Standup Zone Forum
Stand Up Paddle => Technique => Topic started by: blueplanetsurf on May 18, 2019, 11:22:23 AM
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We just posted a new video on Pivot Turns, please feel free to add your tips and experience:
https://youtu.be/jIpkzGDrT9k
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Nice video. Thanks. I will share.
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Love the floating head. Nice work really concise. It would be great to do a lesson on dealing with choppy conditions!
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Thanks for the video Robert. I have two comments. First, you show pivot turns in both directions, but always while the paddler is in regular foot stance. I would argue that to turn left you should be in regular foot stance, but to turn right you should switch to goofy foot stance. The only other thing I noticed is that you show the paddler doing the sweep stroke and sometimes carrying the stroke around and past the tail of the board. Carrying the stroke this far can throw a paddler off balance so at least while learning, I’d suggest paddlers stop the stroke before going past the tail.
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Great video as always Robert. You touched on it briefly in the middle of your video, but I think the fore and aft weight transfer should be talked about more. I've never really paid attention to how my stroke is on my pivot turns on any of my boards, because I'm always focused on the fore and aft balance point. On my short board, I'll wait till the last few seconds before I pivot onto a wave. As I ready to pivot, anticipating the right moment, I'll shift my back foot back but keep my weight on my front foot. Once the wave is on me, I'll just shift enough weight to the back foot to sink the tail and turn. I'll take one pivot stroke as the tail sinks. By doing this so late, I almost don't take maybe more than half a stroke onto the wave if any at all.
If I'm waiting for a wave on my 14' race board I'll stand way back of center almost to the pivot point. Again at the point where I can just shift my weight fore and aft. This keeps the nose very loose so I can pivot quicker into a wave, but because of the length of the board I'll give myself more time to turn into the on coming wave and not wait till the last few seconds.
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Thanks for the comments.
Quickbeam, I have not tried to pivot turn in goofy foot stance but I should try and practice that. Going behind the tail can throw off your balance but is also good to practice and can help you turn 180 degrees with just one stroke.
Talldude, good point, finding a good balance point and using front to back balance is absolutely key to a good pivot turn. On a short low volume surf SUP that balance point is often just inches behind the center of volume while on a 14' board it can be several steps back and close to the tail, especially on boards with fat, wide blocky tails.
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Nice vid as always Robert.... this is the kind of content that keeps newbies and experienced SUPsters reading the Zone!