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Avoiding the âcross step shuffleâ â a common cross stepping mistake
One thing I see pretty often with people new to cross stepping is that they donât shift their weight between their feet as they take a step.
Instead, they do more of a âcross step shuffleâ which, even though theyâve technically crossed their steps đ , is more of a âshuffleâ or âleapâ.
The reason we donât shuffle when traversing our board is because itâs more erratic and has a tendency to knock the board out of trim.
Cross stepping on the other hand (when done right) makes for smooth transitions between steps allowing your board to maintain its position & hold its line (see tip 2 for more info).
So instead of any sort of shuffle (yes, even a âcross step shuffleâ) what you want to do instead is shift your weight between your feet as you take your steps.
đ Hereâs what I mean:
Start out in your normal stance with your weight distributed evenly between your feet, possibly with some extra weight in your back leg.
To begin your cross step, shift your weight into your front foot by moving your hips forward.
Once your weight is in your front foot, lift your back foot and bring it forward.
As you plant it down in front of you, youâll now be standing cross legged & your weight will be split evenly between both feet again.
To complete the cross step, shift your weight forward again to the foot thatâs in front (which is actually your back foot).
Then lift your back foot up (which is your front foot thatâs now in the back đ ) & place it in front of you with your weight evenly distributed between both feet.
Youâre now back where you started in your normal stance again, just one step closer to the nose đ.
âĄď¸Bonus tip:
If youâre struggling to actually take a step, just try shifting your weight forward and back between your feet & donât even worry about taking a step yet. Getting comfortable with having most of your weight in either leg will make it much easier to actually take a step.
đŹ Itâs easier to feel the difference than see it, but can you notice the difference?