The pop up is one of the most important parts of surfing. If you don’t have it mastered, the rest will be that much harder. Photo: Shutterstock
One key element to an effective pop up is perhaps the most obvious; how quickly can your legs slide underneath your body? The answer to that question gets a bit more challenging if you have a belly or weak core muscles that aren’t prepared for that kind of movement. Luckily there is a quick fix you can do at home simply known as the knee drag.
To improve your pop up, do the knee drag for 3 sets of 12 reps each
If you think you already do this well and cant improve, scroll down and do the advanced version. To help master this, I created a simple cheat sheet to track your pop up progress. It includes this drill and four others that will build your pop up foundation.
Do the drill in this sequence:
-Start in a push up position, arms straightened.
-Put your toe on a sliding surface (you can use cleaning paper, or any kitchen linen for example).
-Slide both knees up to the elbows at the same time, keeping your feet on the ground.
-Do this exercise without rounding your back. Imagine there is a glass of water on your back and be careful not to spill it.
-If you find this too easy, touch the elbows with your knees if you can, or for pro level bring both knees to the outer side of your elbow at the same time.
Common mistakes to avoid:
-Don’t round your back, keep it straight.
-Don’t pull your knees underneath your chest, watch the video for the correct end position.
Let me know if this helped you, or what you want me to cover next by emailing me at gershon@boostyoursurf.com.
Yours,
