Author Topic: What are you trying to learn right now?  (Read 47653 times)

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silhouette

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Re: What are you trying to learn right now?
« Reply #270 on: September 08, 2020, 02:54:00 AM »
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1/2 Cab Crooked grinds - where should I be looking, how should my feet my popping. 1/2 Cab noseslides are no problem, but it feels like for the crooked grinds I have to huck my front (back?) truck up and above the ledge before pressuring in the truck.
[close]

should be fine if you just turn more and pop a bit higher, its pretty mechanically similar to half cab noses.

I find that both of you guys' impressions are true and complementary of one another, the motion definitely feels very similar to halfcab nose because you're popping off the same tail and turning the same direction to lock into quite the similar position then dismount regs but what rocklobster says is also true, what either makes a halfcab k or turns it into a halfcab nose for me is that very thought that I actually have to get the heel on my front foot over the edge of the ledge and sit on it to crush the truck. It's really the same difference as between basic noseslides and crooked grinds except you pop into it differently. Gotta focus on where exactly you want your foot to guide the nose, and maybe on actually getting a proper, leveled out halfcab if you're aiming for k grind (as opposed to how you can just kind of turn into halfcab nose) so that you actually get your front truck up there. Your shoulders should be ahead of the trick too so when you lock into the k grind your upper body already is in its usual k grind position and you can treat the rest of the trick just as such. It's a bit similar to halfcab nosemanny too so one might help you with the other.

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Re: What are you trying to learn right now?
« Reply #271 on: September 08, 2020, 09:41:03 AM »
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1/2 Cab Crooked grinds - where should I be looking, how should my feet my popping. 1/2 Cab noseslides are no problem, but it feels like for the crooked grinds I have to huck my front (back?) truck up and above the ledge before pressuring in the truck.
[close]

should be fine if you just turn more and pop a bit higher, its pretty mechanically similar to half cab noses.
[close]

I find that both of you guys' impressions are true and complementary of one another, the motion definitely feels very similar to halfcab nose because you're popping off the same tail and turning the same direction to lock into quite the similar position then dismount regs but what rocklobster says is also true, what either makes a halfcab k or turns it into a halfcab nose for me is that very thought that I actually have to get the heel on my front foot over the edge of the ledge and sit on it to crush the truck. It's really the same difference as between basic noseslides and crooked grinds except you pop into it differently. Gotta focus on where exactly you want your foot to guide the nose, and maybe on actually getting a proper, leveled out halfcab if you're aiming for k grind (as opposed to how you can just kind of turn into halfcab nose) so that you actually get your front truck up there. Your shoulders should be ahead of the trick too so when you lock into the k grind your upper body already is in its usual k grind position and you can treat the rest of the trick just as such. It's a bit similar to halfcab nosemanny too so one might help you with the other.

Knowledge bombs as usual, very shalom. I've been half assing my 1/2 can noseslides and just slapping them on instead of getting a solid pop coupled with baseplate contact. I got a flat ground session tomorrow so I'll use that to work on my neglected fakie tricks.
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tzhangdox

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Re: What are you trying to learn right now?
« Reply #272 on: September 08, 2020, 11:29:01 AM »
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Yeah honestly I'd recommend just working on popping out of noseslides in general because it's a whole lot of fun. I first started learning those because of the classic Rob Welsh clips of course but also because of Lui Araki and Dom Henry who have insane ones (Dom can even do noseslide melons as a joke) and once you start doing them like that you can't go back. That's also easier to do from slappy because of how the momentum works. Then once you've figured out the timing (even if it's on small pop outs) I reckon it should be easy to spin an extra 270 (or 180 then 90 degrees of revert if you're short on air time) whichever your preferred way is. What I was saying about halfcab noseslides ideally working just like noseslides also applies here so once you know how to do it you can also replicate the motion out of those and then I guess go with the flow if you feel like adding rotations.

I think for a bit I had better frontside 360 nollies than I had frontside 180 nollies, the key for those is to nest your feet real deep in the concave and then you just use the big toe on your front foot to pop into the rotation. I feel like nollie 180's work just a little bit differently because you can't use as much momentum on the jump so you really have to focus on getting a good nollie motion instead, 360's you can just throw around. Actually I just remembered the first flatground 360 nollie I ever got on film in a line (back in like 2003) was essentially a 360 shove-it with a 360 body varial and no feet touching, haha.
[close]

Wish I had Noseslide pop-outs like Wu-Welsh, the one he did in Beware of the Flare is beautiful. Makes an easy trick look so much more stylish. Is the secret to it like popping a Nollie out the end?

one thing that helps is when you get into the noseslide try get your back foot a little more in the middle of the board rather than on the back bolts or wherever they usually are, helps with giving ur back foot some room to slide like a nollie.

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Re: What are you trying to learn right now?
« Reply #273 on: September 08, 2020, 11:42:57 AM »
Knowledge bombs as usual, very shalom. I've been half assing my 1/2 can noseslides and just slapping them on instead of getting a solid pop coupled with baseplate contact. I got a flat ground session tomorrow so I'll use that to work on my neglected fakie tricks.

My pleasure, I'm not certain you even need to work on your halfcab nose for halfcab k because thinking halfcab nose for halfcab k is the best way to end up locking in with your weight off the side of the ledge as opposed to well on top (which is what you want to do like a normal k grind), if anything it may actually good that you're used to the lazy ones because it'll help you differentiate both tricks, you can't really be lazy on the pop of halfcab k as you want your front truck to actually clear the top so it should feel like something new. I think your best bet is to just think of it as a normal crooked grind that you're rolling up to weird, and the halfcab is just what happens to be what you do to rectify your stance upon entry. Also you shouldn't be scared to commit because not much can go wrong with that trick in my opinion, if you miss the edge on the crooked grind it's easy to just run out of the trick.

