backfoot placement

[mondo]

when i pop up my back foot generally lands just infront of the tail pad - which is too far up (unless going for barrels). i ride a 6'2''. ideally id like to pop up and the foot lands on the tail pad. can anyone suggest how i fix this? or are you blokes popping up and then shuffling back. ive tried when lying on the board moving back a little, but i feel this then detracts from paddle power.

[g_u_m_b_y]

when i pop up my back foot generally lands just infront of the tail pad - which is too far up (unless going for barrels). i ride a 6'2''. ideally id like to pop up and the foot lands on the tail pad. can anyone suggest how i fix this? or are you blokes popping up and then shuffling back. ive tried when lying on the board moving back a little, but i feel this then detracts from paddle power.

it happens to me sometimes...my board is too small for me....maybe that is you reason....

when you are up just do a quick shuffle, it doesnt hurt if you have a lot of wall, say a pointbreak...if its a beachy...

[Nick Carroll]

mondo: a wild guess here, you're fairly young and you're amping too hard on takeoff and lunging forward along the line of the board during the pop. Perhaps also surfing too much on the front foot in any case.

Just for a little while, take a fraction more time on it. "Popping" shouldn't be a big physical effort -- heck, catching the wave shouldn't be a big physical effort. Instead of frantically leaping up and forward, spend more energy on your initial positioning for takeoff, then use the half-second that'll give you to pop up smoothly and precisely.

Oh and set the front foot first. Figure that out and the back foot will follow naturally.

[FishStick]

Just practice, you shouldn't have to lie further back. Don't worry about the rest of the wave just focus on the pop up, which means you don't have to wait for a good one, you can go on closeouts etc.

Consciously check each time where your back foot is. The great thing about tailpads is you'll feel it when you are in the right place.

Also make sure you aren't standing too wide by shifting your back foot back only, as this will affect your turns.

You can always scratch a thick line in your wax for your front foot. And don't let your front foot cross that line.

[Jack Jack]

I had the same problem.

On my semi fish - I always forward of the tail pad - this board needs to be ridden forward for drive - doesn't feel good to me.

My latest board - I made sure I got a back foot special - totally different plainshape - widepoint and curve moved backwards now I am always on the tail pad even when driving down the line - much better.

[cambo]

My two cents worth:

1. set your front foot first

2. wax your rails about 200mm further back and make everything forward of there slippery/clean which will force you to be further back as you "pop" to standing.

3. don't "pop" - do it deliberately slowly and concentrate on point 1 above

[mondo]

thanks fellas. will put ure suggestions to the test.

[mad]

Yeah back foot placement used to give me the shits, and all advice above is good and reading it i can see where i used to go wrong.

I cut the top third of the tail pad before sticking it on, and leave about a 60cm unwaxed/clean area between the cut down pad and wax job which helped locate the back foot.

Sort of over that now, don't use a tail pad on my current board.

[SAsurfa]

don't use a tail pad on my current board.

Why is that, I don't understand why some people don't have tailpads, are you looking for lesser weight or didn't like the feel of the pad? I reckon its more work having to keep your tail waxed than just sticking a pad down?

[mad]

^^^^^^not long had this board and I was hanging to surf it so much when I got it I just waxed it up and went. It's got this weird acrylic finish so it's probably a mission to clean off the wax for a tail pad, which I've since bought and sits in the shed.

Been umming over whether or not to get a shark shield for when I spear also, in which case I might get one that can be connected to the boards tail as well. I used to be undecided, now I'm not sure

[g_u_m_b_y]

don't use a tail pad on my current board.

Why is that, I don't understand why some people don't have tailpads, are you looking for lesser weight or didn't like the feel of the pad? I reckon its more work having to keep your tail waxed than just sticking a pad down?

i like the feel of no tailpad. it feels way lighter.
im gonna get a little tail block tho

[rae]

don't use a tail pad on my current board.

Why is that, I don't understand why some people don't have tailpads, are you looking for lesser weight or didn't like the feel of the pad? I reckon its more work having to keep your tail waxed than just sticking a pad down?

cant be bothered buying one

[longbum]

don't use a tail pad on my current board.

Why is that, I don't understand why some people don't have tailpads, are you looking for lesser weight or didn't like the feel of the pad? I reckon its more work having to keep your tail waxed than just sticking a pad down?

I never use pads. I like the feel of wax. I move quite a lot on my boards and I feel if i have a pad my foot tends to get stuck a bit on there.......

What blows me away is the guys that have a tailpad then have a wax spot for their front foot and nothing in between ???????????
It really really really does blows me away !

[g_u_m_b_y]

don't use a tail pad on my current board.

Why is that, I don't understand why some people don't have tailpads, are you looking for lesser weight or didn't like the feel of the pad? I reckon its more work having to keep your tail waxed than just sticking a pad down?

I never use pads. I like the feel of wax. I move quite a lot on my boards and I feel if i have a pad my foot tends to get stuck a bit on there.......

What blows me away is the guys that have a tailpad then have a wax spot for their front foot and nothing in between ???????????
It really really really does blows me away !

they're the kind of ppl who dont get barreleld.
and if they do they dont make it coz they wont have the ability to move up on their boardds.

pretty much sydney ppl or victorians

[FishStick]

What blows me away is the guys that have a tailpad then have a wax spot for their front foot and nothing in between ???????????
It really really really does blows me away !

I have a mate who does this, and the reason is exactly the same reason for this thread, it was to teach himself better back foot placement. he's asking for trouble

I once didn't wax a board far up enough and on a slow fat take off I shimmied forward to get down the face, my front foot found the unwaxed area I slipped and rammed my elbow deep into the deck I've never under-waxed my board since.

[Nick Carroll]

Stop it you guys!

You know wax is good not just when you're standing up. It also helps keep you on your surfing board whilst paddling out through the Dumpers.

[Natho]

I prefer no tail pad too, howeverI have been using them on my smaller boards for protection coz I was pushing through the decks.

Just went back to no tail pad, and wow how much better is it. It feels better and its way easier to move your foot position when you have to. It allows you to 'walk the board' much easier.

To me a tail pad is like a condom for ya stick. Great for protection, but wow does it feel better when you go bare back.

Even with a tail pad I wax all the way up to the pad.

I never use tail pads on my semi guns or guns. I like to be able to 'walk the board' and surf further forward if i have to.

Watch Nick's lil bro surf and you will see why he doesn't use a tail pad. It allows for quick foot changes and movement back and forward with ease.

[SAsurfa]

I have a gap between my tailpad and where I wax up the front but I have a big enough length of waxed up area at the front to move my foot around if required. I keep the area inbetween wax free because i'm cool nah seriously I just do it because I never use that bit of the board and its less of a hastle.