The top turn and cutback are the two turns up top. How to redirect off the lip and use the cutback to find your way back to the wave’s power zone.
## Introduction In short: when the bottom turn fires you up the face, you decide up top what happens: a top turn redirects you sharply back down off the lip, a cutback turns you back toward the wave’s power zone when you have run too far onto the flat shoulder. Both are the logical continuation of the bottom turn — the turn up top that closes the curve.
Why you need them: most waves run faster than you ride, or you ride yourself out of the power. The cutback is your return ticket to the "power pocket", the steep zone right next to the whitewater where the wave pushes most. Without it, your ride dies on the flat shoulder.
And it pays off: turns are scored lower than airs or tubes, but consistency wins — the best surfers do not score through a miracle but through reliably clean turns wave after wave. Train Smart.
## What You Need - A supporting bottom turn — without speed from below there is nothing to redirect up top. - A wave with a face and shoulder — long, clean waves to practise on, no hollow section. - Mobile ankles and leg strength — the redirect runs through knees and ankles. - Core rotation — cutback and top turn turn from hips and torso. - Patience — first the clean top turn, then the full cutback circle.
### 1. Arrive up top with speed Both turns need the momentum from the bottom turn. Arrive up top gutless and every redirect becomes a tired stall. Ride the bottom turn so you reach the lip or upper third of the face with reserve — from there you redirect.
### 2. The top turn: redirect off the lip At the top point you shift weight onto your back foot, push the tail through and redirect sharply back down with eyes and shoulders. The shorter and sharper, the more "snap". Your knees and ankles cushion the pressure — this is exactly where good ankle mobility pays off.
### 3. The cutback: back to the power If you have run too far onto the flat shoulder, you turn a wide arc back toward the whitewater with the cutback. You shift your weight, set the rail on the other side and rotate a half circle from hips and torso. The gaze leads: look back to where the wave breaks, and the board draws you there.
### 4. Bounce off the whitewater (re-entry) The classic cutback ends at the whitewater: you meet the foaming zone, let the board "tick" briefly against it and take the rebound with you — like a ball springing back off a wall. That feedback gives you fresh momentum and lines you back up to the open face.
### 5. Find the rhythm Advanced surfing is a chain: bottom turn, top turn, bottom turn, cutback — a rhythm along the wave. Practise the single turns first, then linking them fluidly. Consistency beats spectacle: better three clean, connected turns than one wild, aborted attempt.
## Common Mistakes - Arriving up top gutless. No speed, no turn. Fix: improve the bottom turn first. - Turning only from the arms. The board does not follow, you lose the rail. Fix: rotate from hips and torso, the gaze leads. - Cutback too tight. You do not get back to the power. Fix: draw a wide, patient arc all the way to the whitewater. - "Parked" on the flat shoulder. You wait instead of redirecting. Fix: start the cutback earlier, as soon as speed drops.
## Safety Notes Top turn and cutback turn your board across the direction of travel — that covers a lot of water and is a collision risk in a full line-up. Check that it is clear behind and beside you before you draw a wide cutback; you briefly ride back toward following surfers.
Practise the sharp redirects only in wave sizes you confidently control. An aborted top turn at the lip throws you backward down the face, and your board comes after — cover your head and face with your arms as you surface.
## Pro Tip The gaze is even more powerful on the cutback than on the bottom turn: deliberately turn your head and look back to the breaking section before you start the turn. Your body and board follow the gaze almost automatically. Look forward on the cutback and you draw the arc too flat and miss the whitewater. Head first, board after — that is the whole trick.
### What is the difference between a top turn and a cutback? The top turn redirects you sharply back down off the lip — it keeps you in the steep, powerful zone. The cutback turns you in a wide arc back toward the whitewater when you have run too far onto the flat shoulder. In short: top turn = redirect down, cutback = back to the wave’s power source.
### When do I do a cutback? Whenever you have outrun the wave and drift onto the flat, powerless shoulder. The cutback brings you back into the "power pocket" right next to the whitewater, where the wave pushes hardest. Rule of thumb: as soon as your speed drops and the face ahead flattens, you initiate the cutback.
### Why does my cutback not come back to the wave? Usually you draw the arc too tight or look forward instead of back. Turn head and shoulders deliberately back to the breaking section and set the rail on the new side; the wide, patient arc to the whitewater brings you back. Too little speed out of the bottom turn is the second common cause.
### Do I need strong legs for top turns? Yes — the redirect runs through knees, ankles and hips, not the arms. Mobile, strong ankles cushion the pressure at the lip and give control; ankle awareness and leg strength hang directly on your surfing experience. Leg-strength and balance training on land therefore pays straight into clean top turns.
Generating Speed: Pumping Along the Wave Face