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Great content, as a new skater at 38, I am actually progressing better now (4 weeks skating as opposed to 4+ years) then when I was 14-20 years old and I think that is all because I'm paying attention to my squat, my feet and my shoulders. those three things were never a thought when I skated as a youth. I have also noticed most new skaters at the skate park, both young and old, don't pay attention to those things either and just giving those tips to the young ones will improve them in one day. Norman Woods has a cool series called Rookie mistakes that is very helpful too.
I see/hear people all the time talk about needing to bend more at the knees. It is usually my go-to solution if I’m having a skate related issue. The ‘hinge’ is frequently what I see with other adult novices like me when they are trying to get ‘low’ and is something I’ve been working on ✌️😊
Right? The body sometimes has a mind of its own. I say squat and it says "how about a hinge?" 😂 Definitely high on my list of stuff to work through too! 😃
This is good advice. I'm pretty sure I was doing that and it is like a weird tunnel vision on the board and your feet so my head position is too far out. I just started working on it when I had a snappy pop in the left knee. 5 months out yesterday though so I'll be back in another month or two. Still trying to master walking downstairs normal instead of one at a time though lol
Yep, gotta get those glutes firing and active for good jumps! I find it helpful to translate "get low" or "bend your knees" into the verbal cue "Butt low (not head low)."
I’ve been skating for probably 20 years and I learn something every time I watch your videos. You have excellent observation skills. Keep up the good work!
I’m skating again at 34 after a knee injury. Building my strength back now is crucial. Never worried about squatting technique before, now it’s so much more important.
i heard a whole video on skateboard squats from another place lately. it was amazing. glad i found this one as well. i never even thought about squatting i just did it as i needed to based on the trick. glad this info is going public. the best squat is when your knees get to 90 degrees and beyond. i want to learn it better without feeling like my knee caps arent going to explode out the front of my legs LOL.
Yes, such a good video and advice. I'm terrible with this technique. It comes down to "jump with your legs, not with your back". I jump almost exclusively with my back and all it does is hurts for days after a skate session.
I really liked how you figured things out and explained your thought process around learning skateboarding. Good at skateboarding vs good at explaining how to skateboard are two different skills. You are mastering both. Thanks!
I have the worst problem with squatting. I am as stiff as a board. The thing I do to make sure I squat good. is for my warmup, I cruise around but in very squatted position. Doing a frontside carves squatted down with my knee tucked in has helped me tremendously. I want the deep squat not for jumping up stuff but for landing stuff. I want to be able to squat down comfortably and absorb impact. Warming up by skating like I am from the 1970s all low and carvy has helped me
I do the same thing! It helps with landing so much knowing you have board control when in "primal squat". Plus its fun as hell when you bend the back knee in and relax while cruising a mellow hill.
I came here from Mike Osterman’s video on 3 tricks to learn before Ollies… this is only the second video I’ve watched from you and I really appreciate how you get down to the technicality of everything as well as breaking the learning down into different phases. Greatly appreciate the inclusion of timelines and explaining more about may influence your style and/or what you want to learn when you’re skating. It’s a more realistic approach about different people’s journey on the skateboard. Thanks so much for your time and passion to teach and share on this!
ah, thank you so much. I really appreciate that. The more I make these, the more I want to emphasize exactly that--how we can take tips and skills and make them ours for our version of skating. So, this means a lot! 🙏
Hi Sarah, This video is very helpful right now. Completely new to skating at 52 and want to do longboard. I figured squats would be essential, so I looked it up on You Tube. Well explained and looking forward to progressing as a newbie. I will b e sure to follow your channel.
This channel along with Braille has helped me so much (this channel much more with freestyle stuff) I'm landing stuff like fingerflips and pop shuvs regularly and heelflips irregularly lol. It's the small details that help so much. Keep the awesome vids coming plz 🤟
By practicing standing on one leg while riding (both stances), I have drastically increased my squatting and, hence, “pop.” As you previously indicated, proper squatting requires the correct balance and by intentionally practicing this, I feel like you get it quicker.
