Why Your Head Might Be Wrecking Your Pop-Up
Most surfers blame their pop-up.
But often, the real problem isn’t your timing, your strength, or your mobility – it’s your head.
More specifically: where you put it.
1. The Pros Keep Their Head Still – You Don’t
Watch slow-mo footage of surfers like Jordy Smith, Steph Gilmore, or John John:
– Head up during the paddle
– Head stays in place during the pop-up
– Board drops away underneath – they don’t yank themselves up
Beginner surfers? They chin the board, stare down, and lift their head mid-pop-up – disrupting everything.
2. Head Over the Front Foot = Balance
Surfing is controlled imbalance – a moving train under your feet.
If your head is centered or leaning back when the board accelerates, you’re going to fall.
Balance the head over the front foot, and you stay aligned through acceleration.
Think of it like a BOSU ball:
– Head in line = stability
– Head off to the side = chaos
3. Looking Down = Wipeouts
If you paddle with your head down, you kill your peripheral vision – and lower your ceiling.
No lift = no space to move = rushed, locked, late pop-up.
The result? You stand up hunched and already off-balance, then blame your “pop-up” instead of your posture.
4. It’s Not About Strength – It’s About Smarts
The steeper the wave, the easier the pop-up (if your head’s in the right place).
Let the board fall away under you while your head stays still.
Don’t muscle your way up from the flats – you’re fighting gravity and momentum at the same time.
5. Still Failing? Stop Thinking So Much
The more you overthink your pop-up, the worse it gets.
You don’t overthink standing out of bed – same applies here.
Raise your head. Look where you want to go. Create space. Stay balanced.
That’s the pattern – and it works.
How TRAX Helps You Catch This Sooner
TRAX tracks:
– The angle of your board at lift-off
– Acceleration timing vs. posture
– Whether you’re centered – or setting yourself up to fail
You can’t fix what you don’t know you’re doing. TRAX makes it obvious.
Related Reading:
→ Fix Your Surf Pop-Up – Speed, control, and timing, here's what actually matters.
→ What You Think You’re Doing – and What You’re Actually Doing – The gap between feel and footage is real.
