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csteezyare you talking about looking for your skis? i don't actually ever look at my skis when initiating a grab, you need to be in a controlled position upon takeoff and be able to predict where your skis are going to be. you shouldn't have time to think about it and look for the skis, just kind of do it
Frediboy94I was in your position a few years ago. This is how I learned how to grab my spins. I didn't eat too much shit during this progression, so I'd consider myself a sufficient authority in this area of expertise.
1) Learn to do the grabs you're planning on doing without thinking. This means that you just do straight airs and grab safety (for most people that's the easiest grab, hence the name) about 100 times.
2) Get comfortable with the spin. Gradually progress to bigger jumps that allow you to slow the spin down. If you're hucking your 3s, you're doing it wrong. On a 10 footer you should be able to just pop and fairly smoothly turn your shoulders and still get enough rotation. Doing it this way (rather than swinging your arms to set the spin) allows you to maintain balance and composure during the spin, as well as spot your landings better since your head will turn with your shoulders. This is essential especially when taking your fives to bigger jumps because you'll know exactly how much airtime you have left as soon as you've completed the first fifty percent of your rotation. Learning how to do spins the proper way will save you some pain in the future, I can guarantee you that.
Accept the fact that this will take time. Your air awareness increases a little every time you do a trick and eventually you'll notice that you are in control, you're calm and you can easily make adjustments to your spins whilst in the air. At this point you'll probably be in more of a crouched position while spinning, which gets rid of your pencil problem.
3) Once you can do both grabs and spins without thinking too much about them you can start combining them. Set the rotation properly, which means that you don't try to rush the grab. I usually go for the grab by the time I spot the takeoff because at that point I should be in perfect balance. Bring your skis to your hand, but do it calmly. There's no point in trying to forcefully get the grab during an upright spin because this will more than likely throw you off balance and lead to pain. Keep looking around your shoulder or you might stall the rotation out. Don't look for your skis with your eyes, at this point your muscle memory should tell you where your skis are. Otherwise you need to keep practicing the grab without rotation. If you don't get it the first times, just relax. You'll get it eventually. If I'm learning a new grab and fail to get it before about half the rotation is complete I usually just bail on it and finish as a regular spin.
About jump size: If you can do a controlled three on a jump it most definitely should be big enough to grab that same spin.
TL;DR: Get comfortable with each element of the trick separately and then combine them. Start with pencil spins, then calm, crouched spins and finally grabbed spins.
Or you know, just send it and hope for the best. That works out about 30% of the time and saves you some time.
Frediboy94I was in your position a few years ago. This is how I learned how to grab my spins. I didn't eat too much shit during this progression, so I'd consider myself a sufficient authority in this area of expertise.
1) Learn to do the grabs you're planning on doing without thinking. This means that you just do straight airs and grab safety (for most people that's the easiest grab, hence the name) about 100 times.
2) Get comfortable with the spin. Gradually progress to bigger jumps that allow you to slow the spin down. If you're hucking your 3s, you're doing it wrong. On a 10 footer you should be able to just pop and fairly smoothly turn your shoulders and still get enough rotation. Doing it this way (rather than swinging your arms to set the spin) allows you to maintain balance and composure during the spin, as well as spot your landings better since your head will turn with your shoulders. This is essential especially when taking your fives to bigger jumps because you'll know exactly how much airtime you have left as soon as you've completed the first fifty percent of your rotation. Learning how to do spins the proper way will save you some pain in the future, I can guarantee you that.
Accept the fact that this will take time. Your air awareness increases a little every time you do a trick and eventually you'll notice that you are in control, you're calm and you can easily make adjustments to your spins whilst in the air. At this point you'll probably be in more of a crouched position while spinning, which gets rid of your pencil problem.
