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I’ve been trying to get tailslides for a few weeks now and I’ve been really struggling, at this point I’ve gotten the motion of getting the tail onto the ledge onto the ledge but I can’t really lock in. All my tail does in just slap down off the ledge and I end up doing a snowboard style tail bonk on the ledge.
I really struggle with getting my weight over my back foot while doing the 90 degree turn when I try to turn frontside my weight naturally shifts towards my front foot as I rotate, however if I try to consciously put my weight over my back foot I pop super rocket and can’t really get my board over the ledge. Anyone have any tips? I really haven’t been able to wrap my head around these.
I think you gotta think about it as if you'd be hopping stairs sideways on one leg (your back leg). Jumping from your back leg to your back leg. When you pop concentrate on not using your front leg. Just kinda fold your front leg from under you to give your board room to ollie, but all the pop comes from your back leg. Your center of mass stays pinched over your back leg throughout the trick.
Yes on this. I haven't put the effort into getting them back but when trying them in my youth - too much focus on the front foot to get the turn would have me doing shitty slides on the ledge. I would slide but come out fakie and never be able to control it at all. When I did finally get them I remember putting most of my energy and attention to my back foot and getting it up and on the ledge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1RPRK5if-A&ab_channel=SKATEHACKSHis slow-mo videos are good, but really observe the direction his front foot drags.
Front foot - inwards and to the side instead of forward and out
Back foot - up and on
Even though the trick is conceptually is similar to a FS Lipslide, FS 180 into a ledge / rail, they operate very differently.
FS Lipslide is more of a power trick - you can really pop above the rail and rotate hard into the trick since you have the entire width of your board to control and adjust the slide, so you're less likely to just stick and stall.
FS Tailslides feel more like a technique / finesse trick - movement of the feet is delicate to guide the tail gently onto the ledge. Too high and you slam your tail in and stick.
Shoulders should be mostly parallel, maybe leading shoulder pointing slightly into the ledge to "pre-wind" your shoulder for the rotation.
Damn all this talk has got me hankering to get them going again this weekend! Coming out regular, none of that Fakie nonsense. (JK my tailslides are shitty and mainly come out fakie)