10 SIMPLE SKATEBOARDING TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR SKILLS
- Get the Right Skateboard
- Get the Right Skate Shoes
- Wear a Helmet
- Learn to Fall Safely
- Set Realistic Goals
- Ask for Advice
- Dont Compare Yourself to Others
- Don’t Try to Impress Others
- Never Give Up
- Have Fun
Getting Back to The Basics
Are you that skater? You started trying ollies imiditally after buying a skateboard but didn’t even know how to push properly. It’s noob mistake number one and we are all guilty of it. Skipping the basics will catch up with you at some point.
If you skipped the basics you it will take long to progress. Yes, doing basic stuff such as learning how to ride your board doesn’t seem that appealing but it’s what helps you progress faster.
You should be able to feel how your skateboard feels and reacts when you lean and carve. If you don’t even know how to do a board flip, this post is for you.
Use Your Balance
The most important skill to progress in skateboarding is your balance.There are a few ways to improve your skateboarding balance. One way is to fill up an empty water bottle with more water put on your pads and balance on top with your deck. Remove the boards trucks and start leaning forward, backward, sideways etc.
After some balance practice pop some shuvits, ollies or whatever comes to mind. It may not be the most fashionable way to improve skills but it sure helps up your balance.
Build Up Slowly
If you feel like you’re not ready for whatever trick you are wanting to accomplish you’re moving way too fast. Tricks can be accomplished by slowly building up to them. For example a drop-in, you don’t have commit right away to. Push a mini ramp and once your near to the coping give your tail a little tap. You can even start without having the coping anywhere in sight.
Are you afraid to put both feet when trying to learn a kickflip? Then just land it on one foot, Give it a couple of times with your front foot and then with your back foot. At some point just commit and nail it.
Its Fine to Step Back and Observe
If you trying something over and over again and you can not make it happen, then move on. At any given time, you’ll get frustrated and only be making it harder for yourself. Sometimes your brain and muscles have to let things soak in and catch up. When you try it again the next day you somehow manage to accomplish what you had been trying the day before.
Strange but this really works in most cases. Move on to what you are good at and start back to that new trick you’re trying later on. Stepping back is a great way to learn new tricks!
Practice Your Switch Stance
Its important learn how to ride switch. It feels unnatural but it’s satisfying to pop a good nollie, even if it’s just that. Once you figure out how to ride switch stance correctly you can combine all of your tricks and show off. Don’t sweat it if its to difficult, switch is not immediately for everyone, let it come naturally. Maybe you’re not ready just yet, try some fakie stuff and keep practicing until you feel like you can accomplish a switch stance.
Watch Some Videos For Inspiration
If watching skateboard videos isn’t a great motivator to get you stoked I don’t know what is. Videos help you to hammer those tricks down. You may feel like you can’t get that kick flip jut right, but maybe you’re just not positioning your feet properly on the board. Using the correct stance and techniques will make all the difference.
In the era of internet you will have tones of different videos to watch. If you have an old VHS player you may be able to study some of the classics before the age of YouTube.
Go to The Gym
Skateboarding requires balance and core strength. You dont need to go to the gym everyday but do need to exercise in order to increase your core strength. This will make you stronger and your cardio better, you are also less likely to get injured. Skateboarding is tough on your body and you need to be able to deal with the blows.
You can also work out at home to increase your core strength with basic exercises. This will help you skate longer and with more accuracy. Just Google or Bing it for some core training and do it for about 30 minutes every other day.