Switch Stance?

[Lohena]

Anybody ever try to do it with success?

I've been thinking about giving it a concerted effort. Odd thing for me is that I'm left footed, right handed, but surf regular for some reason. Used to skate goofy, then switched to regular. Wondering if I might have any success surfing goofy if I persevere. Could be fun.

 

[Chocki]

 

[sdsrfr]

I don’t surf good enough facing one way to want to try the other.

my snowboard don’t do switch anymore either and I don’t miss it one bit.

 

[One-Off]

Is that something you can learn?

It's weird how we are wired. Like, we have one hand that can do all these intricate, amazing tasks and with the other we can't even brush our teeth. Because of my recent finger injury I was doing everything left handed for almost 2 months and I was amazed how incapable I was left handed. I have an uncle who's ambidextrous and could also switch hit when he was young. So I think it's something you either have or don't.

 

[CutnSnip]

used to be able to skate very well either stance. never tried it surfing but I dont think it go well at this point.

 

[SteveT]

Is that something you can learn?

It's weird how we are wired. Like, we have one hand that can do all these intricate, amazing tasks and with the other we can't even brush our teeth. Because of my recent finger injury I was doing everything left handed for almost 2 months and I was amazed how incapable I was left handed. I have an uncle who's ambidextrous and could also switch hit when he was young. So I think it's something you either have or don't.

^^^^
I think it's just something you are born with (ambidexterity)
When I lived in Dog Town back in the 70's there was one of the DT boys named Mark Amos (or maybe his brother Barry)
He would drop in backside on a left, do a deep bottom turn and switch stance half way up the face and smack the lip frontside.
It was the damdest thing to watch and beautiful.
VBWL may know who I'm talking about. Didn't "Roach' (Adrian R) do the switch stance deal also?

 

[r32]

I'm also ambidextrous somewhat. Left handed in hockey and golf, bat left or right, throw right or left, etc.. But can't ride goofy on a surfboard or snowboard if my life depended on it.

If you think about all the things you do around the house, it's amazing how specific everything is. Do you stir a pot on the stove with left or right? Clockwise or counter clockwise? Do you brush your teeth right or left handed? When you you dry off you probably have a very specific routine, such as start with head first, then neck, shoulders, etc. and do it exactly the same every time. When you sit on the couch, are you more likely to cross the left leg over the right, or the right leg over the left? When you cut food, is the knife in your right or left hand?

Fun experiment, try all of the everyday things with the opposite hand.

 

[SClem. local]

I've consistently rode switch for around 20+ years. Impossible for me skating or snowboarding, but surfing is easier for me. I'm not ripping but it's fun and like starting over at surfing. I often surf a somewhat uncrowded area when it's small and longboarding so I dont mind looking kooky or wasting waves when trying something different. Ive been surfing for 40 years so its fun to keep it new somehow.

I also switch just after my backside bottom turn. It's a lot easier on midlengths and longboards, so I'd recommend starting there. If you can cross step well on a longboard it is not much harder. I've managed to be able to high well switch and even gotten some tubes. Got a big blacks tube once switch while shortboarding in the 90's, but also got clipped several times before pulling it off.

 

[Duffy LaCoronilla]

No.

PS: wife only surfs backside. She’s right, goofy. She goes left, regular.

 

[2surf]

I learned to surf switchstance after getting knee surgery on my right knee. It took many months of therapy to get it to bend enough to surf comfortably. Once you get the hang of it, backside bottom turns into stalling switch stance barrels was addicting.

 

[stringcheese]

No.

PS: wife only surfs backside. She’s right, goofy. She goes left, regular.

So, uh... her backside must be pretty good, eh?

 

[r32]

No.

PS: wife only surfs backside. She’s right, goofy. She goes left, regular.

Have you considered trading her in for a newer model?

 

[Duffy LaCoronilla]

So, uh... her backside must be pretty good, eh?

A bit of a poo stance

 

[Duffy LaCoronilla]

Have you considered trading her in for a newer model?

Why not have a newer model while keeping the old one?

 

[silentbutdeadly]

next time I eat crap in front of someone I am going to just laugh and say "damn riding switch is tough"!

 

[Tarab_ish]

I'm too old to learn new things now, but never saw the point really. I grew up on righthand points and sucked at going left (backside) but at this point I do better turns going left. Not sure what the advantage of facing the wave going left would even be -- the backside snap is too satisfying

 

[b.r.]

I lived near a left point for a year and started to go switch half way through the 1 minute plus long waves. I find it harder to hop up switch but like a previous poster said the backside bottom turn and then switch as you get to the top feels good and is easy for me. Saw Rell Sunn do that and thought that is cool.

 

[bonzer5fin]

i'll go switch on a left on a small day for kicks. i attempted a few turns but always fell. down the line stuff feels pretty fun. on an overhead day i was talked into doing it and actually got a barrel, but it chandeliered and i have no idea what it looked like. i can switch snowboarding in powder without eating crap most turns, but skating? forget it. one switch carve in a bowl and i ate it hard! never again.

 

[b.r.]

There may be something to the ambidextrous angle. I write right but throw lefty.my Free range 70s parents who were over kids but had me by accident didn’t know I threw lefty until I was in little league and kept dropping my right handed mitt to throw it in. The coach informed my pops. Uhm commander R your son is a southpaw. Buy him a left handed glove.

 

[SClem. local]

I'll also add to my above post that: on a bigger board, just as you are coming out of a normal backside bottom turn the bigger board allows you room for your back foot to simply rotate around so you are switch. It puts you body towards the middle of the board in a good position to high line or just cruise down the line without being too far forward. Alternatively, on any size board, if you go heavy and hard stall on your back foot during the normal bottom turn it can give you time to rotate it around and you are more back on the board in position to stall and be more in the pocket.

If you fall heal side on the switch be ready to cover your head because the board can be coming back at you quick.

I don't think you need to be ambidextrous. Just put the time in trying it. Trial and error. Good luck, and most importantly, have fun.