Another fantastic video Sarah! Keep these going! I have also been practicing jumps from full squats in the gym. I notice when I focus on jumping, my squat form changes, so what I've been doing is 1-2 regular full squats, then a jump on the next squat just to help keep everything consistent. It's really been helping my jumps feel powerful. And of course timing your arms with the jump as per your last video helps a lot too. Something that might be worth exploring that I would love to hear your thoughts on is how to "hover" in the air. I thought if I just improve my jump it would naturally become more "floaty" but that hasn't really been the case so far. I jump off the box at the gym and focus on keeping my knees up and not straightening my legs before I hit the ground, but this hasn't really transferred over to skating. I am getting really close to landing my first flips but even when my technique seems to "click" for an attempt, I land on my board while its upside down. My friends say to hover until you see the grip but that's easier said than done. Would love to hear your take!
ah that's awesome! And I know exactly what hover you're talking about. I did a lot of knee tuck jumps early on when working on that hover. If you enjoy the gym, hip flexor and core work might be a good supplement, since they hold the knees up like that. Knee/leg lifts, etc I also discovered you can "flap" your arms down during the jump to get the legs up higher--actually to do a bit of the clamshell I talk about here..but in the air. A viewer actually pointed it out to me. Almost like a bird flaps it's wings, pushing your hands down during the second half of the jump to help get the feet up. Landing on the board upside down is awesome! I used to do that too. As long as my feet stayed over the board for one mentally committed attempt in a session, I was happy. The fact you said it "clicks" on some tries would make me think that it's just a matter of practice. Just doing something over and over and over again until the "click" moment becomes an understood habit. I can say for example...it was so hard to get both feet up and keep them there for a kickflip, but three years later when I started practicing heelflips more this spring, it's not been a problem for me. There is a bit of fear sometimes, but I can keep my feet up skills-wise. It's just a matter of practicing that for hours and hours to make it stick 💪 you got it! Also, any time I change or add variables, things tend to fall apart a little. For example back with the kickflip, I could either flip the board or keep my feet up. So, I'd practice a bit of both. Focus on the flip, then focus on keeping the feet up. Then give a few shots tying them together. Eventually, you'll get good enough at both that mixing these little skills gets easier and easier! 😂
After 13 years of skating on a pretty good level i think i learned something new and really important. As an example when i'm skating the ledge on my local park it usually feels easy and i can do tricks like bs tails without thinking about it. But on some days it feels too tall and like i cant get up to it. It still works but it feels harder, requires way more effort and it feels like i dont have the balance i usually have. Your video made me realise that i'm not really squatting on some days, just hingeing. Especially when i'm a little scared of a trick. Thank you so much. Cant wait to work on it!
ah, I'm really glad to hear that you got something out of the video. And I can completely see that! I have definitely seen my legs straighten out when trying new tricks or scary tricks. That makes a lot of sense! Stoked you think that might help you! 💪
Thank you!! This video helped me improve consistency and confidence with a **whole bunch** of tricks **all at once**. Before, jumping from a hinge, my shoulders/core would often take off in a random direction. (Out of balance, and sending the board the other way.) Squatting properly allows me focus on keeping my shoulders right over the bolts and coming straight up with control. 🙂🙂🙂
Good to hear your take on this! With my athletic background, competing in skiing/rowing through school and working as a ski instructor for many years afterward, I will say training full range of motion is a key part of success in most cases. Not doing so would be like sharpening only the tip of a knife, thinking it would be fine because one only does light cooking. One may start out with a dull knife, requiring a lot of work to sharpen even an inch of the blade. Or maybe seeing professional chefs only using only the tip to do fancy stuff left a strong impression. But later on, this obviously will result in runnining into a bigger ingredient to cut into, and the knife failing completely. Going back to the sharpening process at that point would obviously be... Less than ideal, especially with guests waiting for a meal. (The guests representing your anxiety to skate well, maybe) I must also say it's even more crucial in pop tricks because we don't get to use the top portion of the jumping motion at all, meaning we have to finish most of the jumping before then. Small squats and its limited ranged of motion mean the room for error would be even smaller, especially for the pop/flick timing and such.