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Re: What are you trying to learn right now?
« Reply #274 on: September 08, 2020, 03:24:46 PM »
Trying to regain muscle memory / confidence on tricks I had but let go. It's tough.
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tzhangdox

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Re: What are you trying to learn right now?
« Reply #275 on: September 08, 2020, 05:57:51 PM »
Been trying switch flips for months now and am so ridiculously close. I just can’t put both feet on for the life of me. Only one or the other. It’s making me want to pull my hair out at this point. I’m otherwise pretty good at switch so I always thought it would’ve came way easier. Starting to lose hope

This was me around the start of lockdown. Decent at switch in general, but couldn't get close to switch/nollie flips for shit. Tried for years and thought it was a lost cause. Eventually it just clicked a bit, and lots of repetition after that. Now I've got switch and nollie flips most tries, sometimes still hit or miss, can be floppy, but enough to do into switch backside 5050/5-0 on small ledges on a good day.

What really helped me was making sure to flick out as properly as possible, and getting comfortable with landing upside down with both feet over. If you can do that, its just a matter of jumping a little higher or flicking a little harder. If its any incentive, if your switch/nollie 180s are good and you have other harder switch flip tricks, you'll probably figure out variations pretty quick afterwards too, nollie fs flip, sw bs, sw fs etc.
« Last Edit: September 08, 2020, 06:12:15 PM by tzhangdox »

rocklobster

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Re: What are you trying to learn right now?
« Reply #276 on: September 08, 2020, 07:43:51 PM »
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Knowledge bombs as usual, very shalom. I've been half assing my 1/2 can noseslides and just slapping them on instead of getting a solid pop coupled with baseplate contact. I got a flat ground session tomorrow so I'll use that to work on my neglected fakie tricks.
[close]

My pleasure, I'm not certain you even need to work on your halfcab nose for halfcab k because thinking halfcab nose for halfcab k is the best way to end up locking in with your weight off the side of the ledge as opposed to well on top (which is what you want to do like a normal k grind), if anything it may actually good that you're used to the lazy ones because it'll help you differentiate both tricks, you can't really be lazy on the pop of halfcab k as you want your front truck to actually clear the top so it should feel like something new. I think your best bet is to just think of it as a normal crooked grind that you're rolling up to weird, and the halfcab is just what happens to be what you do to rectify your stance upon entry. Also you shouldn't be scared to commit because not much can go wrong with that trick in my opinion, if you miss the edge on the crooked grind it's easy to just run out of the trick.

Reading this was making me cross eyed but I get what you mean. Rolling fakie into tricks is a mindfuck for me, but what's helped is just trusting my pop so I can focus on the rotation and lock. The muscle memory of the pop is already there, so I have the mental capacity to focus on the rest of the stuff. Unlike Nollie stuff where my pop and rotation is less ingrained into my muscles, so I get a mental and physical overload, if that make sense.

And they are a safe-ish trick, I think the hardest part will be make sure I pop high enough and lean back far enough so I don't slam and stick.
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silhouette

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Re: What are you trying to learn right now?
« Reply #277 on: September 09, 2020, 01:52:11 PM »
Reading this was making me cross eyed but I get what you mean. Rolling fakie into tricks is a mindfuck for me, but what's helped is just trusting my pop so I can focus on the rotation and lock. The muscle memory of the pop is already there, so I have the mental capacity to focus on the rest of the stuff. Unlike Nollie stuff where my pop and rotation is less ingrained into my muscles, so I get a mental and physical overload, if that make sense.

And they are a safe-ish trick, I think the hardest part will be make sure I pop high enough and lean back far enough so I don't slam and stick.

Fakie is the stance I feel the most awkward in too, I've always been a nollie and switch guy but only ever cared so much about fakie tricks, I love them now but it's definitely not my preferred stance. But the key to fakie tricks in general is to persuade yourself that you're doing the trick regular, just with altered momentum that you actually aim to fix when you're doing halfcab tricks. Halfcabs shouldn't be intellectualized as fakie backside ollies as much as they should be thought of a normal ollie but with a translation. That's also why bank skating helps with stances so much, for instance somebody who just can't figure out halfcab flips at first but is familiar with kickflips can just practice doing kickflips while carving backside on a bank (so technically the easier version of backside flips) for a bit and then just replicate the exact same motion on flat to get halfcab flips. Teaches you the proper timing and upper body positioning. Same also applies for nollie/switch and harder tricks, for instance if you can't switch 360 flip but can nollie 360 flip on flat then figuring out switch 360 flips on banks first will help a lot because on inclines those work exactly like nollie 360 flips on flat and then you can piece the missing adjustments together to eventually learn the trick you want. The same way, fakie flips on flat work exactly like kickflip to fakie on banks, etc.

I don't think you can really stick on halfcab k if you can do good crooked grinds, the most common mistake usually results in getting halfcab nose instead (usually shitty ones, sometimes actually really good ones). Sometimes you might even get accidental halfcab nosegrinds. That's kind of why I was saying it's better to just think of the trick as if you're just kickturning into a normal k grind in a way, as that's the position you want to lock into eventually. Focusing on the ollie too much might actually lead you to land slamming down on the nose too hard to grind, when you want a smooth motion. For crooked grinds in general I always found it helpful to really think of them literally as 'pointer grinds' where you pop then point your front truck exactly to where you want to crush it with your front foot, shifting your weight just there; halfcab k is no exception, you spend most of the airtime aiming at the ledge in the correct position, not really about getting enough pop (although you definitely should level out your ollie) and worrying about rotation.
« Last Edit: September 09, 2020, 02:09:08 PM by silhouette »

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Re: What are you trying to learn right now?
« Reply #278 on: September 09, 2020, 07:13:37 PM »
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Reading this was making me cross eyed but I get what you mean. Rolling fakie into tricks is a mindfuck for me, but what's helped is just trusting my pop so I can focus on the rotation and lock. The muscle memory of the pop is already there, so I have the mental capacity to focus on the rest of the stuff. Unlike Nollie stuff where my pop and rotation is less ingrained into my muscles, so I get a mental and physical overload, if that make sense.

