and not your bottom turn although improving your bottom turn is the number one thing to do to improve your surfing.

[SnakePlissken]

Try this?

[waikikikichan]

Feet positioning for better turns - Well first I need to know how your feet are currently positioned ( and aligned compared to the stringer )

Fin Flex - Well I first need to know what brand / model fin that are currently set up on the board

How do you make it more powerful - Well I need to know how you are setting up, going into and coming out of your bottom turn.

But before you start thinking I'm a troll or whatevers, it truly is the information I need to give you the best advice without taking a wild guess. As they say " Help me, help YOU ".

But I can tell you this, SQUARE OFF your bottom turn. Make a three sided box. Drive down into the flats, lean it over until the fins pack up, then release that pent up energy up the face. Utilize more of wave's energy, not yours. Mick Fanning taps into that energy. ( all good surfers do )