That’s such a great analogy! As soon as I got into lifting this year, I was really enthusiastic about working the full range of motion. To be strong throughout and not at part. That knife a analogy is great though! Will definitely remember that.
This might've just solved a lot of my issues - I thought I was squatting pretty deeply, but after watching the footage back I now realise I was just bending over, much like you described here. Glad I checked this video out!
I suggest filming yourself. I thought I was bending by the knees, until I took a peek. It takes more strength, but I ride with more confidence. And it's fun.
I sit in a squat throughout the day and I also hang from a pull-up bar. This is key to my skateboarding. If you can sit in a deep squat for 2 minutes or more comfortably... your knees, hips, and ankles will thank you and your skating will improve tremendously. That said... check out Ido Portal's 30/30 squat challenge. Keep it up.
I don't do pop tricks as much as used to as I do more old school step off/grab/slappy wallie type tricks. I still have the muscle memory for my pop tricks but forgot about bending lower for height and success in landing the tricks. I want to get back more into doing my pop tricks so this was very helpful. Glad I watched the video till the credits...back biggie attempt to almost landing whaaaaat...That came outa left field:)
Ah! Stoked you got something from the video 😃 and yes! That was the first time I got my back foot to even touch the board. I was so happy haha back bigspins are one of my dream tricks!
I am an older skater and do not have the flex or muscle I use to have. I have noticed that I use Skating as a way to gain flex and strength. Also my gut gets in my way so I use skating to hopefully reduce my gut. The deep squat position came up in youtube video I saw. Don't know if true but they explained that the length of your tendons play a big role here. Also the hinge point you made hits home as I have been trying to do air outs and a straight back with my squat makes a big difference in being able to bring my knees up to my chest and help land the air out. Thanks
I want to do a greyslide.....I'm squatting every morning and it's helping loads.....by the way.... I'm 48 and been skating 3 years....its changed my life
This is exactly what I've been trying to fix with my rolling ollies. While I've always worked out and have done squats and plyometrics, doing it on a rolling piece of wood is so different. But I've been finding that squatting and keeping my head and upper body over the board rather than hinging and leaning more forward have helped. Much more practice needed though in terms of getting better pop, the front foot, and of course height. It really is tough when you're an older beginner skater... Our bodies are so set in their ways.
@@SarahParkMatott Thanks so much for the kind words! I had been getting really frustrated, but I'm reminding myself to be patient. Your freestyle tricks have really been coming along and look so great! I love seeing your progression. I need to revisit some of the freestyle stuff I was working on!
@@kapture520 the ollie is so tough for that exact reason. The months and months of what feel like little progress. You’re killing it though! I always recommend taking a little break and playing with other stuff 😃 helps us reset I think! and thank you! I’ve been having a ton of fun freestyling
@@SarahParkMatott to be honest, in the beginning I wasn't too focused on ollies and worked more on shoves, no complies, and some freestyle tricks. Only recently have I really been spending more of my sessions practicing them. But yes, a break, even a day or two, definitely helps reset the mind and body. Keep doing what you do!! I always look forward to your posts!
I completely vibe with the full squat throwing off everything. I can do it while stationary, but rolling will mess me up. About the squat culture, I guess that makes sense as to why Japanese skaters are insane
Long femur gang rise up. Just note that your torso will be naturally be angled due to your leverages. Don't try to chase the short-femur gang upright position.
I’m 29 and 6’8 started skated a few months ago( I can ollie, shuvit, fs 180 ride off big boxes, and a few other things) one of my biggest issues is being able to jump from a deep squat. I played basketball my whole life and I always told to not squat too low when I jump so I don’t bring the ball down it’s a tough habit to break 😢
ah no kidding! I can definitely see that being some tough muscle memory to overcome! If you want to get a deeper squat though, I'm sure you'll be able to work through it 💪
@@SarahParkMatott thanks for the encouragement Sarah, your videos have helped me a ton in my journey so far. I fully attribute you teaching me power sliding and reverts. Without people like you on UA-cam learning to skateboard would be way more frustrating
Sarah is such a great skater. I love her skate style, she is also such an amazing teacher. I wish she did more bowl skating. Did she get sponsored by braille or Mode? Who is she sponsored by?