And they are a safe-ish trick, I think the hardest part will be make sure I pop high enough and lean back far enough so I don't slam and stick.
[close]

Fakie is the stance I feel the most awkward in too, I've always been a nollie and switch guy but only ever cared so much about fakie tricks, I love them now but it's definitely not my preferred stance. But the key to fakie tricks in general is to persuade yourself that you're doing the trick regular, just with altered momentum that you actually aim to fix when you're doing halfcab tricks. Halfcabs shouldn't be intellectualized as fakie backside ollies as much as they should be thought of a normal ollie but with a translation. That's also why bank skating helps with stances so much, for instance somebody who just can't figure out halfcab flips at first but is familiar with kickflips can just practice doing kickflips while carving backside on a bank (so technically the easier version of backside flips) for a bit and then just replicate the exact same motion on flat to get halfcab flips. Teaches you the proper timing and upper body positioning. Same also applies for nollie/switch and harder tricks, for instance if you can't switch 360 flip but can nollie 360 flip on flat then figuring out switch 360 flips on banks first will help a lot because on inclines those work exactly like nollie 360 flips on flat and then you can piece the missing adjustments together to eventually learn the trick you want. The same way, fakie flips on flat work exactly like kickflip to fakie on banks, etc.

This is really interesting, gonna DM you so we can talk more. I was thinking how doing some tricks on a bank is easier than on flat and you're spot on with how the bank works with you to get the desired timing and positioning. I could probably fakie 360 flip in 20 tries but probably not land a regular one in 100 tries, definitely have to revisit that stance when I skate flat.
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silhouette

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Re: What are you trying to learn right now?
« Reply #279 on: September 10, 2020, 12:40:02 PM »
I don't mind DM's at all (although I'm terrible at replying to them) but I think it's better and more constructive if this conversation remains public, that way more people get to read our banter and maybe figure out solutions to problems they also happen to be facing on tricks or in skateboarding in general, and intervene.

Yeah for your 360 flip problem it might be a good idea to practice them on banks to gradually get rid of your preference for fakie but it also sounds like what you're missing is something in your pop/scoop, as that's the only adjustment you really need to make for that trick between regs and fakie, fakie the rotation is going with the momentum so it's better to use it and chill with the pop/scoop, regular you have to scrape the toe-side of the tail and force the board in front of you against the momentum, same difference as between cabs and back 3's. Sounds like you need to find your sweet spot on the pocket of the tail to nest those toes prior to popping those tricks so that they push the board along with your jump and it doesn't just stay behind, and it would unlock a lot of stuff for you. Once you've found it, it all becomes more of a matter of technique than brute force and those tricks become a lot less tiring.
« Last Edit: September 10, 2020, 12:48:56 PM by silhouette »

rocklobster

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Re: What are you trying to learn right now?
« Reply #280 on: September 10, 2020, 08:08:31 PM »
I don't mind DM's at all (although I'm terrible at replying to them) but I think it's better and more constructive if this conversation remains public, that way more people get to read our banter and maybe figure out solutions to problems they also happen to be facing on tricks or in skateboarding in general, and intervene.

Yeah for your 360 flip problem it might be a good idea to practice them on banks to gradually get rid of your preference for fakie but it also sounds like what you're missing is something in your pop/scoop, as that's the only adjustment you really need to make for that trick between regs and fakie, fakie the rotation is going with the momentum so it's better to use it and chill with the pop/scoop, regular you have to scrape the toe-side of the tail and force the board in front of you against the momentum, same difference as between cabs and back 3's. Sounds like you need to find your sweet spot on the pocket of the tail to nest those toes prior to popping those tricks so that they push the board along with your jump and it doesn't just stay behind, and it would unlock a lot of stuff for you. Once you've found it, it all becomes more of a matter of technique than brute force and those tricks become a lot less tiring.

I was kicking some BS 360s around yesterday I'm starting to realize the importance of the scoop, or rather scrape. When I think of scoop it like more of a popping motion, but with a scrape you're dragging your foot / board against the ground the help with the motion. Like in the video below you can see Goemann and Mirtain do more of a scoop than a scrape. With Skate Hack it looks like more scrape than scoop. Probably easier when you're first starting out to scrape instead of scoop, scoop gets you the beautiful Gino style ones.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v8dbWKry7w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mOFFGFPRtg&ab_channel=RIDEChannel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_nMszLWJIo&ab_channel=SKATEHACKS

I wish I learned these things in my youth but it's starting to feel like I'm unlocking the secrets to these tricks. But fuck Heelflips, always.
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silhouette

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Re: What are you trying to learn right now?
« Reply #281 on: September 11, 2020, 03:51:34 AM »
Yeah the scrape is important, not many people are used to that technique anymore after it being out of fashion for a good twenty years (although it kind of came back with the latest late 80's/early 90's revival) but it's a key one specifically for the entire extended family of black sheep tricks that comprises impossibles, step-hops, pressure flips and backside 360's, so good on you for figuring out that concept - generally speaking, figuring out basic principles like this does a lot more wonders than studying skating trick per trick because one you grasp them you open yourself a door to like a dozen of maneuvers instead of just a single one.

I just filmed a backside 360 in a line yesterday and looking at the footage I realized it's very obvious that I literally only scoop them (so in the end I spin them all in the air but barely get any pop), and also that the toes on my back foot dig into the toe-side pocket so much during the pop that it's almost like I pop off the toe-side of the tail only (there's a frame or two where the board is literally sideways then) and that's because I'm focusing mostly on applying the pressure there to get the board to stick to my foot then scrape to guide it the whole way around (and then the upper body being ahead of the rotation is what makes it work).

In general maybe what you need to study is your board's exact pressure points, now pressure flips are weird tricks but maybe trying to at least form a few would help you work on that because for those you literally just scrape and then let go. The key is pressing down on your back foot toes just over the toe-side back wheel to get the board to essentially flop over while you jump straight up (almost all off your back leg) and the effect in the pop is what makes it complete a rotation so you don't land upside down. You might have to teach yourself keep your back foot low for longer than you do on most normal flip tricks to optimally achieve that effect. Then once you've understood that it's a variation of that technique for all these tricks. Probably helps with 360 flips too as on 360 flips all your front foot really does is counter that same pressure with the subtle force of an ankle flick the other way, too (and once you've understood that you can pretty much treat them like modified ollies in a sense that's weird to describe, but makes sense in practice).

pizzafliptofakie

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Re: What are you trying to learn right now?
« Reply #282 on: September 11, 2020, 05:49:03 AM »
Back 3's are such an enigma to me. I usually have a phase about once a year where I really grind for them and will get away with maybe a couple decent ones, but it never sticks.

