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Old     (gwake1989)      Join Date: Jun 2012       07-22-2012, 10:38 AM Reply   
Hey guys, I have a quick question that I hope you can help me out with. What is the best way to learn how to ride switch? How can I prevent catching an edge? Any tips or techniques or experience that can help a rider learning how to ride switch? Thanks
Old     (jhartt3)      Join Date: Jan 2012       07-22-2012, 11:01 AM Reply   
Practicing riding cuffed while riding switch was the easiest way for met to get some comfort that way. Also whenever we go out and cant find good water i usually just ride switch.
Old     (Hovey313)      Join Date: Apr 2012       07-22-2012, 11:43 AM Reply   
Practice, practic, practice!!!
Jess had it right, if the weather or other boats aren't cooperating, I dedicate that day to riding switch! I found it easier to come out of the water and turn switch than starting off in my normal (Goofy) stance. And try to think about what's going on, try to mirror your normal stance! Just get up and carve around, while just holding on to the Rope with your lead hand! I know for me the first hundred times I would get pulled back and catch my toe edge because I was so used to having the role in my right hand! The more you do it the easier and more natural it feels! Oh, and Have Fun with It!
Old     (wakerider111)      Join Date: Jul 2006       07-22-2012, 12:26 PM Reply   
don't save switch riding just for blown-out days. it would be a mistake not to take advantage of smooth water too.

It wasn't till i became serious about my switch riding and riding whole sets in smooth water that it really started to take off.
when the water is smooth you are more likely to push yourself without worrying about chop. chop will help you with balance and absorbing shock in the switch position but you're less likely to work on a switch toeside jump in chop if you know what i mean.

riding cuffed is one of the recommendations i saw in Learn Wake.com but i really did not like it. you might, so give it a try. look at some of the other learnwake videos and emulate them. as charlie said, think of what you already know and apply that but mirrored. it is easier said than done, but it works best.
I would also recommend having the boat driver make turns on the ends of your path in a direction that you can swing out on your toeside edge. with every turn push yourself just a little farther each time on the whip.

One of the best feelings i have ever had wakeboarding was nailing my first switch toeside wake to wake jump at my usual riding length. JUST SICK. it makes it more rewarding when there are people in the boat who can appreciate switch riding. When i landed mine it was just that. there was a rider in the boat who had a much deeper bag of tricks than me, but when i landed that switch toeside toeside he nearly jumped out the boat!

SOOO much FUN to be able to ride your board the way it was designed... Symmetrically

Last edited by wakerider111; 07-22-2012 at 12:31 PM.
Old     (wakerider111)      Join Date: Jul 2006       07-22-2012, 12:30 PM Reply   
ohh and get ready for your muscles to hurt. your muscles will feel like they did when you rode the first time in the season.

next season, on your first run. ride 50/50 switch and regular and you wont have to have break-in pain twice.... in fact your break-in pain will be more evenly distributed on your body and believe it or not will feel better and easier to deal with ironically.
Old     (wakerider111)      Join Date: Jul 2006       07-22-2012, 12:37 PM Reply   
you might even try riding finless once (ONLY IN SMOOTH WATER) to remove the aid of fins and force yourself to learn to use the edges of the board. if you have a slingshot board or other board with no bottom features it will be even more a learning trip.
Old     (gwake1989)      Join Date: Jun 2012       07-22-2012, 2:26 PM Reply   
Thanks to all for your advice and help. I have an even more basic switch riding question. I've seen lots of pros in videos do a small ollie and switch the board around real quick. Is this easier, or should i try the surface slide switch? If so, whats the easiest way to not catch an edge or slip? Thanks again for all the help.
Old     (austin)      Join Date: Apr 2010       07-23-2012, 9:38 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by gwake1989 View Post
Thanks to all for your advice and help. I have an even more basic switch riding question. I've seen lots of pros in videos do a small ollie and switch the board around real quick. Is this easier, or should i try the surface slide switch? If so, whats the easiest way to not catch an edge or slip? Thanks again for all the help.
Easiest way for me when I was first going switch was a little 1-wake toeside 180 going from outside the wakes to in between the wakes.