ahh thank you! I sponsor myself 😃 lol I do wish I could skate some more transition. Hopefully next year I'll be able to find some small transition to start with. Everything around me is just too intimidating to even begin unfortunately.
i feel like there's a perfect timing from the moment you drop your weight for a squat to when you rise for the jump. If i do it all in one motion it feels easier when rising, opposed to squatting way before im even going to ollie, or whatever trick. Even when doing no complies i started doing this squat and rise motion and actually getting air on 180 no complies lololol.
Ah…I think there is actually some science to back that up. I kept hearing about elasticity when looking into jumps and how when you get that timing right, there is an extra elastic help?? Basically some extra snap in the jump. But, when you get down into a squat and pause before jumping back up, you lose that elasticity and it requires more strength to jump up in comparison. I’m not sure on all the accuracy of that of course! But, I definitely can feel it anecdotally as well. So, I think that’s pretty cool you felt that as well!
I'm sure it can assist to build up base strength and mobility in that position. You definitely want to be comfortable in that position if you want to jump into it 😃 However, exploding up (jumping) and compressing down (landing) are different. I've also started trying to land more compressed when jumping too. So, I've trained them in combination. Jumping up from a deep squat and trying to land back into the deep squat by compressing and bending at the knees over say...curving my back.
Great stuff, and the exercises look great! However, I've always been of the persuasion that a little squatting goes a long way. You're not trying to get your head up high in the air, like when you're trying to head an incoming soccer ball, but mainly trying to snap the tail and suck your feet up high at the same time: the 'jump' is more like a quick implosion using your core muscles, as when jumping onto a box, than that you're really trying to push off the ground - a muffled or 'ghost' pop is mainly caused by the foot actually making contact with the ground, when you should effectively be starting to shift your weight upwards while or even before hitting the tail. But again, it all depends on what works for you. I'd like to see you give ollie norths (or as old heads like me call 'em, one-foot ollies) a try. I'm sure you got those easy with your ollies, but I've found they really give you a good sense of the optimal back foot pop/front foot push ratio for regular ollies as well. Greetings as always, Sarah!
ah that's a great point! I've been thinking about that too--the difference when jumping up onto a box and in skateboarding. That compression you talk about. I used to think I just needed to bring my knees up enough like in a knee tuck jump--which definitely helped compared to not lifting my knees, but I've been seeing more and more how less extension on the top and more compression like you said could help. And in part trying to use that to control how close my pop/scoop foot stays to the ground. It was actually FS shove its that have really gotten me into this new mindset. But, I'm still figuring that out myself. Trying to get the muscles to listen is a struggle haha 😃 but I do think that getting more strength on the deeper side of my squat will help me get the power though, which I have always lacked! I've done one ollie north! But you're right, that might be a fun trick to tie-in to ollies! That'd be fun to work on and try out 💪 I'm going to write that down haha Always enjoy reading your thoughts Arno! Thanks 😃
@@SarahParkMatott Can't go wrong getting strong, they say. And theory is just that. There's a guy on UA-cam who pretty much drags his knuckles on the ground before he pops, but then he could really ollie over my grandma. For me, what works is trying to get 'weightless' for a second, rather than actually trying to lift off from the ground, if that makes any sense. But maybe that's just because that's how I've done it for most of my skating life. Thank YOU for the great content, you're one of like 4 UA-cam skaters I actually find sympathetic and not annoying lol
@@ariekanibalie Sure. The whole de-weighting idea is super interesting. So, that makes a lot of sense. How we can try to feel weightless for a moment! 💪And thank you 😂 I'm really glad you've enjoyed it and have been here for the discussions! Certainly wish I could film more. Endless stuff to talk and think about!
