Keeping your eyes open...

goofyboy · Posted: Mar 27, 2006 7:35 am Post subject: Keeping your eyes open...

due to many many crashes and having poor air awarness, i have a really bad habit of closing my eyes when i attempt flips. any ideas (other than taping them open) on how to correct this??

jason2454 · Outlaw Joined: 18 Feb 2005 Posts: 240 City: austin

i used to do this... just takes concentration. Dont forget to do your flip though while concentrating on keeping your eyes open though. Once you do it a few times you will realize keeping your eyes open helps a lot and it will start to become natural.

marcuskg · Posted: Mar 27, 2006 9:52 am Post subject:

goofyboy, Go on a trampoline and practice on there, it also helps to keep them open when spotting your landing Wink

Yeah also what jason2454 said, concentrate on it, but not too much so your invert is crappy Very Happy

bradmo42 · Criminal Joined: 10 Jan 2006 Posts: 50 City: Houston

ive had the same problem recently, you cant land anything because you arent ready for it. i guess i just need to concentrate a little more

Liquidmx · Addict Joined: 26 Jul 2004 Posts: 755 City: San Jose

Something we play with when we ride doubles:

Ride doubles, pick the easiest invert for you and have your buddy do the same. Situate the person you are riding with so you could see them upside down, ( for tantrum it would be outside wake on ts/passenger side) (without hitting them). Then perform your flip while your buddy holds up a certain number of fingers, or whatever. Messing around riding doubles with stuff like this helps a bunch for airial awareness.

Thomas P. · Addict Joined: 16 Feb 2003 Posts: 717

practice. the more you are familiar with the rotataion, you will be able to see that much more of it. this goes for just about every trick in wakeboarding: spins, inverts, and raleys.

LFADAM · Posted: Mar 27, 2006 1:58 pm Post subject:

Liquidmx, good idea. I dont even know if I have this problem. I know I keep them open for grabs, 180s, and invert (attempts), but I really dont know if I close them on 3s. Going through them in my head I cant think of what the trick looks like when Im doing it from like 1/4 to 3/4 done. I know my eyes are open for the take off and the pass/landing but Im not sure about the middle. Maybe Im just too focused on the pass/landing to realize my eyes are open. Ill have to pay attention next time.

Liquidmx · Addict Joined: 26 Jul 2004 Posts: 755 City: San Jose

I agree LFADAM, most of the time its more timing for me than "vision". I feel like if I was actually able to look around even more that my riding could really progess. A perfect example of this is watching Black list. Erik Ruck does a raley type manuver/fall over the rail gap and is open eyed and calm the whole time. He is able to take a very serious fall that could result in MAJOR injury to a "mellower" fall that doesnt look that bad.

howabouttheiris · Addict Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 677 City: Austin, TX

One thing that helped me.....

Assuming you board where there is lots of water, practice diving backwards into the water (or flipping in). Keep your eyes open until you see the water coming..... It will train your eyes to see the water and recognize your angle to it.

Liquidmx · Addict Joined: 26 Jul 2004 Posts: 755 City: San Jose

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ I will have to try that, thanks for the tip

goofyboy · Posted: Mar 29, 2006 12:32 pm Post subject:

thanx for the advice. I will work on it more when i go out this weekend.

Liquidmx · Addict Joined: 26 Jul 2004 Posts: 755 City: San Jose

Ohh one more quick one. If you have a trampoline or access to one, try doing your spins, inverts or whater while someone throws a SOFT type of ball for you to catch, mid trick. This is obviously don without the handle but is a fun game. Also have them stand at the horizon line and low at the water line.

kevthayer · Outlaw Joined: 12 Sep 2005 Posts: 231 City: Benicia

I didnt have a problem closing my eyes but I did have a problem landing my 3's becasue my head and eyes werent focused on anything, I kept over rotating and landing crooked. I had a private lesson and the guy was trying to tell me all of these things to do, no matter what I tried I kept over rotating. Then on like my thirtieth try he told me to begin my rotation and as quick as I can get my head around and try to focus on the tow point on the tower. First try I nailed it. I have since broken concentration, lost the tower and every time will over rotate. Something about the concentration and fixed eye position that causes the body to stop where the head stops. May not apply to flips but give it a shot.

typeRider · Criminal Joined: 02 Jun 2003 Posts: 99 City: austin

i agree trampolines help alot with keeping your eyes open. its a natural reaction for most people to flinch or close their eyes when they have even the slightest notion they are gonna eat it or when attempting new spins/inverts. just think about keeping them open before you start your cut in and keep it in the back of ur mind as u do the move. it'll work keep trying.

Liquidmx · Addict Joined: 26 Jul 2004 Posts: 755 City: San Jose

Try putting a custom sticker on your board that says OPEN YOUR EYES!!!