Help With My Boys Backroll

stxr racer · Outlaw Joined: 20 Jun 2006 Posts: 179

Hey, hope you guys can help? I'm looking for some critique on form and any suggestions that will help my boy land his "first" backroll/invert. He has no problem throwing the trick but lets go the handle as soon as he spots the water. Not sure if the problem is line tension or just his reaction to brace for the landing. Thanks in advance.

brazosfreak05 · Newbie Joined: 26 Apr 2007 Posts: 35

Alot of tricks are just a matter of hanging on. This is one of them. When i was learning the back roll had to just tell myself to hang on the whole time and finally i landed it

michigan boarder · Soul Rider Joined: 03 Jun 2007 Posts: 333 City: MI

I completely agree with the post above. The backroll has a huge mental block to it because it's most people's first or second invert. There honestly isn't too much you can do to help him. It does look like he is letting go with one hand which makes his roll more mexican which in my opinion is more difficult to land smoothly. Since it looks like he has the rotation and pop down I would recommend telling him to concentrate on holding on really tight (with both hands) throughout the whole trick.

ky1e · Wakeboarder.com Freak Joined: 31 Mar 2008 Posts: 2693

brazosfreak05, its honestly a perfect backroll. He just needs to hold on!! An this is coming from an ex-wakeboard coach.

macknjack · Newbie Joined: 26 Aug 2008 Posts: 36 City: olympia

i wish i could get that far. didn't have much luck landing one this season. i agree with everyone else. looks good to me, just hang on.

wakeboardert_rav · Newbie Joined: 23 Nov 2008 Posts: 43

its acutally more dangerous to let go of the handle.. when i first started trying them i would huck the invert and not worry about the handle then once i got as good as your boy is doing then i really had to focus on squeezing the handle tight and i finally got my first backroll! let me tell you amazing feeling!

TYLER** · Outlaw Joined: 29 Aug 2004 Posts: 220 City: Baton Rouge LA

duct tape...or at least the threat

TYLER** · Outlaw Joined: 29 Aug 2004 Posts: 220 City: Baton Rouge LA

duct tape...or at least the threat

flounderbout · Outlaw Joined: 30 Sep 2006 Posts: 224 City: London

His form is great - he'll land the first one he holds onto the handle on. The trick to getting him to hold on is getting him to focus on soemthing else. Get him to concentrate on squeezing the handle tighter into his hip - really jamming it up against his hip at the wake. By focussing on the handle but not just holding on, hopefully he will stop worrying about it. As soon as he has got round more than half the rotation with the handle still in his hands, then the resdt will follow. The inclination to throw the handle only really happens in the early part of the rotation.
Good work for a grom though!

wake_quake · Posted: Dec 26, 2008 5:01 am Post subject:

my sister has been doing the EXACT same thing for 2 YEARS!
it is frustrating!
the best thing i have found is to move onto different tricks for a while (tantrums 3's etc) to take his mind off it.

scottiekarate17 · Criminal Joined: 07 Sep 2008 Posts: 53 City: ithaca

Tell him to keep both hands on the rope. I had a lot of trouble trying to late the back roll with one had. Also tell him to keep is hands close to his hips. It will feel werid but he'll get it.

wakedude83 · Posted: Mar 15, 2009 4:48 pm Post subject:

Here's the problem: I don't agree that it's perfect form. He is not pushing the board away from the boat off the wake and he should be. Instead, he is rolling is body towards his toes a little bit. Because of this, he has no idea where he is in the air either, which could be stopping him from committing. I absolutely promise you that this will help, but it is going to require some work to break his bad habit.

I know this is an old post but maybe he's still workin on it!

stxr racer · Outlaw Joined: 20 Jun 2006 Posts: 179

Thanks everyone, after a lot of fustration my boy decided to try a 1 wake TS backroll and nailed it first try. The next day he was taking them w2w, so stoked!! Now back to the backroll.......