help with turns

[junebug]

How many sessions did it take your to foot switch? I'm at the stage now and i want to keep my expectations real lol

When I first started foiling, I decided I wanted to try my best to be completely ambidextrous, so I worked on my weaker side at the expense of developing my stronger side quicker. It took me about a year to be able to do flying foot switches from heel side to toe side from both stances (regular and goofy) with a 100% success rate, a little bit longer to get toe side to heel side foot switches. I don't know how many sessions it took, but I would guess I average between 2-3 sessions per week? Prior to foiling, I had no experience with a directional board, so the foot switch was completely new to me. I learned on the surface first with a larger board (5 feet or so) and then took those skills flying. I don't remember how long it took me to get surface foot switches consistently--and a lot of that would depend on the sea state anyway--but I would guess maybe 6-8 months or so.

I'm not particularly talented, so your mileage may vary.

I can do all the basic maneuvers equally regular or goofy and I can't really tell a difference in normal riding, but the one thing I will never be as good at goofy is riding waves. I try it when we have wind from the left, which happens in the winter, but I will never be able to turn as quickly riding goofy. It is what it is.

wow interesting that you find it easier to switch from heel side to toe side. I would have guessed that it would be easier to switch from toe side to heel side - I have not even attempted yet to try heel side to toe side, I will now to see if it easier for me

Thank you!
G.

I think pretty much everyone finds heel to toe foot switches easier. It’s easier to use the lift from the kite when you start off facing it and heelside stance is more stable.

[Janus]

Foot switches.. dedication for one session and you’re done.
Know where the balance point is, foil a few racks up and down with both feet parallel in ‘ski’ stance, you can stand there on one foot too..
Then switch feet multiple times in one straight line with a little kite support. Do this a few racks as well.
What helps is to say and do what you want to do; “back to front, front to back” don’t look at your feet, they’ll do what you want them to do.
When there’s not so much kite support make little hops.
For me there’s no difference in strapped or strapless.
A little girl on Maui (I thought, bet she is a nice woman already ) made a nice vid on switching feet, so easy..

[Nelis]

Dedication each session for 1.5 years has gotten me to 70% consistency max, so mileage may vary.

[rnelias]

Foot switches.. dedication for one session and you’re done.
Know where the balance point is, foil a few racks up and down with both feet parallel in ‘ski’ stance, you can stand there on one foot too..
Then switch feet multiple times in one straight line with a little kite support. Do this a few racks as well.
What helps is to say and do what you want to do; “back to front, front to back” don’t look at your feet, they’ll do what you want them to do.
When there’s not so much kite support make little hops.
For me there’s no difference in strapped or strapless.
A little girl on Maui (I thought, bet she is a nice woman already ) made a nice vid on switching feet, so easy..

Nice list

find the board balance point and trust that you can throw your weight at this point is crucial. In my case, I've skipped the taxing foot switch drills and started to practice with the board flying. I've thought it easier since the board does not have wave interference. I've also made some sky stance riding to gain confidence in the begining but foot switch is something that you must commit to learn (well... everything in hydrofoil requires commitment )

I think you're talking about Kainani Drexler. I've watched some vids from her too



Rob's videos (Progression Sports's YT channel) are also excelent to guide the learning process. The beach drills for 2-stages foot switches are great because people usually make the first attempts by trying 1-stage small jumps. It can be done but it's surely not the easiest way.



Here's my personal list that I've posted on Evan Bartlett's video some time ago.

1. Find the CG on your board by doing baby steps until you ride on Jesus stance. On this CG, you can be confident to throw your weight while keeping the board balanced;

2. The easiest switch is heel to toe side on your strong stance. Try this first;

3.. Don't try to switch on small jumps. The foot switch in 2 stages is easier. Firstly, bring your back foot to the front and secondly send your old front foot to the back. Practice this movement on the beach without the kite to develop "muscle memory";

4. Keep your kite high. It's easier to practice when you're correctly powered since the kite will give you some support;

5. It's not something to think of in your first attempts but a small pump also helps a lot on foot switches. The idea is give a small pump and commit to the switch just when the board starts to climb again. This extra lift will help to support you after the switch;

Enjoy the process (and crashes) that in 2-3 months you'll be mastering the switches on both sides/stances

[junebug]

All good advice above. I will just add that for me the breakthrough came when I stopped thinking about it as a “foot switch” and started thinking about it as a “stance switch.” The former leads with the foot, which makes you unstable for that brief second when both feet are forward. The latter starts by turning the hips, which gets your entire body prepared for the new forward foot.

[Peter_Frank]

I dont think most jibe "heel to toe" and then carve, nor that most find it easier.

Very individual.

I come from windsurfing and kite waveboards, and carving first then toe to heel foot switch on the way out is by far the most natural and easy for me.
One also loses less upwind this way, and even better, if you hit a small or big wave you can just carve back without switching feet - great freedom.

This way of carving is one of the reasons I love hydrofoiling or waveboards or any directional board - kean forward into the turn is whats its all about for me

Others do it the "racetype" way, kite high lift a bit, and switch feet heel to toe and then carve while downlooping the kite.

I would never jibe like that, some do, others dont.

Prefer to carve first while flying the kite up and around, and then swith feet on the way out of the turn
When learning you can switch feet after the turn having the kite lift more, easier, but the better you get, the earlier you can switch feet.

Two completely different ways of jibing, not in any ways connected and as said, really individual who does it how.

Except, few does it both ways, but prefer one or another.

Then some, but not many, maybe those coming from surfing only?, do it one way on one tack and the other on the other tack, to suit their strong stance side.

Peter

[junebug]

I dont think most jibe "heel to toe" and then carve, nor that most find it easier.

Peter

I could be wrong, but I think you are an outlier here. Everyone I have ever spoken to about it thinks the heel to toe footswitch is easier when learning. Most of the guys I see foiling at my beach don't even do a toe to heel footswitch.

I personally don't have a preference. Like you, I love the feeling of carving a hard turn to toeside, but I also love the feeling of doing a footswitch first and then banking a heelside turn as fast as possible.

I would be curious to know if others find the toe to heel footswitch easier, harder, or the same as heel to toe.

[1234567Simon]

1: Normal Riding heelside
2: Gybe
3: Ride a little in toeside
4: get a stable Position
5: Change feet.....

it took me 5 Sessions to realize my Problem is NOT THE UP-AND-DOWN-CONTROL.

MY PROBLEM WAS THE TILTING TO THE new UPWINDSIDE....

Never saw this toppic beeing discussed in any Tutorial....

After realizing this, took me one Session to find a solution



Also coming from Windsurfing....
In a Surfboard, I Like to Change feet before the Gybe. But If it IS getting Important Always after the gybe

[Nelis]

Offtopic and speaking of windsurfing, my footswitches on the waveboard are now (since foilling) sooo damn fast and precise, the anti-slip is worn off but it hardly matters anymore.