Epiphanies that helped your skateboarding

[propaganda]

I ran the post through my Google-E-i and got error 043 no humor or sarcasm detected. You might need to update your singularity i patch.

We’re still working on [skate 4 developer voice]

[mongoswongofongo]

I had an epiphany that 99% of my epiphanies work for one fucking session and vanish into thin air by my next session.

Lol for real. Every few sessions, I'll swear I finally figured out the secret sauce. Almost never holds up next time.

[kickbacktail]

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I had an epiphany that 99% of my epiphanies work for one fucking session and vanish into thin air by my next session.

[close]

Lol for real. Every few sessions, I'll swear I finally figured out the secret sauce. Almost never holds up next time.

I don’t know how many on these boards golf but this is basically status quo there as well. Both sports are quite similar in that they require repeatable, precise, body movements. And it’s insane how often you come up with a “feel” that just clicks and you think the floodgates of progress are about to open and then next session you suck shit

[rocklobster]

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I had an epiphany that 99% of my epiphanies work for one fucking session and vanish into thin air by my next session.

[close]

Lol for real. Every few sessions, I'll swear I finally figured out the secret sauce. Almost never holds up next time.

[close]

I don’t know how many on these boards golf but this is basically status quo there as well. Both sports are quite similar in that they require repeatable, precise, body movements. And it’s insane how often you come up with a “feel” that just clicks and you think the floodgates of progress are about to open and then next session you suck shit

(but goddamn true, thought I had BS tailslides fully figured out but I still go through phases which last weeks or months where its 1/50 attempts and the 1 was barely passable)

[yghartsyrt]

I had an epiphany that 99% of my epiphanies work for one fucking session and vanish into thin air by my next session.

100 percent. it's like Groundhog day meets the neuralizer from Men in Black

[Pavement Diver]

What also helped me learning tricks: exaggeration. For example, if i try a backside flip i usually under rotate. I really have to picture Salabanzi doing one, the wind up, the wide armed rotation, the big kick. Works every time.

Just exaggerate all the minor movements you know you need to do

You can tone the movents down once you feel the trick more

Fore me it's the knees. I periodically have to remind myself to pull my knees up as high as I can to do the trick as big as possible, let it float more. Gives a lot more room for rotations, flips, etc.

[mongoswongofongo]

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What also helped me learning tricks: exaggeration. For example, if i try a backside flip i usually under rotate. I really have to picture Salabanzi doing one, the wind up, the wide armed rotation, the big kick. Works every time.

Just exaggerate all the minor movements you know you need to do

You can tone the movents down once you feel the trick more

[close]

Fore me it's the knees. I periodically have to remind myself to pull my knees up as high as I can to do the trick as big as possible, let it float more. Gives a lot more room for rotations, flips, etc.

Same here. It feels like I have to constantly relearn how to just fucking lift my knees every couple session. Esp the back foot, I have this chronic back leg laziness/rocket issue. But those few times I can get it sorted feel SO good

[Jort250]

More for discussion but someone told me at the park today told me that they learnt backtails by doing “front blunts” at the start of a ledge and then slowly started to angle out. I personally learnt them through falling out/over-rotating my back 5-0’s which I think is more conventional (?)

Idk if this helps anyone, the whole riding over thing seems a little sketch to me, but I thought it was interesting enough to share.

Also this might be intuitive but while I’m at it, I learnt backside 180 switch 5050 as a first step before back 180 nosegrind

[enjoithejunt]

You can skate and lock on to flatbars in the same fashion as you do transition. This help me significantly understand the concept of a flatbar overall because most copings at parks are round, so grinding in transition will grind exactly the same as a rail. Only difference is the flat part on a ramp

[Jort250]

You can skate and lock on to flatbars in the same fashion as you do transition. This help me significantly understand the concept of a flatbar overall because most copings at parks are round, so grinding in transition will grind exactly the same as a rail. Only difference is the flat part on a ramp

This is a good tip. Similarly I always saw square rails as mini ledges

[Lifer]

More for discussion but someone told me at the park today told me that they learnt backtails by doing “front blunts” at the start of a ledge and then slowly started to angle out.

This makes zero sense to me. If anything, this sounds like a harder way to learn backtails

[mongoswongofongo]

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More for discussion but someone told me at the park today told me that they learnt backtails by doing “front blunts” at the start of a ledge and then slowly started to angle out.

[close]

This makes zero sense to me. If anything, this sounds like a harder way to learn backtails

I agree, I can't really wrap my head around it myself.

But I think that it showcases 2 things I believe pretty strongly about skating:
1) there's more than 1 way to  successfully learn/visualize/cue a trick in skating
2) your cue/what you say/think you're doing and what is actually happening on your board are 2 completely different things.

