Most surfers think good surfing looks upright. Confident. Tall. It does not.
Good surfing looks loaded. Compressed. Like a spring that is ready to release.
Around 80 percent of your time on the wave, you should be in compression. Knees bent, body low, weight forward. Not falling over. Loaded.
The other 20 percent is when you release. At the bottom turn. At the top of the turn. At the critical moment.
If you are standing tall most of the time, you are releasing all the time. And when there is nothing to release from, there is no power.
Think of it like a race start. You do not stand tall on the starting line. You compress. You load. Then you go.
This week in the water: notice when you stand tall. That moment is usually when you should stay low.
Ivan.
Not sure which pillar is your weak link? Find your ISL level and see where you stand.