3) Once you can do both grabs and spins without thinking too much about them you can start combining them. Set the rotation properly, which means that you don't try to rush the grab. I usually go for the grab by the time I spot the takeoff because at that point I should be in perfect balance. Bring your skis to your hand, but do it calmly. There's no point in trying to forcefully get the grab during an upright spin because this will more than likely throw you off balance and lead to pain. Keep looking around your shoulder or you might stall the rotation out. Don't look for your skis with your eyes, at this point your muscle memory should tell you where your skis are. Otherwise you need to keep practicing the grab without rotation. If you don't get it the first times, just relax. You'll get it eventually. If I'm learning a new grab and fail to get it before about half the rotation is complete I usually just bail on it and finish as a regular spin.
About jump size: If you can do a controlled three on a jump it most definitely should be big enough to grab that same spin.
TL;DR: Get comfortable with each element of the trick separately and then combine them. Start with pencil spins, then calm, crouched spins and finally grabbed spins.
Or you know, just send it and hope for the best. That works out about 30% of the time and saves you some time.
CorgyThanks man. Im not hucking my spin, I'm carving and trying slow the 3 down. I just feel like I cant slow or speed up the spin if I needed to very well. I will for sure be doing this when I can get to it, I got a bum shoulder at the moment.
Mr.BishopPop then set, and use your hip and shoulder instead of your arms.
Petar_DimanovIs this like a general "rule"? I get that with less motion you look more stylish but what if the jump isn't that big and you need to use your arms too for a faster spin (if that's what you are looking for)? I'm just being curious for new techniques as I am fairly new to freestyle.
https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/808509/My-first-540
I will use this topic to not spam with a new thread. This is my first 540 which I landed at the last run of the last season. I used not only my shoulders and hips but my arms too because the jump wasn't too big. Is that a problem? I doubt I could otherwise finish the spin in time if I didn't use my arms.
Mr.BishopYeah its definitely a technique thing. When I used to coach (and get coached) removing the spin rotation from your arms is critical for developing proper spinning. They actually don't make you spin faster, just more out of control. The entire set should be from hip and shoulder.
Good thing to try is you should be able to set a 360 off of flat ground not moving with just hips and shoulders. You don't have to keep your arms at your sides, you can still whip them - but don't whip with your arms use your hip and shoulder in one motion. The arms just lock and come with it for balance and a bit of extra rotational sauce.
I can see in that video you're throwing with your arms, and a bit too early. pop first, then set with hip and shoulders. Try that a few times and I think you'll be really surprised at how much better it works.
shin-bangbishop could i get a spin analysis real quick? also this is our only jump, so until they build it up another 10feet or so this is all i got. first 3 clips are from last year, with me really trying to work on my set, then the next two are from this year, of me just hucking and trying to get the 5. help? also help on landing switch?
https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/808551/http-i-suk
Mr.BishopYou need to work on your takeoff. It sounds really stupid that even after you can do tricks that you should go back and work on your takeoff... but dude it makes such a crazy difference. I remember back at High North hearing coaches talk to kids working on their cork 9's.... and saying "Lets try doing some straightairs with a proper takeoff."
Your takeoff is the foundation of your tricks. Steezy takeoffs like lazyboys, carves or appearing to not pop are all done well after you have mastered the art of the takeoff. Once you get the balance you can screw with it, but don't do it in the reverse order.
I can see you half popping and setting midway. As well, there's a bit too much arms in there. REALLY think about pop THEN set. Not pop set at the same time. Finish your pop completely and set with hip/shoulders in a perfect line. Just lock your arms in for balance.
Give this a try, I promise you (and anyone reading) that a really strong pop on takeoff is going to make a world of difference in your balance throughout any trick.
Get that perfect, then start fucking with takeoff down the road.
As for landing switch, half of your problem will be solved by the takeoff. When you do a pop, it puts you in control of the jump instead of the jump in control of you and you'll be much more on balance when you land.
Second half of working on switch landings - Bunny hill and Green runs. Start on the bunny hill and ride that shit top to bottom switch. I'm talking hop right into it off the landing ramp, and go into the lift line. Work up to greens, and master every single green at your mountain top to bottom. Move to blues after.