At least, that's how I'm able to rationalize how much completely opposite advice I see for the same trick from different people who can both do the thing. So whatever gets someone there is legit enough for me.

[Suangi]

it definitely sounds like an easier way to get a slide but I feel like if you were learning it seems a slower way than the usual.

it's not the same aiming at all. same would go for learning a bs 5-0 straight on. it's nothing like a bs 5-0 from the side.

[I-am-12]

You can be landing a trick all day and still not "know" how to do it. There's always something to improve. There's always something you're doing wrong. There's always something to tweak.

It's the reason once in a blue moon, someone can suddenly bust out a perfect, steezy, effortless kickflip or whatever on accident (from random adjustments). A pro is slightly more athletic than most of us but it's nothing excessive. There is nothing stopping any of us from having a perfect Aimu kickflip RIGHT NOW except tiny tiny tweaks, timing, weight distribution, etc. You just have to find it.

I've seen Tyshawn ollie effortlessly over something I ollie over all the time, except the way he did it was unbelievably effortless and higher than I can. We're the same height and the thing isn't waist high or something. There's no reason I should be straining as much as I am when I jump the same obsticle. Fundamentally I'm doing something wrong and it's not enough that I can just do it every time. Time should be spent figuring that out...

[Hubba Bo-Tep]

You can be landing a trick all day and still not "know" how to do it. There's always something to improve. There's always something you're doing wrong. There's always something to tweak.

It's the reason once in a blue moon, someone can suddenly bust out a perfect, steezy, effortless kickflip or whatever on accident (from random adjustments). A pro is slightly more athletic than most of us but it's nothing excessive. There is nothing stopping any of us from having a perfect Aimu kickflip RIGHT NOW except tiny tiny tweaks, timing, weight distribution, etc. You just have to find it.

I've seen Tyshawn ollie effortlessly over something I ollie over all the time, except the way he did it was unbelievably effortless and higher than I can. We're the same height and the thing isn't waist high or something. There's no reason I should be straining as much as I am when I jump the same obsticle. Fundamentally I'm doing something wrong and it's not enough that I can just do it every time. Time should be spent figuring that out...

When you ollie, do you think "stomp the back foot down" or "lift the front knee up"?

[mongoswongofongo]

When you ollie, do you think "stomp the back foot down" or "lift the front knee up"?

...which one is the correct answer?

[I-am-12]

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You can be landing a trick all day and still not "know" how to do it. There's always something to improve. There's always something you're doing wrong. There's always something to tweak.

It's the reason once in a blue moon, someone can suddenly bust out a perfect, steezy, effortless kickflip or whatever on accident (from random adjustments). A pro is slightly more athletic than most of us but it's nothing excessive. There is nothing stopping any of us from having a perfect Aimu kickflip RIGHT NOW except tiny tiny tweaks, timing, weight distribution, etc. You just have to find it.

I've seen Tyshawn ollie effortlessly over something I ollie over all the time, except the way he did it was unbelievably effortless and higher than I can. We're the same height and the thing isn't waist high or something. There's no reason I should be straining as much as I am when I jump the same obsticle. Fundamentally I'm doing something wrong and it's not enough that I can just do it every time. Time should be spent figuring that out...

[close]

When you ollie, do you think "stomp the back foot down" or "lift the front knee up"?

Lift the front knee up, after starting to "think" this way after years of skating shitty. But even that isn't enough to magically change things. It made a huge difference but there was still months of tweaking to get where my ollies are now (still shitty but not as shitty as before...)

[tzhangdox]

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You can be landing a trick all day and still not "know" how to do it. There's always something to improve. There's always something you're doing wrong. There's always something to tweak.

It's the reason once in a blue moon, someone can suddenly bust out a perfect, steezy, effortless kickflip or whatever on accident (from random adjustments). A pro is slightly more athletic than most of us but it's nothing excessive. There is nothing stopping any of us from having a perfect Aimu kickflip RIGHT NOW except tiny tiny tweaks, timing, weight distribution, etc. You just have to find it.

I've seen Tyshawn ollie effortlessly over something I ollie over all the time, except the way he did it was unbelievably effortless and higher than I can. We're the same height and the thing isn't waist high or something. There's no reason I should be straining as much as I am when I jump the same obsticle. Fundamentally I'm doing something wrong and it's not enough that I can just do it every time. Time should be spent figuring that out...

[close]

When you ollie, do you think "stomp the back foot down" or "lift the front knee up"?

