Is there a trick to learning to ride switch?

Question

I freeline when I have spare time, and I'm kind of rusty but can definitely ride, but I feel I'd be less limited and actually be able to stop/slow down from higher speeds if I knew how to ride switch. My stance is regular. Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

I am a natural switchfoot but I decided to try riding backside  both ways also and it was weird at first , but I gave up trying to have fun and just took wave after wave until it became a natural feeling. It didnt take that long.

ONe thing is to not go with what you prefer. try to fight off that feeling that you want to take this left because the rights feel so weird. YOU want to take the ones that feel the weirdest and then you have no bounds.

Answer 2

That's it, just practice.  Whether it's a surfboard, snowboard, or wakeboard, you just have to practice and it will become more comfortable.  The longer you have ridden without going switch the longer it will take you to get comfortable with it, but it can be done at any surfing age.

Answer 3

Practice.  It's really the only way.  I spend about 50% of my time on the slopes riding switch, just because I want to get better at it.  And because I'm usually riding with people who don't ride as well as I do, so I can afford to "play" more with it.

The easiest thing I've found is to actually do more 180s and then just try to hold it in either a frontside or backside (whichever you're more comfortable with in switch) and then rotate around a bit.  Practice on the smaller slopes first, or don't worry about hitting the snow.

Check out if you have any other suggestions from a snowboarding group.

Answer 4

if you want to slow just drag a hand or foot; BUT WHY?

Fast is fun!

Answer 5

I think this question is more for snowboarding.  Freeline and stopping/ slowing down is something you usually don't have to think about.

But either way, the only way to learn to ride switch is to just do it.

It'll feel like you're almost starting over, but at least  you'll have an idea of what you're doing already.  You just have to reverse it mentally.

The main thing with a surfboard is that they're meant to go in one direction, so you don't have much control if the fins are forward.  You just have to let the wave spin the board back to normal.  But if you're riding switch (which can be super-fun), you just practice popping up with the opposite leg forward, riding the opposite of what you normally do.  You just have to practice it over and over and over.  The change of stance brings back that whole "I'm learning to surf!!!" feeling all over again... but in super-accellerated time.

Answer 6

practice practice practice.  I've been surfing in san diego county for 40 years and trust me, just do it.