Ask superstar Mick Fanning who his top 5 are. Pancho will for sure be there. Photo: Tom Carey
Staying low increases your stability and helps you gain more speed in turns while surfing. Most everyday average surfers think they do this, but I’d say they typically still don’t getting low enough. For a reality check, have a look at a video or picture of yourself surfing and compare it side-by-side with any professional surfer.
So, do you still think you are staying low enough through your turns? Better yet, are your legs actually strong enough for this to begin with? Check by trying to sit on the toilet (or a chair), only bending your knees and moving your ass backward.
Can you do it?
Luckily, this can be easily fixed by doing a simple deep squat. Try three sets of 15 deep squats for three consecutive days and see if you notice an improvement.
To help master this and track your progress, I created a simple cheat sheet. It includes this drill and four others that will build your foundation for powerful turns.
How to do it:
-Stand in a shoulder width stance
-Put your arms straight and forward and place one hand on top of the other.
-Lower your body to a deep squat position.
-Keep your back straight and push your chest forward.
-Stand up and repeat.
Typical mistakes:
-You are doing it too fast – one rep should be 3 seconds (2 seconds down, 1 second up, dynamically).
-Put your weight on your heels and put your bottom to the back first. It should feel like you are trying to sit down on a chair. Experiment by sitting on the toilet with only bending your knees and not moving your ass backward.
-Don’t lift your heels.
-Get loowwww. Remember, most people try to turn on the surfboard without getting low enough
If you feel you could do more than 15 reps, grab an object (book, bottle water, kettlebell, a baby etc.) and do the squats again.
Let me know if this helped you, or what you want me to cover next by emailing me at gershon@boostyoursurf.com.
Yours,