Lift front foot up and then jump off the back foot as high as you can is imo, a much more intuitive and efficient way of thinking about it rather than stomp down the back foot down as hard as you can

[I-am-12]

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You can be landing a trick all day and still not "know" how to do it. There's always something to improve. There's always something you're doing wrong. There's always something to tweak.

It's the reason once in a blue moon, someone can suddenly bust out a perfect, steezy, effortless kickflip or whatever on accident (from random adjustments). A pro is slightly more athletic than most of us but it's nothing excessive. There is nothing stopping any of us from having a perfect Aimu kickflip RIGHT NOW except tiny tiny tweaks, timing, weight distribution, etc. You just have to find it.

I've seen Tyshawn ollie effortlessly over something I ollie over all the time, except the way he did it was unbelievably effortless and higher than I can. We're the same height and the thing isn't waist high or something. There's no reason I should be straining as much as I am when I jump the same obsticle. Fundamentally I'm doing something wrong and it's not enough that I can just do it every time. Time should be spent figuring that out...

[close]

When you ollie, do you think "stomp the back foot down" or "lift the front knee up"?

[close]

Lift front foot up and then jump off the back foot as high as you can is imo, a much more intuitive and efficient way of thinking about it rather than stomp down the back foot down as hard as you can

This is LITERALLY what I've been trying to unlearn the past full year. This is the complete opposite of my mentality. You must jump off BOTH feet, not your back foot. Then your weight is shifted back and everything is fucked after that

[manuduncan]

i'm having a hard time visualizing what you're saying because if you jumped off both feet at the same time, how does the nose come up?

don't you have to jump off your back foot because that's the one popping?


like how are you able to get into this position mid ollie if you jump off both feet with equal distribution

fuck i hate overanalyzing ollies because it inevitably turns into a one step forward two steps back thing for me when in actuality my ollies are fine

[tzhangdox]

You lift your front foot up first so that the nose can come up. Once your front foot has provided some clearance, you jump off your back foot. Obviously you dont jump off both feet equally at the same time lmao wtf

[manuduncan]

yea thats always what i figured as well, this is the first im hearing of jumping off both feet bc wouldnt that just result in a hippy jump

[I-am-12]

Ah, by that I meant having pressure on both feet when squatting and pushing with both legs to start your upward motion, THEN popping. What I found was that when I would start my upward motion, it was done with ~80% back foot ~20% front foot in terms of weight distribution to start going upwards. Then you pop like normal. But doing that makes you shift backwards and your pop ends up being weak because there's no snappy tension on the board if that makes sense.....so now I go 50% each leg when pushing upwards before popping.

[Ok]

not the correct thread, at all, so my apologies.

i haven’t been skating/haven’t been watching the skate media.

who has the best flatground ollie? or the best street ollie?

there are obviously the hero’s of the past, legends of ollie, but i’m looking for the new ollie champ(s). i am consistently surprised at how the ollie is not as revered, and has not progressed as much as other tricks, over the last 30-40 years.

[Suangi]

Ah, by that I meant having pressure on both feet when squatting and pushing with both legs to start your upward motion, THEN popping. What I found was that when I would start my upward motion, it was done with ~80% back foot ~20% front foot in terms of weight distribution to start going upwards. Then you pop like normal. But doing that makes you shift backwards and your pop ends up being weak because there's no snappy tension on the board if that makes sense.....so now I go 50% each leg when pushing upwards before popping.

I think I get what you're saying and tbh it makes me realise something that I've done on good ollies and never really recognised until you said it. you need like a light feeling on your feet but also to be pressuring the board equally before you pop and jump. would you say it's like a light feeling and being on your toes because that's how I imagine it in my head?

[Hubba Bo-Tep]

Ah, by that I meant having pressure on both feet when squatting and pushing with both legs to start your upward motion, THEN popping.

Yep.  So you have your body travelling upwards, now to generate the actual pop (the tail hitting the ground and rebounding).  Is a powerful pop generated by how quickly and how high you lift your front knee, or how hard you push down with your back foot?

I started skating in the late 80's, and to me, ollies just looked like you kicked the back foot towards the ground and 'dragged the front foot up the board' so that's how I learned 'em and stuck with that method forever.  This is fucking exhausting to do, especially when you do it for every popped trick in the bag.

Being a lazy old bastard these days, I completely reworked my ollies in the past year, and now all power in the pop comes from lifting the front knee as quickly and high as possible while my back foot does nearly fuck all while the tail hits the ground and rebounds. 

This requires a fraction of the effort, I mean, raising your leg as you jump up is easy mode when compared to stomping down in the opposite direction that your body is travelling.  I wish I had known this back in the day, some homies had those effortless ollies, and I could never figure out how they did it.