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Re: What are you trying to learn right now?
« Reply #283 on: September 11, 2020, 05:52:28 AM »
Back 3's are such an enigma to me. I usually have a phase about once a year where I really grind for them and will get away with maybe a couple decent ones, but it never sticks.

Can you do them stephop/no-comply style? Might be a good place to start. I learned backside 360 ollies first myself but remember really grinding for them as you say, and for a while they remained a difficult trick, then I started doing the 360 stephops which are more simple and just getting used to the upper body movement (and maybe also to the back toe action) on that trick somehow also made control on the ollie counterpart a lot easier.

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Re: What are you trying to learn right now?
« Reply #284 on: September 11, 2020, 08:07:37 AM »
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Back 3's are such an enigma to me. I usually have a phase about once a year where I really grind for them and will get away with maybe a couple decent ones, but it never sticks.
[close]

Can you do them stephop/no-comply style? Might be a good place to start. I learned backside 360 ollies first myself but remember really grinding for them as you say, and for a while they remained a difficult trick, then I started doing the 360 stephops which are more simple and just getting used to the upper body movement (and maybe also to the back toe action) on that trick somehow also made control on the ollie counterpart a lot easier.


Sometimes. Not consistently but starting there might not be a bad idea. I can do them fakie on banks, oddly enough.

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Re: What are you trying to learn right now?
« Reply #285 on: September 11, 2020, 08:17:56 AM »
Does anyone have any tips on rolling into a quarterpipe?

It's one thing I can't commit to. I've heard someone say to think of it like just dropping off a cerb, only bigger.


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Re: What are you trying to learn right now?
« Reply #286 on: September 11, 2020, 08:25:50 AM »
Kicky back tails (should've learned many moons ago, but there we go)

half cab heel nose (also should've learned many moons ago, but there we go)
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Re: What are you trying to learn right now?
« Reply #287 on: September 11, 2020, 09:27:34 AM »
Does anyone have any tips on rolling into a quarterpipe?

It's one thing I can't commit to. I've heard someone say to think of it like just dropping off a cerb, only bigger.

Unfortunately there isn’t really much outside of just going for it, I used to be real scared of straight rolling in for some odd reason, probably the hang up factor. Luckily one of the local parks has some odd combo of round coping that goes to flat, so it was easy to get used to it on the flat section then move it over to the coping.

Maybe just riding up to it and shifting over into tail will help you get over the fear of it. Just straight confidence really, if you hesitate you’re gonna fuck up.

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Re: What are you trying to learn right now?
« Reply #288 on: September 11, 2020, 09:35:28 AM »
Yeah the scrape is important, not many people are used to that technique anymore after it being out of fashion for a good twenty years (although it kind of came back with the latest late 80's/early 90's revival) but it's a key one specifically for the entire extended family of black sheep tricks that comprises impossibles, step-hops, pressure flips and backside 360's, so good on you for figuring out that concept - generally speaking, figuring out basic principles like this does a lot more wonders than studying skating trick per trick because one you grasp them you open yourself a door to like a dozen of maneuvers instead of just a single one.

I just filmed a backside 360 in a line yesterday and looking at the footage I realized it's very obvious that I literally only scoop them (so in the end I spin them all in the air but barely get any pop), and also that the toes on my back foot dig into the toe-side pocket so much during the pop that it's almost like I pop off the toe-side of the tail only (there's a frame or two where the board is literally sideways then) and that's because I'm focusing mostly on applying the pressure there to get the board to stick to my foot then scrape to guide it the whole way around (and then the upper body being ahead of the rotation is what makes it work).

In general maybe what you need to study is your board's exact pressure points, now pressure flips are weird tricks but maybe trying to at least form a few would help you work on that because for those you literally just scrape and then let go. The key is pressing down on your back foot toes just over the toe-side back wheel to get the board to essentially flop over while you jump straight up (almost all off your back leg) and the effect in the pop is what makes it complete a rotation so you don't land upside down. You might have to teach yourself keep your back foot low for longer than you do on most normal flip tricks to optimally achieve that effect. Then once you've understood that it's a variation of that technique for all these tricks. Probably helps with 360 flips too as on 360 flips all your front foot really does is counter that same pressure with the subtle force of an ankle flick the other way, too (and once you've understood that you can pretty much treat them like modified ollies in a sense that's weird to describe, but makes sense in practice).

If you can share the link of the  vid with freeze frames that would be great to analyze.

The Ben Degros tricktip about the BS Kickflip really got me thinking and analyzing how I thought tricks worked. I skated with an older dude when I was in my teens and he was all about solid fundamentals. FS Flip is a FS 180 with a kickflip in the middle, same with a BS kickflip. That mindset helped him get really good at both regular and switch stuff but he would struggle with full cabs and  360 flips (it was the hard shove kind not the floaty type); or what I would call finesse tricks. Watching Ben Degros' video helped me visualize my board is a spring / rubber band; you load it up 1 way with pressure and to that pressure you add a slight flick, giving you the 180 kickflip. In the same way a BS / FS 360 is not really an Ollie with a 360 thrown in, even though an ollie is the foundational trick.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oBs-qwbuSM&ab_channel=JustKeepSkating

It got me thinking about how and when you should scoop your board versus popping and rotating.

https://youtu.be/9dibBsXQBas?t=88

Like how Jon Allie does his BS Tailslide in this clip has always been interesting to me. Call his trick selection boring but his style is very unique; he has controls his rotations with his hips. With the BS Tailslide it looks all hip rotation, same with his 360s. Arto is another one with with a unique BS Lipslide.

(Fuck I rambled but it's Friday night so read it if you want)
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Re: What are you trying to learn right now?
« Reply #289 on: September 11, 2020, 09:48:22 AM »
If you can share the link of the  vid with freeze frames that would be great to analyze.

