stupid gay backrolls

[Natman]

alrght need some pointers, i heard only take a 10-15 progressive cut....i always lose control right before i hit the wake, kind of like im duking myself out, but i never feel i can get the right cut for a backroll, yet i can take grabs to the flats, and big 3's.

[Natman]

a simple way to explain my backroll cut is basically i feel like when im almost at the wake my board is going to slip out from under me.

[LFADAM]

Natman, I might be misunderstanding you so please correct me or elaborate if necessary. Im a little confused. You can do 3s and grabs nice, but you almost fall on the cut of a backroll? I think your overthinking the backroll cut. Its nothing more than a slighty stronger than average progressive edge. You can really throw them a few ways. You could do a backroll with a 7-8 foot cut if you layed on edge and exploded off the wake. Thatd be a straight up-explode type backroll. On the other end of the spectrum, you could take a big 20-25 foot cut with a more subtle progressive edge and do a smoother, slower, and less explosive backroll. Most people do something in the middle. I usually take a slightly (very slightly) smaller cut than for grabs and 3s and use a slightly stronger progressive edge.

I feel like Im rambling a little, a video would help a lot

[goinbig143]

If the board slips out in front of you, you are not building the edge at the wake.(or flattening the board out at the wake)
If the board feels like it is slipping more to the side, you are starting your lean too early.

If your cut is rated on a scale of 1-10, 1 being no cut and 10 being the hardest edge, every backroll cut should start at 1 and end with 10. Your edge and line tension should be at its peak off the top of the wake. If you back off the edge as you reach the wake, you loose tension and pop. That means you are edging from 1 to 10 and back down to 6. that is no good.

I worked the kinks out of my backrolls by doing a couple wake to wake jumps with textbook form before a roll attempt.
If you find yourself backing off your edge on the approach, or the line tension slacks off before you hit the wake, fix it by starting your edge more slowly.... remember, 1-10, not 1-10 to 8. Once you can hit a couple wake to wakes with a good edge, repeat the same cut, look across the wake as you approach, build that edge, and when you feel the wake start to push you up, increase that edge, look up over your shoulder and get those hips up and forward. the wake will throw you up and around.
As long as you edge right and get the proper body position, the wake does the flipping for you.