I'm about 5 months into winging, struggling with switching feet on foil. I'm using Armstrong 1850 front wing and 60 cm fuse, and any foot movement seem super sensitive.is it worth while to try the 70 fuselage or a different front wing to manage to switch feet without touching down?
I struggled with foot switches for a while also. I worked on doing them on a board in my living room. I figured muscle memory doesn't need to be done in the water. The dynamics are different but the footsteps are the same. Just a quick back foot forward, front foot back motion. Do them over and over. On the water, give a pump to get your nose up and do the quick two-step. I focus on keeping my upper body the same and twisting the lower body only. When going from heel to toe side it can help to think about adding toe pressure after the switch so you don't get sent into a jibe too soon.
Foil size - 1850 is a great foil to learn them on. No need to change your fuse.
Keep at it, you'll get it.
A longer fuselage make all the difference, the board becomes very stable and not pitch sensitive. Think 80cm, once your proficient drop to a shorter length. I have 80, 64 and 50cm, the 50 is bloody difficult, probably more suited to strapped with no foot switch. The 80 is so easy, 100% success rate. The same wings are used on all 3 lengths.
try bumping the mast forward slightly. Too little front foot pressure makes foot switches very difficult. Worth a shot.
I have gotten better with foot switches by sliding my back foot closer to front foot then do the switch with a narrow stance then slide back foot back to wider stance. I also pick up speed before switching.
Also, keep you center of gravity low with bent knees, and try to go a little downwind while doing the switch. Keeping the wing slightly overhead also helps.
I do balance training every day, I stand on tennis balls, a balance board and a balance cushion, I don't know if it helps but it gives me a certain kind of confidence and I don't feel like on the water I'm doing something out of the ordinary - I think all the suggestions made above are also excellent, keep at it and you will nail it
Best tip I got was to get the foil pumping on an upward trajectory and then switch your feet. Also try keeping your feet closer together before the switch if you can.
DC
Select to expand quoteVelocicraptor said..
try bumping the mast forward slightly. Too little front foot pressure makes foot switches very difficult. Worth a shot.
That's fairly common source of the problem in my experience. I've tried people's setups when they have told me that foot switching is not progressing anywhere. Often I have found that they have very low front foot pressure. Also common mistake seem to be that board is riding too flat. Leaning more inside the curve makes it easier.
Many thanks to all the suggestions.I will try a longer fuse and just keep at it. Maybe just a quirk of my personality, but it seems I can simultaneously enjoy the leaning process and be frustrated at my progress. After a long life of sports obsessions, surfing, then windsurfing, the wind foiling , it's really great to be able to learn winging.
The key is front foot pressure period and believe you will do it. It's almost impossible to learn in a short period of time if you need constant backfoot input to keep foil leveled. If you are an efficient foiler and you know you have that parameter set, then believe you will succeed. So many prepare to fail in advance. It's a move, you go all in or do not try. Good luck.
I found using footstraps made all the difference. As long as you get your new foot in the strap the rest was easy. Fly low and then point high and switch feet during that, you'll find yourself flying low again and with feet switched. Search YouTube for "Johnny Heineken foot switches" video.
Half moving your feet correctly and then trying the work the other gear means you are out of balance until you get foot wiggled up into place. Practice on a carpet a bunch.
I also had a problem before footstraps where I would never move my new foot forward enough. Looking down for .1 seconds while my foot was in motion to make sure it got up to where my old foot was made all the difference. Others say not looking made all the difference. YMMV.
Likely you have one major issue blocking you and just need to work on that. If you can move you feet and correctly place them inside of a second the rest will fall into place.
The "hop" works for some people but I find moving rear foot to match front foot and then moving the old foot back in a seamless movement to be the most consistent. The front foot is the important one in my mind so I like to get it locked into the correct position first.
The way I learnt, and perhaps the best way if you come from a windsurfing background:
1. Gybe and come out switch/toeside. Manage a few metres at first, then longer and longer toeside rides as you get better. Once comfortable move onto 2).
2) Move your backfoot gradually forward whilst toeside. Just an inch at a time. Get comfortable moving it forward.
3) Eventually you will be able to get the back foot so far forward that the nose of the board touches down. Your two feet are so close that they are almost touching. Now switch the feet with the board on the water surface and either just off the foil, or marginally foiling. Having a lot of wind and the wing lifting you vertically upward helps a lot.
4) Gradually work on doing this process a little faster, so you're still foiling whilst on the surface. At this stage you are now able to stay on the foil though turns and don't need to pump every run!
5) Make the process quicker and don't bring your old backfoot quite as far foward, so you don't touchdown.
6) Eventually you will have the confidence and skill to do all this in fewer steps, and after more practice as part of the gybe.