4:29 now that I see you're also wearing Vivos, I'm actually kinda curious if you have some tricks for adjusting to skate shoes? I like to wear Vivos or similar minimalist shoes most of the time, and switching to more skate-appropriate shoes was kinda hard. I now stick to Vans, since they have a slightly bigger toe box than most sneakers, but are there better alternatives for minimalist-friendly skate shoes? (preferrably vegan, I'm sorry I am that guy™)
Ah, interesting question! First of all, I've found all my skate shoes to get much more flexible over time. So, I've started wearing them out and around before skating in them. Just to get them pre-worn in because I love the extra flex of worn in shoes. But, when I think similar to vivos, I immediately assume thin, flexible sole and wider toebox. (Sorry in advance if I over explain too). In that case, I'd recommend looking first and foremost at vulcanized (vulc) shoes (like vans). The soles are often softer and more flexible than cupsoles. And then I'd actually recommend being careful when trying any corporate brands like Nike, New Balance etc. In my own experience, and from what I've heard and seen, they tend to have much narrower toe-boxes. So, I'd definitely check reviews on them first to gauge that. As far as shoes I've had good luck with toebox-wise, Cariuma and Etnies. Etnies have a vegan option among their singleton vulc xlt and joslin vulc shoes. I'm wearing in the singleton right now and like them. Cariuma also has a nice wide toebox compared to other shoes I've skated and offer a really nice vegan shoe. I need a wide-toebox myself, so I know the pain of buying shoes that don't fit. Hope something in there is useful 😃
@@SarahParkMatott oh this is exactly what I had hoped for! I like the style of Etnies, just never gotten around trying them on. Never heard of Cariuma, might check them out as well! Thank you! Continue making great content 😊
@@SaintOfSwords ah glad to hear that! If you have a local skate shop that sells shoes, it's always great to go there too. You can try them on. Shops don't carry my size usually, so I'm always guessing and hoping. But, I wish I could! haha Hope you find a pair you like!
I have developed really horrible patella tendonitis in both knees from this hinge squat issue, trying to rehabilitate it at home and correct my squat but I feel crippled! worried I will never be able to skate again :( I just want to be able to hop on my board and ollie up a curb again pain free, I don't plan on jumping down huge stairs again but, I really would like to be able to skate comfortably again. I'm only 28 but, feel like I've ruined my knees for good, does anyone have any good information or help/hope? Currently following KoT guy and all that but, I cant even do most of those exercises due to pain. I mainly do spanish squats and nordic curls and poliquin steps etc, but the progress is just not showing.
Ahh sorry to hear that! If at all possible, I think that sounds serious enough to warrant looking into physical therapy (if you haven’t already). I think there is definitely hope though. I had to get physical therapy at 19 for chronic knee pain to find out the issue had been in my hamstrings the whole time. Not my knees. And I hurt my knees again skating myself. Once two years ago and and again recently. The first one took about a year to heal and this one is looking to be a similarly slow process. Though, I got some exercises from a physical therapist this time around and am sticking to it without going beyond it either. Just the exact reps and sets. But, I definitely think there is hope 💪
Ah! They are. These are probably my favorite pants. I wish I bought more! I just found them at Target. Part of the levi denizen collection I think. In the men’s section. They are the best 😃
So how do I keep my pants from splittin open at the back end when I'm doing my skate squats? 😅 For real, what brands are out there to keep my butt from busting out? SOMEBODY HELP!!
Great content, as a new skater at 38, I am actually progressing better now (4 weeks skating as opposed to 4+ years) then when I was 14-20 years old and I think that is all because I'm paying attention to my squat, my feet and my shoulders. those three things were never a thought when I skated as a youth. I have also noticed most new skaters at the skate park, both young and old, don't pay attention to those things either and just giving those tips to the young ones will improve them in one day. Norman Woods has a cool series called Rookie mistakes that is very helpful too.
