Eric Newman
Active Member
This is my first guide on sythe.org I hope you like it .
Step 1 - Stance
Put your back foot flat across the tail of your skateboard, and put the ball of your front foot right behind your front trucks. Ollying and kickflipping while stationary is possible, but most people find it easier to do while rolling. If you would like to learn to kickflip with your skateboard stationary, you can place your skateboard on some carpet or grass to keep it from rolling. If you prefer to learn to kickflip while your skateboard is rolling (which I feel is easier), don’t go very fast at the start. Just get rolling at a comfortable speed, and then move your feet into this position.
Step 3 - The Pop
At this point, ollie as high as you can. If you need to work on your ollie, read my new Guide that will be up soon. The technique is basically the same, except for what your feet do while in the air...
Step 4 - The Nose
Your target is the corner of the nose of your skateboard. Flick your skateboard there, and you will have the most control. See the picture above to get an idea of your target flick area.
Step 5 - Get Out of the Way
[IMGl]http://i37.tinypic.com/zmguud.jpg[/IMG]
After flicking the board with your front foot, get your feet out of the way so that the board can flip in the air. This is important. Don't let your front foot end up underneath the board. After flicking the skateboard, pull your front foot out and up.
Remember that this is all happening in the air, and very quickly. There's a lot here to think about. The most important thing right now is to get the concept in your head. Keep reading to get the whole picture...
Step 6 - Stay Level During Flip
While the skateboard is flipping underneath you, it can be easy to lose your level. By that I mean, keeping your shoulders level with the ground, and pointed in the direction you are going. Try not to turn to the side, and try not to tilt your upper body, so that one shoulder is higher than the other. Staying level will help you when you land.
Step 7 - Catch the Skateboard
(No Picture)
Once the skateboard has spun around completely one time, put your back foot on it to catch it. This means that you'll need to be watching your skateboard, to see when it has made one complete flip. This can be tricky - keep practicing. Some day when you are awesome, you'll have a stronger board sense and be able to kickflip without watching the board, but even pros look down when they do tricks, so keep an eye on that board.
Once you catch the skateboard with your back foot, you'll want to put your front foot on the skateboard too.
Step 8 - Land and Roll Away
Next, as you fall back toward the ground and land, bend your knees again. This is important! Bending your knees will help absorb the shock of landing on your skateboard, it will keep your knees from getting hurt from the impact, and keep you in control of your skateboard. bend your knees deeply as you land.
Finally, just roll away. If this sounds simple, then great – get out there and practice! If this sounds too complicated, don’t worry. Just go slow, and take your time.
This is a lot of technical information to remember while trying to do a trick that takes only a second or two. Just make sure you understand the concept - make sure that you have a good mental picture of what's happening. Go practice, and if you run into a wall, come back and read some more, and hopefully you'll get it. Your body is learning how to kickflip more than your mind is, so it may take time. With practice, you’ll eventually get it.
Thanks,
Eric.
Step 1 - Stance
Put your back foot flat across the tail of your skateboard, and put the ball of your front foot right behind your front trucks. Ollying and kickflipping while stationary is possible, but most people find it easier to do while rolling. If you would like to learn to kickflip with your skateboard stationary, you can place your skateboard on some carpet or grass to keep it from rolling. If you prefer to learn to kickflip while your skateboard is rolling (which I feel is easier), don’t go very fast at the start. Just get rolling at a comfortable speed, and then move your feet into this position.
Step 3 - The Pop
At this point, ollie as high as you can. If you need to work on your ollie, read my new Guide that will be up soon. The technique is basically the same, except for what your feet do while in the air...
Step 4 - The Nose
Your target is the corner of the nose of your skateboard. Flick your skateboard there, and you will have the most control. See the picture above to get an idea of your target flick area.
Step 5 - Get Out of the Way
[IMGl]http://i37.tinypic.com/zmguud.jpg[/IMG]
After flicking the board with your front foot, get your feet out of the way so that the board can flip in the air. This is important. Don't let your front foot end up underneath the board. After flicking the skateboard, pull your front foot out and up.
Remember that this is all happening in the air, and very quickly. There's a lot here to think about. The most important thing right now is to get the concept in your head. Keep reading to get the whole picture...
Step 6 - Stay Level During Flip
While the skateboard is flipping underneath you, it can be easy to lose your level. By that I mean, keeping your shoulders level with the ground, and pointed in the direction you are going. Try not to turn to the side, and try not to tilt your upper body, so that one shoulder is higher than the other. Staying level will help you when you land.
Step 7 - Catch the Skateboard
(No Picture)
Once the skateboard has spun around completely one time, put your back foot on it to catch it. This means that you'll need to be watching your skateboard, to see when it has made one complete flip. This can be tricky - keep practicing. Some day when you are awesome, you'll have a stronger board sense and be able to kickflip without watching the board, but even pros look down when they do tricks, so keep an eye on that board.
Once you catch the skateboard with your back foot, you'll want to put your front foot on the skateboard too.
Step 8 - Land and Roll Away
Next, as you fall back toward the ground and land, bend your knees again. This is important! Bending your knees will help absorb the shock of landing on your skateboard, it will keep your knees from getting hurt from the impact, and keep you in control of your skateboard. bend your knees deeply as you land.
Finally, just roll away. If this sounds simple, then great – get out there and practice! If this sounds too complicated, don’t worry. Just go slow, and take your time.
This is a lot of technical information to remember while trying to do a trick that takes only a second or two. Just make sure you understand the concept - make sure that you have a good mental picture of what's happening. Go practice, and if you run into a wall, come back and read some more, and hopefully you'll get it. Your body is learning how to kickflip more than your mind is, so it may take time. With practice, you’ll eventually get it.
Thanks,
Eric.