The Ben Degros tricktip about the BS Kickflip really got me thinking and analyzing how I thought tricks worked. I skated with an older dude when I was in my teens and he was all about solid fundamentals. FS Flip is a FS 180 with a kickflip in the middle, same with a BS kickflip. That mindset helped him get really good at both regular and switch stuff but he would struggle with full cabs and  360 flips (it was the hard shove kind not the floaty type); or what I would call finesse tricks. Watching Ben Degros' video helped me visualize my board is a spring / rubber band; you load it up 1 way with pressure and to that pressure you add a slight flick, giving you the 180 kickflip. In the same way a BS / FS 360 is not really an Ollie with a 360 thrown in, even though an ollie is the foundational trick.

I just posted the clip in Post You Skating, it's the second trick here, if you're on a computer you can pause it, it's not a very good example of the trick though, this one I land on the back wheels which I normally don't do and it's so low the front truck taps the ground but at least you can see the back foot action and how the upper body goes ahead of the trick (and also hear the scrape because of the shit ground). If anything that's a demonstration you don't really need pop as you said and can just whip it around without an actual ollie.

Part I put in bold is totally the right idea, when it comes down to it it's all really basic physics and I'm regularly baffled by how many skaters insist on repeating the same mistakes on tricks over and over expecting different results instead of just considering that.

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Re: What are you trying to learn right now?
« Reply #290 on: September 11, 2020, 10:08:48 AM »
Expand Quote
If you can share the link of the  vid with freeze frames that would be great to analyze.

The Ben Degros tricktip about the BS Kickflip really got me thinking and analyzing how I thought tricks worked. I skated with an older dude when I was in my teens and he was all about solid fundamentals. FS Flip is a FS 180 with a kickflip in the middle, same with a BS kickflip. That mindset helped him get really good at both regular and switch stuff but he would struggle with full cabs and  360 flips (it was the hard shove kind not the floaty type); or what I would call finesse tricks. Watching Ben Degros' video helped me visualize my board is a spring / rubber band; you load it up 1 way with pressure and to that pressure you add a slight flick, giving you the 180 kickflip. In the same way a BS / FS 360 is not really an Ollie with a 360 thrown in, even though an ollie is the foundational trick.
[close]

I just posted the clip in Post You Skating, it's the second trick here, if you're on a computer you can pause it, it's not a very good example of the trick though, this one I land on the back wheels which I normally don't do and it's so low the front truck taps the ground but at least you can see the back foot action and how the upper body goes ahead of the trick (and also hear the scrape because of the shit ground). If anything that's a demonstration you don't really need pop as you said and can just whip it around without an actual ollie.

Part I put in bold is totally the right idea, when it comes down to it it's all really basic physics and I'm regularly baffled by how many skaters insist on repeating the same mistakes on tricks over and over expecting different results instead of just considering that.

I think we fetish-ize the grind and hard work that goes into a trick. Yes it is rewarding to land it after months of attempts but I would much rather be efficient with my limited board time to learn and improve, instead of showing how dedicated I am to suffering. I spent years not getting FS Tailslides, so much frustration, wasted boards and shoes. I really wish someone had broken down the secret of the trick so I would be 10-20% closer to figuring it out myself.

Pro trick tip videos are hit and miss as well. Occasionally you have a pro who can explain the fundamental and share the secret sauce. Other times you have Willy Santos trick tips videos; love the skater but his videos were dogshit.
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Re: What are you trying to learn right now?
« Reply #291 on: September 11, 2020, 10:47:04 AM »
Yeah I get you, but honestly as beautiful as it may be, that mystification of the difficult process of learning a trick is usually the greatest barrier to progress too. In addition to the person developing technical ability and precision on the practical side, on a mental level one's skateboarding progression I find to be directly linked to their idea of self-worth; people who generally don't believe in themselves and underestimate their latent abilities will be less ambitious when it comes to not just 'getting the job done' but also to the scope and scale of said job. Which means they'll only ever try the most popularly known basic tricks they think is all is in their reach, and even on those they subconsciously micromanage every step. In a sense I also appreciate that because it usually helps shape unique style; it's just pretty crazy to realize most people only ever try what they imagine they can do. Breaking away from such expectations of the self and embracing the idea that maybe your limits are much higher than what you think they are (beyond your own current comprehension) is actually very liberating; as soon as you stop thinking of skateboarding as complicated and strip it down of all the mystique and your approach to it of your own insecurities, it becomes a lot easier. In reality, like I was saying it's basic physics so besides a lack of practice and coordination, and of course the occasional random element inherent to street skating, there's no arbitrary reason for anyone to ever keep missing tricks but whatever's going on in their heads. If you want a new trick that's accessible because you have the technique down then there's just no reason not to do it.

That being said, willpower is another thing. Recently I've come to the realization that a lot of skaters bail tricks because subconsciously they actually enjoy bailing tricks. Even filming missions are essentially over when the skater really decides it's over. Sometimes the process of trying something and the experimentation is more fun than focusing and landing the trick right away; sometimes it's a vortex of madness because the skater's head is polluted with negativity somehow that's enough not to make them really want to land the trick (could be something as simple as subconsciously worrying over their style or fit). But in a lot of these cases, if they had the physical practice, mental strength and landing the trick first try really was the only thing on their mind, they probably could.

Talk about ranting on a Friday night!

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Re: What are you trying to learn right now?
« Reply #292 on: September 11, 2020, 12:30:45 PM »
I’m not a big poster but i have enjoyed reading your back and forth more than anything i’ve read on this site since march. Rant away haha. You give good skating and good life advice silhouette.

Rocklobster...Care to share the secret to FS tails? FS 5-0 has always been a go to, but actually popping into and sliding fs tail makes no sense. I always do a crooked 5-0, so i try to spin more into the slide and my body doesnt stay with the board. My brain cant vizualize somewhere in between popping and coming into the slide. I’ve done more back tails. Any tips on sliding nose, tail and blunts is always greatly appreciated. I’m determined to start doing these tricks more.
One post in and he's threatening pro skaters with violence over their shitty bands. Best first post ever?