Ah thank you! I'm stoked to hear that you've been getting some good progression this time around 💪
I see/hear people all the time talk about needing to bend more at the knees. It is usually my go-to solution if I’m having a skate related issue. The ‘hinge’ is frequently what I see with other adult novices like me when they are trying to get ‘low’ and is something I’ve been working on ✌️😊
Right? The body sometimes has a mind of its own. I say squat and it says "how about a hinge?" 😂 Definitely high on my list of stuff to work through too! 😃
This is good advice. I'm pretty sure I was doing that and it is like a weird tunnel vision on the board and your feet so my head position is too far out. I just started working on it when I had a snappy pop in the left knee. 5 months out yesterday though so I'll be back in another month or two. Still trying to master walking downstairs normal instead of one at a time though lol
Yep, gotta get those glutes firing and active for good jumps! I find it helpful to translate "get low" or "bend your knees" into the verbal cue "Butt low (not head low)."
I’ve been skating for probably 20 years and I learn something every time I watch your videos. You have excellent observation skills. Keep up the good work!
I’m skating again at 34 after a knee injury. Building my strength back now is crucial. Never worried about squatting technique before, now it’s so much more important.
I had this problem in parkour. I would land and hinge instead of squat, so I took a lot more stress on my lower back
dude good for you for getting stronger. i wish more skaters wouldlearn.
i heard a whole video on skateboard squats from another place lately. it was amazing. glad i found this one as well. i never even thought about squatting i just did it as i needed to based on the trick. glad this info is going public. the best squat is when your knees get to 90 degrees and beyond. i want to learn it better without feeling like my knee caps arent going to explode out the front of my legs LOL.
Yes, such a good video and advice. I'm terrible with this technique. It comes down to "jump with your legs, not with your back". I jump almost exclusively with my back and all it does is hurts for days after a skate session.
I really liked how you figured things out and explained your thought process around learning skateboarding. Good at skateboarding vs good at explaining how to skateboard are two different skills. You are mastering both. Thanks!
ah, I appreciate that! Thank you so much 🙏
I have the worst problem with squatting. I am as stiff as a board. The thing I do to make sure I squat good. is for my warmup, I cruise around but in very squatted position. Doing a frontside carves squatted down with my knee tucked in has helped me tremendously. I want the deep squat not for jumping up stuff but for landing stuff. I want to be able to squat down comfortably and absorb impact. Warming up by skating like I am from the 1970s all low and carvy has helped me
I do the same thing! It helps with landing so much knowing you have board control when in "primal squat". Plus its fun as hell when you bend the back knee in and relax while cruising a mellow hill.
I came here from Mike Osterman’s video on 3 tricks to learn before Ollies… this is only the second video I’ve watched from you and I really appreciate how you get down to the technicality of everything as well as breaking the learning down into different phases. Greatly appreciate the inclusion of timelines and explaining more about may influence your style and/or what you want to learn when you’re skating. It’s a more realistic approach about different people’s journey on the skateboard. Thanks so much for your time and passion to teach and share on this!
ah, thank you so much. I really appreciate that. The more I make these, the more I want to emphasize exactly that--how we can take tips and skills and make them ours for our version of skating. So, this means a lot! 🙏
This is definitely something i struggle with and need to improve to reach the next level of my skating skills. Thank you so much for this.
i had a really bad session today and you have describe perfectly my issues (and bring a lot of solutions) so thanks for this!
Hi Sarah, This video is very helpful right now. Completely new to skating at 52 and want to do longboard. I figured squats would be essential, so I looked it up on You Tube. Well
explained and looking forward to progressing as a newbie. I will b e sure to follow your channel.
This channel along with Braille has helped me so much (this channel much more with freestyle stuff) I'm landing stuff like fingerflips and pop shuvs regularly and heelflips irregularly lol. It's the small details that help so much. Keep the awesome vids coming plz 🤟
That's the part I enjoy--looking at the small details. So, always happy to hear it's helpful!
By practicing standing on one leg while riding (both stances), I have drastically increased my squatting and, hence, “pop.” As you previously indicated, proper squatting requires the correct balance and by intentionally practicing this, I feel like you get it quicker.
You got that big spin Sarah! Good video, its definitely key especially in taller skaters.
Ahh thanks Luke! That was the first time my back foot touched the board again 😂 was stoked! And happy you liked the video 😃
Another fantastic video Sarah! Keep these going!