The second easiest was probably a surface 180. Surface 180's is probably where the greatest risk of an edge catch is. Make sure to keep your weight leaning back and your toes up. Going slower makes it easier. Your board will also have a huge effect on how easy it is to surface 180.

Ollie 180s are also a fairly easy way to get from switch to regular--maybe even easier than surface 180s depending on your board.

For me the hardest way was doing a heelside 180, and that was the last way I learned to do it.

I'm not sure that I consider "coming up switch" as a method for getting to switch. For one you can only do it once per fall. For another it's not really much different from doing a surface 180 at slow speed unless you come up sideways.

Now once you're switch, going back to regular will probably be harder. I found surface 180s going from switch heelside to regular toeside to be the most reliable method early on. After that 1-wake toeside 180s going outside in was probably the next easiest.
Old     (cbayuk)      Join Date: Aug 2011       07-25-2012, 7:36 AM Reply   
Biggest things to remember when riding switch: stand tall and keep your hips in front of your shoulders. Most people when they start riding switch are bent over at the waist because it's foreign. Really focus on only changing your lower body position. Your shoulder should be squared off to the boat and you should be standing nice and tall.
As for when to ride switch, it's all up to you but the more you it the easier it is and the more tricks you can learn.
Shred on!
Old     (holmes)      Join Date: Jan 2010       07-25-2012, 8:48 AM Reply   
Force yourself to do it! I used to tell my kids "switch session" when I would swing by to pick them up. Always got a goofy look at first, but we would slow down, pull the rope in five, and off we went. Not just one pull, at least a couple and the entire ride is manditory switch.

Now we all know no one can make you ride a particular way, buy they knew it helped them. Slower and shorter rope lended a little confidence and kids progressed by leaps and bounds.

I dare ya! Next time out, call'em out "SWITCH", always means the next pull is nothing but switch. Don't be lazy and not change speed or length, you will get blown off next time you yell it.
Old     (captain_vilfo)      Join Date: Apr 2007       07-22-2012, 4:36 PM Reply   
I would shorten the rope to about 60-65, go slower and take weight out of the boat. Practice going w2w switch w/o 180s and doing grabs then it just naturally transfers over to your normal length. Doing this helped me learn a lot
Old     (jhartt3)      Join Date: Jan 2012       07-22-2012, 4:49 PM Reply   
I go to switch all different ways to practice different things. Easiest way is to get up switch. 2nd easiest for me was to ride finless and do a surface 180... The ollie 180 is harder for me to do so i've been practicing reg - goof ollie 180s. 3rd easiest way for me was a normal toeside 180 to switch.. but i didnt get comfortable sticking them until i practiced alot switch with cuffed riding etc. Also when i get tired at the end of a normal run i go to switch riding. Works different muscles. I'm not at the point i'm comfortable jumping yet still working on getting comfy cutting and doing switch ollie's... these are hard for me. Anyone else have trouble ollieing on a Ronix Vault. I could do it better on the trip i used to ride.
Old     (ilboarder12)      Join Date: May 2009       07-25-2012, 8:22 PM Reply   
truly the best way to get comfortable riding switch is to go a two tower cable system such an seistec or erc, because there is no boat wash to deal with and if you have a good driver they will kill the speed before you even crash thus not hurting at all. its all about building your confidence.
Old     (Readyaimfire)      Join Date: Jun 2012       07-25-2012, 11:09 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by ilboarder12 View Post
truly the best way to get comfortable riding switch is to go a two tower cable system such an seistec or erc, because there is no boat wash to deal with and if you have a good driver they will kill the speed before you even crash thus not hurting at all. its all about building your confidence.
Not an option where I live. Gotta do it the old fashioned way out in Ca.

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