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Re: What are you trying to learn right now?
« Reply #293 on: September 11, 2020, 07:46:45 PM »
I’m not a big poster but i have enjoyed reading your back and forth more than anything i’ve read on this site since march. Rant away haha. You give good skating and good life advice silhouette.

Rocklobster...Care to share the secret to FS tails? FS 5-0 has always been a go to, but actually popping into and sliding fs tail makes no sense. I always do a crooked 5-0, so i try to spin more into the slide and my body doesnt stay with the board. My brain cant vizualize somewhere in between popping and coming into the slide. I’ve done more back tails. Any tips on sliding nose, tail and blunts is always greatly appreciated. I’m determined to start doing these tricks more.

My front tails are shit right now. I used to roll up really parallel to the ledge and think of it as a FS 45, split between my front and back foot. I get the lock but barely any slide. Fuck I'm working on the right now at the park. But slight angle plus winding your shoulders is a good place to start, not everyone has the finesse to do them like Heath Kirchart on the rail in Sight Unseen. I'll reply when I'm in front of my laptop later.

Yeah I get you, but honestly as beautiful as it may be, that mystification of the difficult process of learning a trick is usually the greatest barrier to progress too. In addition to the person developing technical ability and precision on the practical side, on a mental level one's skateboarding progression I find to be directly linked to their idea of self-worth; people who generally don't believe in themselves and underestimate their latent abilities will be less ambitious when it comes to not just 'getting the job done' but also to the scope and scale of said job. Which means they'll only ever try the most popularly known basic tricks they think is all is in their reach, and even on those they subconsciously micromanage every step. In a sense I also appreciate that because it usually helps shape unique style; it's just pretty crazy to realize most people only ever try what they imagine they can do. Breaking away from such expectations of the self and embracing the idea that maybe your limits are much higher than what you think they are (beyond your own current comprehension) is actually very liberating; as soon as you stop thinking of skateboarding as complicated and strip it down of all the mystique and your approach to it of your own insecurities, it becomes a lot easier. In reality, like I was saying it's basic physics so besides a lack of practice and coordination, and of course the occasional random element inherent to street skating, there's no arbitrary reason for anyone to ever keep missing tricks but whatever's going on in their heads. If you want a new trick that's accessible because you have the technique down then there's just no reason not to do it.

That being said, willpower is another thing. Recently I've come to the realization that a lot of skaters bail tricks because subconsciously they actually enjoy bailing tricks. Even filming missions are essentially over when the skater really decides it's over. Sometimes the process of trying something and the experimentation is more fun than focusing and landing the trick right away; sometimes it's a vortex of madness because the skater's head is polluted with negativity somehow that's enough not to make them really want to land the trick (could be something as simple as subconsciously worrying over their style or fit). But in a lot of these cases, if they had the physical practice, mental strength and landing the trick first try really was the only thing on their mind, they probably could.

Talk about ranting on a Friday night!

The mental aspect of skateboarding has always been fascinating to me. All you need if for someone to nudge you in the right direction ("hey you should try this trick") and by trying it you open yourself up to learning and (like you said) learning the physics of the trick. A trick only feel foreign because your body is not using to moving / turning in that direction, enough tries and it will become second nature. 2 weeks ago I though doing FS 1/2 Cab Noseslides was weird and while the motion still feels unnatural, it's become much closer to the realm of possibility. And messing up on that trick had me locking into Fakie BS Nosegrinds (the Josh Kalis) staple, which I never would have though possible.

Over the past few weeks I've been telling myself this simple mantra "the sooner you stop fucking around and commit to just popping the trick, the sooner you can master it and roll away from it". Yeah its fun to kick back and shoot the shit with your mates at the park, but having fun in skateboarding (to me) stems from mastery and overcoming fear or a difficult trick. The sooner I commit, the sooner I land my stuff, the more time I can spend getting better at it or learning new shit. It may sound mechanical and against the spirit of skateboarding, but that is my definition of fun in skateboarding and having a good session. Especially as I get older and hold down an office job, I want to get the most fun out of my session, whatever that may mean to anyone. Fewer 1/2 assed attempts, more full commitments. I've been experiencing a lot of rain in South-East Asia recently usually towards the last 1/3 of my session. The urgency keeps me on my toes.
« Last Edit: September 12, 2020, 07:49:11 AM by rocklobster »
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UrbanSombrero

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Re: What are you trying to learn right now?
« Reply #294 on: September 12, 2020, 05:23:51 PM »
A lot of post really speaks to me. I've been going through this mental block the last few weeks and it is really bugging me. My kickflips have gone to shit and all of a sudden I can't BS 5050 anymore. I'm over thinking a lot because I feel like I should be better than I am and I'm being too cautious I think. I'm old and I don't want to hurt myself but I really love this and want to be as good as I think I can be. I've been skating for the better part of 20 years and I've never encountered anything like this. I'm actually writing this post from an urgent care center bed because I slipped out from a half assed BS 5050 attempt and landed straight on my chest. Seems so far nothing is broken. If I was fully commiting and trying to land the trick instead of trying to not fall this wouldn't have happened. I don't know why all of a sudden I'm being a baby about everything instead of just enjoying my time on my board and trying to progress. I've also been skating a ton lately, at least 2 hours a day pretty much everyday for the last 2 years aside from a few months where I rolled my ankle and broke 2 ribs last year. Maybe I'm skating too much and a break will reset my brain, but I start to panic because I feel like I'm going to lose all progress that I've made if I stop skating as much as possible. Sorry for the rant.

