Flying footswitch learning time

[kitenight11]

Hey,

I just wanted to ask you guys how long you took to learn flying footswitch? I started foiling a couple of month ago, maybe 15-20 sessions yet and am able to do flying gybes frontside and backside from appr. 10th session on.
Only problem is flying footswitch. On surface is no problem in both direction. I started foiling strapless with 90cm mast and am still on it. My board is duotone freefoil with gt wing.

[tomtom]

Change foil. Big wing its like 10 more easy. Or be patient

[PurdyKiter]

Watch as many videos of Gunnar Biniasch as time allows:
https://www.facebook.com/kitechino/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnn5Nj ... bWC4uAEyDg

[jakemoore]

Flat water helps. Also choosing a small patch of water to practice so you try again and again. My practice routine is: jibe to toe, back to heel, footswitch, jibe to heel opposite tack, repeat on opposite tack.

Kite lift and foot pump are critical and should be exaggerated and deliberate early on.

1st session practicing - 50 attempts, no success
2nd session 50 attempts, maybe 1 or 2
4th session, maybe 1 or 2 on weak side

[Kamikuza]

Change foil. Big wing its like 10 more easy. Or be patient

This.

I completely gave up even trying in my old kite foil. Got a big wing, also didn't bother because hey it seemed impossible before.

Then I tried jumptheshark's method of popping the board up over chop and it was almost instantly successful.

Big wing. Just easier.

Oh you need to be comfy moving your back foot around. If you can't move it forward and backward a few inches, changing get will seem more difficult.

[jumptheshark]

To keep this current, in addition to a bigger wing, practice pumping and watch the video of Greg Drexler’s young niece, you want to get comfy with moment of unweighting the rear foot. Pumping is basically just that and it introduces the concept of rhythm so you realize it’s a quick move done on the beat. Practice pumping and foot switches come a lot faster.

Gets you beyond the stage where your feet feel cemented in place, and your stance forged in stone, to a lighter footed, variable stance phase where your no longer trying to always find exactly the same spot, and are used to unweighting for all kinds of moments like foot switches and quick transitions and able to ride in a variety of stances.

Pumping is also proving to be a handy skill to get help get going on the bottom end or keep going out of transitions when underpowered or starting to stall.

Learning to pump will not only improve your footwork, but clue you in to stall speed in a new way that is just really helpful to your foiling.

[slowboat]

The simplest thing you can do immediately to help your foot switching is to start riding with a narrower stance. Once you are stable in a very narrow stance, a foot switch from that stance is very easy since there is so little that is actually changing. As you progress, you can widen the stance you initiate your foot switch from.

[jumptheshark]

Good point on the stance width. That's definitely a factor.





Great example of a wave cresting foot switch at 1:40, then the tutorial oat 3:10.

[kitenight11]

Thank you guys for all the helping advises. I don't worry that it will not come if I practice more often, I just wanted to know how much time you guys took to learn it? Actually I am pretty happy with my skills after a couple of month foiling on a small (540 sqcm) frontwing. Honestly I only practiced flying footswitching in one session, the last and was a bit frustrated cause everything else in foiling went so much easier for me.
Anyway, thanks again for the helping.

[Brian H]

Lift from the kite and pump of the board did it for me. Try it before and after the turn, kite high , pump and switch .