spotting landings

zcashion · Criminal Joined: 02 Sep 2003 Posts: 70 City: Lake Lure

I finally landed my first backroll on the very last time i went out this past season. At my house i have a crappy boat for wakeboarding but as soon as i got to college i joined the wakeboard club and got to ride behind a new x-9 and landed it on my second try. I'm worried that i won't be able to do it still when i get back to my house...I almost always get the rotation down...often too much rotation...but i can't EVER land it for some reason. I keep hearing that i need to "spot my landing" but i can't really figure that out. Could anyone give me a step by step as to when to look for the landing and how to actually land?...thanks Smile

Bowen · Posted: Feb 11, 2005 6:57 pm Post subject:

Are your eyes open when you're doing it?...that was my problem...

zcashion · Criminal Joined: 02 Sep 2003 Posts: 70 City: Lake Lure

yea my eyes are open...umm...i think they are i just have trouble finding my landing because everything is moving so fast and i can't get a clear view ever

Rock'n'Roll · Newbie Joined: 01 Feb 2005 Posts: 5 City: Echuca

I have the same problem... I have never spotted a landing once yet have backrolls and 360's down... its just about your rotation i think, and how your body is when you land (not tilting).. youll be right just hack at it

alafiaboarder · Posted: Feb 16, 2005 3:13 pm Post subject:

a huge problem me and my friend had was that we were spinning our heads too far so we would have to land then bring them back to look forward, try not to use your head as much as people say, just picture the trick in your head and think of how it should look coming down. throw it and (keep your eyes open at all times), and just land it consecutively during a run or a few outtings, you will start to understand how it feels and you'll relax and start seeing where and how your landind... once u land a trick alot, you will understand how u see the water b4 u land... rock n roll, i dunno y u never spot, especially on 3's Rolling Eyes

oh. and u may think your eyes are open all the time but alot of times, you go for a trick and close them not knowing, make sure u see the spinning scenery Cool

Krashr31 · Outlaw Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Posts: 238 City: Florida

if you focus more on getting a good pop and flipping quickly you'll find you have more time to spot your landing. Spotting your landing always comes after landing most tricks for me. your body gets used to the trick and pretty soon the only thing you think about is the landing and not the trick. It becomes automatic. When you first learn a trick you get sensory overload, it will become more natural as you progress.

Like i said i would focus more on your pop and how you throw the trick. I say that you learn by feel first then by sight.

colefooter · Posted: Mar 05, 2005 12:39 pm Post subject:

When I do my backrolls the way i spot the landing is by just looking over my leading shoulder the whole time. This way when i come around I will be able to see the water and spot my landing. If your going so fast that you can't focus on anything because the rotation is too fast, try taking a shorter edge away from the wake and just pop the backroll higher but a little bit slower.

Wake_Turner · Outlaw Joined: 28 Feb 2004 Posts: 244 City: kelowna

Spotting your landing is really just being aware of where you are in the air and knowing where the water is at all times and being able to control your self in the air relative to the water. Basiclly u need to learn to control your rotation more based on the amount of tiem you have in the air. Chances are the X-9 had nothing to do with landing the trick. go out on a tramp and learn to control some backflips in different ways. you can trow a backfilp in a smooth rotation from start to finnish, or you can start it off with a slow rotation and then at the peak bring in your knees and speed up the rest of it. The point is that at all times you need to be aware of where you are in the rotation and where the tramp is at the same time. when doing a backroll you dont nessesarily have to physicallly see the landing as much as you need to know where it is. when you are directly upside down you have to be aware that the water is directly below your head. You also have to be aware of how much time you have in the air and control the speed of your rotation relative to the time in the air. If you are overrotaing it then you are throwing the trick too hard and not controling the rotation in tune with the time you have in the air. Learn to control your rotations more and improve your ariel awareness and spotting your landing will fall into place. physically seeing the water is maybe only 5% of acctually landing the trick.

Wicked Bite · Outlaw Joined: 18 Jan 2003 Posts: 115 City: Germantown

Amen,
Wake_Turner hit it right on the head.

numbfoot · Posted: Apr 09, 2005 9:09 pm Post subject:

i don't know if any more needs to be said, but i was having the same problem w/ backflips snowboarding. when u first learn them they're such a rush that all you see is a blur, and all of a sudden you hit ground. i eventually just learned to control myslef and stay calm enough to spot the ground.

RufioSwashbuckle · Posted: Apr 10, 2005 5:33 pm Post subject:

Wake_Turner, beautiful....... absolutely beautiful.