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Re: What are you trying to learn right now?
« Reply #295 on: September 13, 2020, 09:18:45 AM »
A lot of post really speaks to me. I've been going through this mental block the last few weeks and it is really bugging me. My kickflips have gone to shit and all of a sudden I can't BS 5050 anymore. I'm over thinking a lot because I feel like I should be better than I am and I'm being too cautious I think. I'm old and I don't want to hurt myself but I really love this and want to be as good as I think I can be. I've been skating for the better part of 20 years and I've never encountered anything like this. I'm actually writing this post from an urgent care center bed because I slipped out from a half assed BS 5050 attempt and landed straight on my chest. Seems so far nothing is broken. If I was fully commiting and trying to land the trick instead of trying to not fall this wouldn't have happened. I don't know why all of a sudden I'm being a baby about everything instead of just enjoying my time on my board and trying to progress. I've also been skating a ton lately, at least 2 hours a day pretty much everyday for the last 2 years aside from a few months where I rolled my ankle and broke 2 ribs last year. Maybe I'm skating too much and a break will reset my brain, but I start to panic because I feel like I'm going to lose all progress that I've made if I stop skating as much as possible. Sorry for the rant.

Hope you're healing up and for as much as I waxed lyrical on the past few posts, I had 2 pretty mediocre days of skating in a row. Both Saturday and Sunday sessions got rained out within 90 minutes so that definitely didn't help at all. As much as I said about committing to tricks and focusing on rolling away with as few tries, I think that mindset really hurt my sessions today. My deck was starting to razor tail and all the pressure I put on myself was weighing down hard. I have to dial back the intensity; being intense is my response to everything in life. I work hard, not smart which is the opposite I said a few posts ago. I feared losing my FS crooks and settle for a tweaked nosegrind instead of a proper.

I guess the skinny of it is to not (as cliche as it sounds) find that balance that works for you. I thought I could be intense all the time, but I was killing the vibe with my friends who were having a blast kicking around and having a laugh. Need to be reminded that I'm a 30+ year old and just enjoy the session like I would any other sporting endevour.

The park I used to session before lockdown has reopened, I'm definitely going to hit it up a few times a week and skate the tougher park on Saturday / Sunday; it's got higher ledges so I plan to use the weekday sessions to build into the weekend ones.

Have a Shalom weekend friends
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Re: What are you trying to learn right now?
« Reply #296 on: September 15, 2020, 03:35:05 AM »
As much as I said about committing to tricks and focusing on rolling away with as few tries, I think that mindset really hurt my sessions today.

I think it's because one can't really improvise that mindset, just dictating how your day should be going in advance isn't going to work because by definition skateboarding is something that mercilessly bombards you with different scenarii every single moment in real time (happening on an object moving through irregular space and all), so trying to foresee exactly how your day is going to go is only more mental pollution and a distraction if anything. At least I stopped doing this a while ago and now only skate on days where my physical condition feels right, because that's when I know I'll be at my sharpest to handle all the ruckus and then it's pretty much a guaranteed good session with no expectations. Now skating is so fun I'll occasionally do it on the days I feel wrecked too (e.g.. after binge skating three days in a row on average), but then I'll most likely take it easy and stick to less brutal and/or more consistent maneuvers. Recovering time is important, your body needs it (most skaters underestimate how much they put theirs through absolute shit) and there is such a thing as overtraining in any physical activity, if you're not familiar with the term I'd advise you look it up as grasping the concept basically made me understand why I'd always have on and off days as a kid. In general whenever you're having a bad session, it's important to understand why as to just eliminate the mistakes eventually, and stop clogging your head with whatever considerations might distract from the present moment of purely reading the terrain with your board.

I also get the pleasure of working on tricks super hard, for maybe over my decade of skating I skated anywhere from 3 to 10 hours literally everyday, sheltering myself under whatever shitty place had some kind of roof in case of shit weather just to always be working on new stuff and not losing tricks, but then I grew out of that phase when I realized it was actually counter-productive although fun in its own ways and I was unnecessarily micromanaging things (because I had less self-confidence; in reality if you really don't want your tricks to go away then they won't since every motion you neglect you can always relearn, this anxiety is another source of potential mental pollution in one's skating so such worries are better off jettisoned). So I'm a bit torn on talking shit on obsessively working on technique because that's what I did for a long time and also I guess what enabled me to build a repertoire of tricks and maneuvers big enough for me to have fun with even on days where challenging shit won't work. It may be important to remember that although fundamental, technique in skateboarding is a means but an end.

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Re: What are you trying to learn right now?
« Reply #297 on: September 15, 2020, 05:58:38 AM »
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As much as I said about committing to tricks and focusing on rolling away with as few tries, I think that mindset really hurt my sessions today.
[close]

I think it's because one can't really improvise that mindset, just dictating how your day should be going in advance isn't going to work because by definition skateboarding is something that mercilessly bombards you with different scenarii every single moment in real time (happening on an object moving through irregular space and all), so trying to foresee exactly how your day is going to go is only more mental pollution and a distraction if anything. At least I stopped doing this a while ago and now only skate on days where my physical condition feels right, because that's when I know I'll be at my sharpest to handle all the ruckus and then it's pretty much a guaranteed good session with no expectations. Now skating is so fun I'll occasionally do it on the days I feel wrecked too (e.g.. after binge skating three days in a row on average), but then I'll most likely take it easy and stick to less brutal and/or more consistent maneuvers. Recovering time is important, your body needs it (most skaters underestimate how much they put theirs through absolute shit) and there is such a thing as overtraining in any physical activity, if you're not familiar with the term I'd advise you look it up as grasping the concept basically made me understand why I'd always have on and off days as a kid. In general whenever you're having a bad session, it's important to understand why as to just eliminate the mistakes eventually, and stop clogging your head with whatever considerations might distract from the present moment of purely reading the terrain with your board.

I also get the pleasure of working on tricks super hard, for maybe over my decade of skating I skated anywhere from 3 to 10 hours literally everyday, sheltering myself under whatever shitty place had some kind of roof in case of shit weather just to always be working on new stuff and not losing tricks, but then I grew out of that phase when I realized it was actually counter-productive although fun in its own ways and I was unnecessarily micromanaging things (because I had less self-confidence; in reality if you really don't want your tricks to go away then they won't since every motion you neglect you can always relearn, this anxiety is another source of potential mental pollution in one's skating so such worries are better off jettisoned). So I'm a bit torn on talking shit on obsessively working on technique because that's what I did for a long time and also I guess what enabled me to build a repertoire of tricks and maneuvers big enough for me to have fun with even on days where challenging shit won't work. It may be important to remember that although fundamental, technique in skateboarding is a means but an end.

