Getting an Early Start, HELP

[snyderaaron]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ut8aCckmys&list=UULM37a7v2dxP9yWpQdIuq3g

Just trying to get ready for next season, any suggestions on how to be more consistent?

[bergermaister]

I've always liked this and made sense. Can't say that I actually can perform the variations though!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ckkf840HZE4

[motosno963]

i cant get a good pop..i guess for me i feel like pulling instead of pushing down on the board..i have to work on that

[tnbrooks01]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ut8aCckmys&list=UULM37a7v2dxP9yWpQdIuq3g

Just trying to get ready for next season, any suggestions on how to be more consistent?

I've been away from the site for a while but I'll join the conversation.


A couple of things stick out to me that are hurting consistentcy.

1. You ride very "tail heavy", your front leg is straight while your back leg is bent. You lean back on the handle for balance and the board plows through the water rather than riding on top of the water.

****work to get even balance on both feet. This will allow the board to ride on the center of the spine and much faster. Can you do slow speed butter slides? Its a good drill to practice because you must have even balance or you will catch the dreaded frontside edge and scorpion yourself.

****After you get even balance on both feet, you will notice the board is much faster so when you edge out on your toes and let off edge the rope will slack and you will be able to coast until the boat catches back up.

2. Your transition from edge out on toes to edge back in on heels is rushed. This is caused from number 1, so you can't correct this until number 1 is corrected.

****So once 1 is corrected and you are able to coast between toe edging and and heel edge back in, this is the point you take a break (coast) and start getting into a seated position, even balance on feet and build the edge on way back in. Start out nice and easy and build from there.


Hope this helps.

Todd

[snyderaaron]

Thanks for the advice, I have noticed that when I edge out I lean on my back foot and never straighten out either. I guess I'm already afraid of the dreaded face plant. Any other tips to get balance on both feet, i think when I'm riding right behind the boat too I'm leaning on my tail. I have my bindings all the way out too, should I try moving them in closer so it doesn't plow as much?

[tnbrooks01]

Thanks for the advice, I have noticed that when I edge out I lean on my back foot and never straighten out either. I guess I'm already afraid of the dreaded face plant. Any other tips to get balance on both feet, i think when I'm riding right behind the boat too I'm leaning on my tail. I have my bindings all the way out too, should I try moving them in closer so it doesn't plow as much?

Assuming that your board is properly sized for you, I would leave the bindings as wide as you can. Doing so provides the most balanced position.

When wakesurfing, to accelerate you you need more weight on your front foot. Same goes when wakeboarding. Doing buter slides are a good way to practice even balance on your feet. Another way is to try and hold the handle across your body down at your back hip with your back arm and let your front hand loosely hold the rope. If you ride cable at all you will see guys doing this just coasting around taking a break. Another thing to try is to pull the handle as hard as you can and see how far your can get the handle behind you catching the rope then working your way back to the handle. You will need to have your weight forward to accomplish this.

[beej77r]

Good read, I know i do the same thing while wake boarding... lean back on your rear foot. I ride the same as snyderaaron, so once I get back on the water i will think about what you are saying there Todd... I didn't get alot of time riding wake board last year, so that is one thing I want to be able to do is jump clean side to side while being able to keep good form etc...

[trayson]

I've always liked this and made sense. Can't say that I actually can perform the variations though!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ckkf840HZE4

These are the type of "Variations" I see you being good at...

Just sayin.

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/120131-brazilian%20beer.660%3B660%3B7%3B70%3B0.jpg

[kaneboats]

Wow! I'm not good at any of that but I've always subscribed to the theory that practice makes perfect.

[tnbrooks01]

Totally agree with practice makes perfect. Unless your practicing the wrong things. The issue most Weekend Warrior Wakers have is they never took the time to practice the fundamentals to build a very wide foundation. Because learning fundamentals is boring.

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[snyderaaron]

Totally agree with practice makes perfect. Unless your practicing the wrong things. The issue most Weekend Warrior Wakers have is they never took the time to practice the fundamentals to build a very wide foundation. Because learning fundamentals is boring.

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My problem is I have never learned the fundamentals, and have pretty much taught myself since I started. So I can blame my teacher

[gregski]

In your 2009 videos "wakeboard help" the thing I notice is that you aren't really "popping". I think you are clearing the wake using little more than raw speed. Watch the level of your head/torso as you come off of the wake. It doesn't actually move up very much, mostly it looks like you are moving across the wakes while picking your feet up. In a way, you are almost absorbing the ramp, it's especially noticeable on your 180.

Fast-forward to your more recent video, and you are definitely getting pop but I see some of the left-over habits from the earlier videos. Also, you look a little bent at the waist. Think about where your hips are in relation to the board; get them over your feet (more upright upper body). Then think tall right at the top of the wake, stand up, push your feet down, jump, whatever.

Like tnbrooks01 said, it's all about the front foot. When I'm getting good pop, I feel like I'm doing it all off of my front foot - the reality is that I'm probably less than 50/50. It has taken me a long time to get comfortable putting so much (any) weight on the front foot.

