I injured my right, big toe and now my doctor says I have degenrative arthitis. I get pain when my toe bends upward. This often happens when I am going right and put pressure on my inside rail. I was thinking that if I learned how to surf goofy, it would be my left toe that do most of the bending and I could keep my right toe flat. Do you think this would help? If so, what is the best way for learning how to SUP surf in a different stance. My doctor says that the arthiritis will get progressively worse so, I want to do what ever I can to extend my years surfing.
I believe that it is possible, since I have been trying to do it on my sup to practice for wing foiling where it's quite normal to switch stance from natural to goofy. It feels odd, but I am staying balanced and my left foot seems to enjoy being in control of the tail pressure for a change.
I can't really tell you what the best way to learn is. I simply just started switching stance when paddling fast on flat water. I would be in semi or full surf stance and paddling to keep my speed up. I then shuffle my feet around to get the right foot forward and then put the left foot back and continue paddling whilst trying to keep balanced. I then started to try and apply pressure with either foot to steer, so that the body can get used to it. I am still a bit wobbly, but I am not falling off.
Before surfing, I started skating as a goofy foot. But when I started attempting tricks I realized that I should be a natural footer, as my right leg was my main leg in other activities.
So I forced myself to switch. It seems quite hard at first, but you come over it quite fast.
I reckon training in activities with a lot more actual riding would help: skating, winDsurfing, winGsurfing... or as theSeb said, flat water paddling.
Yes it is possible. Get a YOW, Carver or Smoothstar style surfskate. Once you get the technique in regular stance start practising goofy. You need to practise everyday ...little and often. It is all about muscle memory and it just takes time.
In addition practise switching your stance when you are sup surfing. I do it when I hit flat sections of whitewater at the end of the wave.
Select to expand quoteSDOndas said..
I injured my right, big toe and now my doctor says I have degenrative arthitis. I get pain when my toe bends upward. This often happens when I am going right and put pressure on my inside rail. I was thinking that if I learned how to surf goofy, it would be my left toe that do most of the bending and I could keep my right toe flat. Do you think this would help? If so, what is the best way for learning how to SUP surf in a different stance. My doctor says that the arthiritis will get progressively worse so, I want to do what ever I can to extend my years surfing.
Surf both sides equally well regardless of wave size. Seem to be ambidextrous - write with both hands, kick balls with both feet, play tennis both sides etcSadly my sup skill level doesn't match my ability to switch hit.Oz
Go for it as it means you can enjoy water time. Actually I went sup surfing on July 15th and waves were small and clean with the lefts being better and after reading the post I thought I would ride more waves switch. Years ago when I was into windsurf wavesailing where 85% of waves are lefts I made a conscious decision to get really good so wakeboard,snowboarding rode duck foot stance and practice and remember to bend the new front leg.
Good luck
Select to expand quoteghost4man said..SDOndas said..
I injured my right, big toe and now my doctor says I have degenrative arthitis. I get pain when my toe bends upward. This often happens when I am going right and put pressure on my inside rail. I was thinking that if I learned how to surf goofy, it would be my left toe that do most of the bending and I could keep my right toe flat. Do you think this would help? If so, what is the best way for learning how to SUP surf in a different stance. My doctor says that the arthiritis will get progressively worse so, I want to do what ever I can to extend my years surfing.
Surf both sides equally well regardless of wave size. Seem to be ambidextrous - write with both hands, kick balls with both feet, play tennis both sides etcSadly my sup skill level doesn't match my ability to switch hit.Oz
This is an interesting discussion. I am also a bit ambidextrous, but my left is definitely the dominant side. I used to play a lot of football and being able to use both feet easily was great, but the left was the foot for penalties etc. I can write with both hands, but I write better with the right. My first board sport when I was a kid was skateboarding and despite being left handed, I felt natural stance was preferable. I always surfed and skated natural. Yet, on the paddle board I have been practising standing goofy and while it feels weird, it does not feel bad. The left foot seems to enjoy working as the rear foot. I wonder if I should have been goofy all this time.
