Are you looking for ways to improve your surf pop-up? If so, you’re in luck! After reading this, you’ll be able to get your feet where they need to be FAST. You’ll also be pointing your head and shoulders down the line where you’re supposed to be going.
Problem 1) Hands Too Far Forward
A common problem beginner surfers have is putting their hands in the wrong place during the pop-up. When I started, I actually would place my hands on the rail and have half of my hand on the underside of my board. This slowed me down more than I realized and it wasn’t until someone pointed it out that I realized it was a problem.
I also didn’t realize that many people experience the same problem during their pop-ups. In the video below, you’ll see that some people place their hands up in front of their bodies which causes a slower pop-up. It’s a greater distance to travel and puts extra strain on your shoulders.
The easiest way to fix this problem is to work on placing your hands lower on the board, closer to your chest so that it’s a quicker pop-up with less distance to travel. I just watched a video of Kelly Slater and confirmed the location of his hands during a pop-up. If you watch any of his videos and slow them down, you’ll notice this.
Problem 2) Square Hands vs Staggered Hands
Another tip that might help you a lot is staggering your hands. Instead of having your hands in the exact same place, you’ll have your hands staggered. Staggering your hands makes your shoulder naturally dip a little more which helps with your shoulder placement when you are standing up. The video above mentions this and it gives a great explanation.
It also makes it way easier for your eyes to look where you want to go down the line. I imagine it might help with neck strain too because you won’t be turning your head as aggressively on the wave.