Can't ski switch, can't land switch.
shin-bangThanks mane. So work on more pop, less huck? So pop hard, wait as long as possible, then initiate spin? I can easily ski switch and turn both ways reasonably fluidly on blue runs and black, and am working on it with other runs that are cruddy. Also bombing down switch is super fun so I practice That quite a bit. I realise there only so much input you can give via the Internet, but thank you tons bish
Mr.BishopDon't wait to spin, just pop fully first before you spin. You should be spinning right afterwards.
Mr.BishopDon't wait to spin, just pop fully first before you spin. You should be spinning right afterwards.
shin-bangOk! I will work on this for sure. I can't thank you enough. Bishop is the real mvp
Mr.BishopYou need to work on your takeoff. It sounds really stupid that even after you can do tricks that you should go back and work on your takeoff... but dude it makes such a crazy difference. I remember back at High North hearing coaches talk to kids working on their cork 9's.... and saying "Lets try doing some straightairs with a proper takeoff."
Your takeoff is the foundation of your tricks. Steezy takeoffs like lazyboys, carves or appearing to not pop are all done well after you have mastered the art of the takeoff. Once you get the balance you can screw with it, but don't do it in the reverse order.
I can see you half popping and setting midway. As well, there's a bit too much arms in there. REALLY think about pop THEN set. Not pop set at the same time. Finish your pop completely and set with hip/shoulders in a perfect line. Just lock your arms in for balance.
Give this a try, I promise you (and anyone reading) that a really strong pop on takeoff is going to make a world of difference in your balance throughout any trick.
Get that perfect, then start fucking with takeoff down the road.
shin-bangbishop could i get a spin analysis real quick? also this is our only jump, so until they build it up another 10feet or so this is all i got. little off topic but where are you from?
Aharrelson358Gonna be totally honest, I don't understand what you mean by pop then set. How do you set your spin once you're already in the air after your pop or am I thinking about this wrong?
Mr.BishopI mean the motions will naturally blend together. If you try to immediately set after you pop - and be careful about doing it in that order - You'll naturally put a little bit of the set into the pop.... which in the end is what you're supposed to do. However, if you try to set before you pop, you won't finish your pop.
its all happening within a few tenths of a second anyway - but having your brain think about it in a different order is basically a coaching tool to get you to break bad habits.
Think about it as pop then set, your body will take care of the blending that needs to happen. Just don't let your brain think you need to pop and set at the same time because you'll set too early.
Aharrelson358Makes much more sense. I was trying to make them two distinctly different actions in my head. How do you pop and keep your axis vertical? I tend to land backseat to the point I can't land even with forcibly keeping my shins pressed to my tongues.
csteezyWhere are your knees at? Forward pressure is all well and good but your knees should be bent forward too
Aharrelson358Yeah I'd say I come in in an athletic stance with knees bent.
csteezyHmm.. And youd say consistently landing backseat is an issue? Random shot in the dark but where are your bindings mounted
Aharrelson358Dead center. Could I be setting parallel to the jump angle and not vertically? If so how should I think about setting?
Aharrelson358Makes much more sense. I was trying to make them two distinctly different actions in my head. How do you pop and keep your axis vertical? I tend to land backseat to the point I can't land even with forcibly keeping my shins pressed to my tongues.
Aharrelson358Yeah I'd say I come in in an athletic stance with knees bent.
CorgyI can now do 360s and 540s but i spin like a pencil. Im trying to learn grabs but can never find them. Should I be looking for them or feel for them? Also, if I'm doing this on a poppy 10 or 15ft jump, should I go bigger, I feel like I shouldn't look for them on a small jump? IM a little scared because I feel like I will over rotate on a bigger jump
MichelJustenA big part of going backseat is looking for you landing incorrectly. Keep your head in between your shoulders and don't look for the landing to early or you will go off access. There is so much good advice on take of in this thread as well
jcaJust keep practicing your take off. Ski around your mountain hitting every little (or big) bump/jump/cliff/cat track/roller and pop to the moon like a mother fucker. If you're comfortable with that, start doing some different grabs and 180's and 3's.