[Willie]

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You can be landing a trick all day and still not "know" how to do it. There's always something to improve. There's always something you're doing wrong. There's always something to tweak.

It's the reason once in a blue moon, someone can suddenly bust out a perfect, steezy, effortless kickflip or whatever on accident (from random adjustments). A pro is slightly more athletic than most of us but it's nothing excessive. There is nothing stopping any of us from having a perfect Aimu kickflip RIGHT NOW except tiny tiny tweaks, timing, weight distribution, etc. You just have to find it.

I've seen Tyshawn ollie effortlessly over something I ollie over all the time, except the way he did it was unbelievably effortless and higher than I can. We're the same height and the thing isn't waist high or something. There's no reason I should be straining as much as I am when I jump the same obsticle. Fundamentally I'm doing something wrong and it's not enough that I can just do it every time. Time should be spent figuring that out...

[close]

When you ollie, do you think "stomp the back foot down" or "lift the front knee up"?

[close]

Lift front foot up and then jump off the back foot as high as you can is imo, a much more intuitive and efficient way of thinking about it rather than stomp down the back foot down as hard as you can

When I had a good ollie, this was all I did. That’s why I’ve always hated “Professor” Schmitt’s leverage talk. It’s basically entirely about your jump height. Certain setups might affect your technique or timing or rob you of a little efficiency but it essentially comes down to a jump.

[mongoswongofongo]

I'm constantly working on cues for my ollies including playing around with all the ones mentioned upthread. They're all common advice/focal points I see for pop in general.

I decided to try some systematic work with these on last night's session, and my highest success was with a mix of lifting the front foot and flicking the back. Not stomping because I have chronic rocket, so my limiting factor is always actually lifting the back foot enough. But being backseat and really trying to actually *POP* the back foot and lift is really my ticket to the best ollies/highest flip tricks I can do. More focus on back than front for me for w/e reason.

And my pop is still poop - I'm still riding the high of learning to 50/ollie up my local's 16in ledge, so I'll take what I can get. I know there's still a LONG way to go.

But it does solidify my previously mentioned 2 points because, well, skating and proprioception are weird.

Question: Where in the squat do you actually try to pop? Right when you start lifting, when your legs are basically straight up, or some specific point between? I really don't know what feels right for this.

Second question: I know setting up the front foot farther back will lead to higher pop. (As in, farther from front bolts.) But how high do you think a "standard" ollie should be able to go before you start doing that to get higher?

[rocklobster]

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You can be landing a trick all day and still not "know" how to do it. There's always something to improve. There's always something you're doing wrong. There's always something to tweak.

It's the reason once in a blue moon, someone can suddenly bust out a perfect, steezy, effortless kickflip or whatever on accident (from random adjustments). A pro is slightly more athletic than most of us but it's nothing excessive. There is nothing stopping any of us from having a perfect Aimu kickflip RIGHT NOW except tiny tiny tweaks, timing, weight distribution, etc. You just have to find it.

I've seen Tyshawn ollie effortlessly over something I ollie over all the time, except the way he did it was unbelievably effortless and higher than I can. We're the same height and the thing isn't waist high or something. There's no reason I should be straining as much as I am when I jump the same obsticle. Fundamentally I'm doing something wrong and it's not enough that I can just do it every time. Time should be spent figuring that out...

[close]

When you ollie, do you think "stomp the back foot down" or "lift the front knee up"?

[close]

Lift front foot up and then jump off the back foot as high as you can is imo, a much more intuitive and efficient way of thinking about it rather than stomp down the back foot down as hard as you can

[close]

This is LITERALLY what I've been trying to unlearn the past full year. This is the complete opposite of my mentality. You must jump off BOTH feet, not your back foot. Then your weight is shifted back and everything is fucked after that

I spent my session just thinking about jumping / popping off my back foot while lifting my front foot up and while there were a bunch of misses I was getting them more leveled and consistent, far better than they've been in my 20+ years of skating.

Was more aware of where my head and body were in relation to how I was jumping - if I wanted to get more height I needed to be more center over my rear truck without sticking my neck / butt out too far each way.

Regular ollies have always frustrated me - I have a decent bag of slide, grinds and flatground but my ollies have always been terrible. The thread turning in this direction is very welcome.

[JM]

To add on the higher Ollie’s: I’ve found this was a lot easy to do naturally in the late 90’s with thinner boards.

The more on the balls of your feet you are, the higher you’ll Ollie. It’s a lot easier on wider boards these days to jump “flat” footed, but if you scoot your front foot back heel side so your on the balls of your feet more (your pop foot should already be on the balls of your foot) , you’ll Ollie higher.