Know How: Cutbacks

Hi girls,

I’m sure your paddling has improved since last issues (for previous “How Tos” check out previous magazine issues) paddling tips and you’ve been catching plenty of waves out in the line-up. Remember, if you’re not catching waves, you can’t practice the manoeuvres that I will be covering in upcoming issues.

Firstly I need to mention some extremely important things to remember when attempting any surfing manoeuvre.

1. Always bend your knees. Your bent knees are your suspension giving you balance and control. Bending your knees also allows you to push and extend your legs throughout a turn creating power and throwing spray. Think of your knees like the suspension in a car smoothing the bumps and softening the ride.
2. Straight legs can cause you to lose speed and power, bog or catch a rail and lose your balance.
3. However, it is just as important not to bend your knees or crouch so low that you’re almost sitting on your board.
4. Slightly tilt your body forward at the waist when you bend your knees. This will allow you to find your centre of gravity. Your back shouldn’t be straight up and down when your knees are bent.
5. Look in the direction you want your board to go. Where you look is where you go. For example if you want to hit the lip, look at the lip as you set up the manoeuvre.
6. Use your arms to help guide and rotate your shoulders. This combined with twisting through your trunk (body) will guide you and your board through the directional change.
7. Always compress with bent knees and keep yourself centered over the stringer of your board to successfully recover from a manoeuvre.

CUTBACK

What is a cutback?

The cutback is an essential component of a surfer’s repertoire and is the first manoeuvre we are going to focus on for this issue. A cutback allows a surfer to re-enter the powerful section (curl/pocket), of the wave when it slows. Placing yourself back close to the curl enables you to gain speed and power from the steeper, more powerful section of the wave.

How to perform a cutback:

1. Begin the cutback from out on the shoulder or flatter face of the wave.

2. Lower into a crouched body position. In this crouched position, it is extremely important to ensure you are bending sufficiently through your knees and waist.

3. For a forehand cutback, lean backwards towards the white water in the pocket. For a backhand cutback, lean forwards towards the white water in the pocket. The reason for leaning is to put the board onto its rail and thus reducing drag.

4. As you transition onto your rail you will need to simultaneously:

-look in the direction you want your board to go;

-rotate your shoulders by guiding them with your arms; and

-twist your torso back towards the pocket.

5. Hold your crouched body position throughout this part of the manoeuvre until you and your board are back into the more powerful pocket of the wave.

6. When you are deep enough back in the pocket you can then straighten out of the turn by easing off your rail.

7. Now that you are back in the pocket, you need to redirect your board back down the line again. To do this you will need to simultaneously:

-look in the direction you want your board to go;

-rotate your shoulders by guiding them with your arms; and

-twist your torso back down the line.

Your board should now be facing down the line in the direction you were heading before you began the cutback.

8. Crouch down for balance and keep centered over the string of your board to successfully complete your cutback.

Helpful things you can do out of the water to better understand and practice a manoeuvre.

1. Read through the tips while watching a good surfer execute the manoeuvre out in the surf or on a surfing DVD. Relate these tips to each stage of the manoeuvre as you watch.

2. Visualise a wave and physically practice manoeuvring your body on that wave. I’ve always done this where people can’t see me as you can look pretty silly, but hey, it works, so give it a go!!

3. Video footage is fantastic! We often look a lot different to what we think we do when surfing, AHH!!! Video doesn’t lie. You can watch yourself surf and analyse your manoeuvres by comparing yourself to my tips and other surfing DVD’s.

Just remember, practice is the key to improving your surfing. You may find new challenges difficult at first but if you put time in the water to practice good technique, you’ll find yourself improving and loving your surfing even more than you do already.

Get out there and have fun girls.