Foot Positioning On A Mid-Length

Surfing on mid-length boards is all about flow and control, and proper foot placement is essential to unlock their full potential. Here’s a quick guide to help you get the most of a mid-length:

Front Foot Position

Placing your front foot just below the midpoint of the board will maximize stability and glide. In most cases, you’ll want to keep this foot centered along the stringer to ensure equal weight distribution for smoother transitions from toe-side to heel-side rail. Typically, once I’ve popped up, I don’t tend to move my front foot around much, but in some situations, it can be useful to shift it a little backward to help dig the board into sharper turns.

Back Foot Position

I like to think of back foot positioning as having three possible placements:

1. Forward Position - In front of the fins. This is for maximum speed and is ideal for when the wave is fast and you’re racing to make the next section.
2. Neutral Position - Over the fins. This placement allows you to generate speed while drawing out nice, big carves. This is typically where you should aim to pop up, and you can adjust as needed.
3. All the Way Back - Behind the fins. This position gives you the most leverage on the board, allowing for extra-sharp turns. You’ll lose speed through the turn, but it’s the key to completing tighter maneuvers and getting back into the pocket.
4. Side to Side - In my interview with Leah Dawson she talked about moving her foot laterally as well to apply more pressure to a given rail when dealing with bigger boards to unlock “magic spots” in the board 

Be Dynamic:

The key to mastering a mid-length lies in your ability to adjust your foot positioning throughout the wave. Positioning yourself too far back can create excessive drag and stall the board's speed, while being too far forward makes it harder to turn and maintain control.

It may take some trial and error to find the sweet spots on your mid-length, but practice makes perfect. So, get out there, experiment with these tips, and discover the magic spots on your board!