If it were me, I would experiment with some of the things above, but try doing it without pulling in with so much speed. Don't worry about clearing the wake. Go slow and give yourself time to find the feeling then train that into muscle memory. (Of course you'll want to figure out the right combo of speed/height so that you're not landing into the face of the next wake - ouch. Or maybe go with a shorter rope while you are practicing so that you can easily clear the wake without needing much speed.)

Another thing that always limits me is my eyes. Your body goes where your eyes are looking. Look down at the wake or landing and you get small air, look up high and you get bigger air. Sometimes I'm amazed at how much air I get when I just pick my eyes up and look out at the horizon when jumping. So simple yet easy to neglect. I can't really tell where your vision is at, this is just a tip that I always give.

Overall, you have improved a ton in a few years. Keep up the good work and you will be flying.

[beej77r]

That is some good advise from Gregski, "look where you go!" I have been to two ski schools when i was younger.. (much younger) and that was the one thing that every coach would say, keep your head up... look where you want to go. this was paramount when i was Trick skiing... esp doing spins etc.
Damn i can't wait to get back on the water... I want to practice all of this with wakeboarding!!!

[tnbrooks01]

Good points. We teach "Look up, stay up look down fall down".

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[snyderaaron]

In your 2009 videos "wakeboard help" the thing I notice is that you aren't really "popping". I think you are clearing the wake using little more than raw speed. Watch the level of your head/torso as you come off of the wake. It doesn't actually move up very much, mostly it looks like you are moving across the wakes while picking your feet up. In a way, you are almost absorbing the ramp, it's especially noticeable on your 180.

Fast-forward to your more recent video, and you are definitely getting pop but I see some of the left-over habits from the earlier videos. Also, you look a little bent at the waist. Think about where your hips are in relation to the board; get them over your feet (more upright upper body). Then think tall right at the top of the wake, stand up, push your feet down, jump, whatever.

Like tnbrooks01 said, it's all about the front foot. When I'm getting good pop, I feel like I'm doing it all off of my front foot - the reality is that I'm probably less than 50/50. It has taken me a long time to get comfortable putting so much (any) weight on the front foot.

If it were me, I would experiment with some of the things above, but try doing it without pulling in with so much speed. Don't worry about clearing the wake. Go slow and give yourself time to find the feeling then train that into muscle memory. (Of course you'll want to figure out the right combo of speed/height so that you're not landing into the face of the next wake - ouch. Or maybe go with a shorter rope while you are practicing so that you can easily clear the wake without needing much speed.)

Another thing that always limits me is my eyes. Your body goes where your eyes are looking. Look down at the wake or landing and you get small air, look up high and you get bigger air. Sometimes I'm amazed at how much air I get when I just pick my eyes up and look out at the horizon when jumping. So simple yet easy to neglect. I can't really tell where your vision is at, this is just a tip that I always give.

Overall, you have improved a ton in a few years. Keep up the good work and you will be flying.

Thanks for the advice, I do find myself looking at the wake while I'm edging in. I look back at those out videos and think, man I sucked,, but that was before my own boat and could start going boating whenever. Going out first time this weekend and pretty exciting. Should I remove my engine plugs and hoses just in case air tempeature gets close to freezing again?

[parrothd]

I'm self taught as well and now trying to unlearn/break habits, you should look into taking a few private lessons, they can be expensive but well worth the money. I think my instructor would say you're using speed to clear the wake and not edging and building line tension...At least that's what he's always telling me... :)

[trayson]

I thought that this was a GREAT article that makes you think about what you're really trying to accomplish as you jump:

http://www.wakeworld.com/news/feature/what-is-pop.html

[bergermaister]

Good article and tips! And it's true from what I've witnessed. Saw a dude pulling inverts, making it look easy, behind a little 15ft smokercraft with a 40hp outboard on it 2 summers ago on the river. Clearly he knew what he was doing and had the right form/timing/experience.

I don't know if I've ever had the right form or fundamentals. Something about teaching an old dog new tricks...

[gregski]

Just when I think I'm "getting it" I see pictures/video of some dude getting much bigger air out in the flats. I suck.

[snyderaaron]

Tried more of my front foot this weekend. Feels different but I think it will help out a lot if I keep working on it

[snyderaaron]

Getting more comfortable with it and feels a lot more consistent. Can also control how far I land on other side too, which is nice. Take a look

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msY1IX_cdl0&feature=youtu.be

[tnbrooks01]

Getting more comfortable with it and feels a lot more consistent. Can also control how far I land on other side too, which is nice. Take a look

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msY1IX_cdl0&feature=youtu.be


Looks good. A noticeable difference in forward/back body position and your transition from out to in looks nice and smooth, way better.

Keep both hands on handle until you leave the wake. Shoot to keep both hands on until on way down.

[snyderaaron]

We call it the rodeo when I let that hand go. Thanks for the tips Todd. You mind if I keep giving you update videos. Your advice was awesome.

[tnbrooks01]

We call it the rodeo when I let that hand go. Thanks for the tips Todd. You mind if I keep giving you update videos. Your advice was awesome.

No problem at all. I enjoy watching the videos and seeing people progress.

I mentioned the hand thing because that is an ongoing issue with my son. When learning new tricks he rushes to let go like that prior to leaving the wake. Thus changing his edge, causing him to case the wake on the other side.
I tell people they can do whatever they want once they are in the air, but prior to leaving the wake body position needs to be consistant.

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