The frustration of having a bad session stems from me only having my weekends to skate for a combines 6-8 hours, so I feel immense pressure to perform and not lose my tricks on those 2 days. But I'm like that in my daily life too, I'm disciplined to a fault and can't stand to sit around doing nothing, much to my own detriment. I'm uber intense, like when I mean we have to leave the house at 7pm to meet a dinner reservation, I get pissed with my wife if we leave late and have to pay a late fee on the Uber. The park I usually session has reopened after lockdown so I'm planning on going there 1-2 times in the week to keep sharp and limber.

Being older and skateboarding: it gives you the extremes of emotions and pulls you in both directions. You appreciate it more, but the scarcity of time really adds so much pressure on me. I already trying to do 5 days in a row (Wed - Sun), I have a huge scarcity problem but I'll eventually find a happy medium, maybe 1-2 times during the week, go hard on the weekends.

I love skating ledges and rails but I'm going to commit to working on getting a proper looking Ollie. I've been rocketing them my entire life and seeing the other threads about old guys working on them made me think I should really practice what I preach.

Spending hours working on a trick has put me in a dark place mentally which feel so stupid and trivial. I think back on all the negative things my mom said, discouraging me from skateboarding when I was 14, telling me I'm too uncoordinated to do it well. Those same thoughts get to me even as a 34-year old adult, despite us talking over it too. Got to remind myself that I'm not 14 and I'm doing this for fun.

That said, the feeling of landing a new trick still has that same rush even 20 years later. I like the phrase mental pollution, got to keep those bad jujus out of your head and enjoy the session.
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Re: What are you trying to learn right now?
« Reply #298 on: September 15, 2020, 06:55:04 AM »
I get the time constraint being one of those subconscious restrictions that end up kind of fucking with your head, I remember being in a similar zone back when I was a law student, I had to scrape by in order to find just a couple of hours a week to skate and looking back it might have not been a coincidence that I was also trying to make every session count (for a while those times were the apex of my tech shit). I'm of the kind that just can't stand around and do nothing too but in reality if you're looking for productivity/progression it can actually be beneficial to 'slow down' on off days because getting frustrated is just you bonking your head against your own limitations instead of deciphering them. Slowing down doesn't necessarily mean slacking, I just see it as working on different areas of skating. For instance on days where I have low energy or my body is generally tired, I'll just mess around with simple stuff on flat without exerting myself and get better at that. Or some other days I'll just skate nothing but a flat bank and see how many of my 'classics' and which ones I can do that day and indirectly I always get better at them. Even just cruising around the street you always keep getting more experience in navigation around obstacles and people, every single little curb you ollie you're still refining your timing. There's no such thing as an unproductive session if you're really trying to micromanage your skating because every second spent on the board is literally practice. Then it's all up you optimize that practice time and usually unless you're going for something new, then long trick battles are counterproductive (especially if it's a trick you swear you can do easily on a different day; if the trick is in you and something else feels wrong that day then there's no point in cramming more parasite movement into your usual execution of the trick by insisting like a mad man). Tl;dr it's better to embrace your condition and limitations of the day and work with them to have a fun session instead of struggling against them. I actually got exponentially better at skating as soon as I stopped worrying over everything I couldn't do on certain days and instead started spending them focused on doing what I could actually do, because in reality something that suddenly feels wrong one day might suddenly feel right again the next, so obsessing over it is only distracting you from what your board is saying you should be doing now.

Also I find new tricks only feel all the more amazing getting older. Every single one is even more of a gift from the heavens.

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Re: What are you trying to learn right now?
« Reply #299 on: September 15, 2020, 08:46:35 AM »
I get the time constraint being one of those subconscious restrictions that end up kind of fucking with your head, I remember being in a similar zone back when I was a law student, I had to scrape by in order to find just a couple of hours a week to skate and looking back it might have not been a coincidence that I was also trying to make every session count (for a while those times were the apex of my tech shit). I'm of the kind that just can't stand around and do nothing too but in reality if you're looking for productivity/progression it can actually be beneficial to 'slow down' on off days because getting frustrated is just you bonking your head against your own limitations instead of deciphering them. Slowing down doesn't necessarily mean slacking, I just see it as working on different areas of skating. For instance on days where I have low energy or my body is generally tired, I'll just mess around with simple stuff on flat without exerting myself and get better at that. Or some other days I'll just skate nothing but a flat bank and see how many of my 'classics' and which ones I can do that day and indirectly I always get better at them. Even just cruising around the street you always keep getting more experience in navigation around obstacles and people, every single little curb you ollie you're still refining your timing. There's no such thing as an unproductive session if you're really trying to micromanage your skating because every second spent on the board is literally practice. Then it's all up you optimize that practice time and usually unless you're going for something new, then long trick battles are counterproductive (especially if it's a trick you swear you can do easily on a different day; if the trick is in you and something else feels wrong that day then there's no point in cramming more parasite movement into your usual execution of the trick by insisting like a mad man). Tl;dr it's better to embrace your condition and limitations of the day and work with them to have a fun session instead of struggling against them. I actually got exponentially better at skating as soon as I stopped worrying over everything I couldn't do on certain days and instead started spending them focused on doing what I could actually do, because in reality something that suddenly feels wrong one day might suddenly feel right again the next, so obsessing over it is only distracting you from what your board is saying you should be doing now.

Also I find new tricks only feel all the more amazing getting older. Every single one is even more of a gift from the heavens.

Some sage wisdom right there man, the last 2 pages should be made into a board graphic to remind myself to chill out.

I get really bad tunnel vision and I kick myself when the stuff I worked on last session isn't clicking today. I really have to be more chill with skateboarding and not let it kill me.
Venture Truck Height:

5.0 & 5.2 LO
STANDARD - 1.88” - 47.75mm
FORGED - 1.85”- 46.99mm

5.0 ,5.2, 5.6, 5.8 & 6.1 HI
STANDARD - 2.09” - 53.09mm
FORGED - 2.04” - 51.82m