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Original source: TomBrendtCoach
This video from TomBrendtCoach covered a lot of ground. Streamed.News selected 4 key moments and summarises them here. Everything below links directly to the timestamp in the original video.
Ever feel like you're fighting your sail in heavy chop or gusts? The way you grip the boom might be triggering a reflex that works against you.
Underhand Grip's 'Natural Reflex' Compromises Control in Gusts and Chop
The underhand grip on the boom triggers a natural reflex to pull the arm inwards during moments of instability, such as hitting a strong gust or crossing a wave. This involuntary action flexes the front arm, which brings the sail closer to the body and causes it to open, resulting in a direct loss of power, speed, and control precisely when it is most needed.
In contrast, a top grip, with the palm facing the sail, encourages the arm to remain straight. This biomechanical advantage is a key point to practice, as it helps maintain consistent sail power and board speed through challenging water conditions, preventing the loss of control that stems from arm flexion.
📊 Technical data
Races: Sailing in strong gusts · Sailing in chop
Top Grip Provides Essential Leverage When Overpowered or Sailing Hard Upwind
When sailing fully overpowered or driving hard upwind, the mast naturally wants to pull in towards the body, which opens the sail and can lead to a sudden and severe loss of control. With an underhand grip, resisting this force and keeping the mast pushed away requires significant physical effort and can be quite complicated to manage.
Adopting a top grip in these high-load situations is essential if one aims to maintain control. Placing the hand on top of the boom allows the sailor to use a straight arm to press the palm towards the sail, creating a stable lever that makes it much easier to keep the rig powered up and the board in a controlled state.
"With an underhand grip it's quite complicated, quite a lot of work to keep the mast away."
📊 Technical data
Races: Overpowered sailing · Upwind sailing
Top Grip is Non-Negotiable for Smooth and Efficient Maneuvers
During any maneuver, the hand position should always be changed to a top grip. This grip facilitates much better arm relaxation and allows the hands to move more easily and quickly along the boom, which is a critical component of fluid transitions like jibes or tacks.
Attempting to flip the sail with an underhand grip is unnecessarily complicated, as it requires a significant and awkward twisting of the wrist. The top grip simplifies the entire motion, making the sail hand-pass much easier and more efficient, which is why it is the standard technique for any transition.
"During maneuvers you should always change your hand to a top grip position."
📊 Technical data
Races: Maneuvers
Grip Choice and Arm Flexion Directly Influence Board Trim and Equipment Setup
The tendency of the underhand grip to promote a flexed front arm has direct consequences for board dynamics and equipment tuning. As the arm bends, the sail opens and pressure is released from the mast foot, which shifts the rider's body weight more onto their back foot. This change in trim requires boards and fins specifically designed to handle this backward-biased pressure.
Furthermore, this grip choice is often linked to harness line length. The underhand grip can feel more comfortable with shorter lines, but this setup reinforces the flexed-arm posture. Conversely, longer lines create more space between the body and the sail, making it much easier to maintain a straight arm with a top grip and sail with more balanced pressure over the board.
"You need boards and fins that can handle this backward pressure."
📊 Technical data
Equipment: Harness lines (short vs. long) · Boards · Fins
Summarised from TomBrendtCoach · 5:33. All credit belongs to the original creators. Tomb Brendt Coach summarises publicly available video content.