I have also been practicing jumps from full squats in the gym. I notice when I focus on jumping, my squat form changes, so what I've been doing is 1-2 regular full squats, then a jump on the next squat just to help keep everything consistent. It's really been helping my jumps feel powerful. And of course timing your arms with the jump as per your last video helps a lot too.
Something that might be worth exploring that I would love to hear your thoughts on is how to "hover" in the air. I thought if I just improve my jump it would naturally become more "floaty" but that hasn't really been the case so far. I jump off the box at the gym and focus on keeping my knees up and not straightening my legs before I hit the ground, but this hasn't really transferred over to skating. I am getting really close to landing my first flips but even when my technique seems to "click" for an attempt, I land on my board while its upside down. My friends say to hover until you see the grip but that's easier said than done.
Would love to hear your take!
ah that's awesome! And I know exactly what hover you're talking about. I did a lot of knee tuck jumps early on when working on that hover. If you enjoy the gym, hip flexor and core work might be a good supplement, since they hold the knees up like that. Knee/leg lifts, etc
I also discovered you can "flap" your arms down during the jump to get the legs up higher--actually to do a bit of the clamshell I talk about here..but in the air. A viewer actually pointed it out to me. Almost like a bird flaps it's wings, pushing your hands down during the second half of the jump to help get the feet up.
Landing on the board upside down is awesome! I used to do that too. As long as my feet stayed over the board for one mentally committed attempt in a session, I was happy. The fact you said it "clicks" on some tries would make me think that it's just a matter of practice. Just doing something over and over and over again until the "click" moment becomes an understood habit. I can say for example...it was so hard to get both feet up and keep them there for a kickflip, but three years later when I started practicing heelflips more this spring, it's not been a problem for me. There is a bit of fear sometimes, but I can keep my feet up skills-wise. It's just a matter of practicing that for hours and hours to make it stick 💪 you got it!
Also, any time I change or add variables, things tend to fall apart a little. For example back with the kickflip, I could either flip the board or keep my feet up. So, I'd practice a bit of both. Focus on the flip, then focus on keeping the feet up. Then give a few shots tying them together. Eventually, you'll get good enough at both that mixing these little skills gets easier and easier! 😂
great advice!
super helpful, rock on!
That final trick 💪💪💪
Agree with you on this so much! Squatting is hard for me too
After 13 years of skating on a pretty good level i think i learned something new and really important.
As an example when i'm skating the ledge on my local park it usually feels easy and i can do tricks like bs tails without thinking about it.
But on some days it feels too tall and like i cant get up to it. It still works but it feels harder, requires way more effort and it feels like i dont have the balance i usually have.
Your video made me realise that i'm not really squatting on some days, just hingeing. Especially when i'm a little scared of a trick.
Thank you so much.
Cant wait to work on it!
ah, I'm really glad to hear that you got something out of the video. And I can completely see that! I have definitely seen my legs straighten out when trying new tricks or scary tricks. That makes a lot of sense! Stoked you think that might help you! 💪
Thank you!! This video helped me improve consistency and confidence with a **whole bunch** of tricks **all at once**. Before, jumping from a hinge, my shoulders/core would often take off in a random direction. (Out of balance, and sending the board the other way.) Squatting properly allows me focus on keeping my shoulders right over the bolts and coming straight up with control.
🙂🙂🙂
ah! I'm so glad to hear that Andrew! 💪
Good to hear your take on this!
With my athletic background, competing in skiing/rowing through school and working as a ski instructor for many years afterward, I will say training full range of motion is a key part of success in most cases.
Not doing so would be like sharpening only the tip of a knife, thinking it would be fine because one only does light cooking. One may start out with a dull knife, requiring a lot of work to sharpen even an inch of the blade. Or maybe seeing professional chefs only using only the tip to do fancy stuff left a strong impression. But later on, this obviously will result in runnining into a bigger ingredient to cut into, and the knife failing completely. Going back to the sharpening process at that point would obviously be... Less than ideal, especially with guests waiting for a meal. (The guests representing your anxiety to skate well, maybe)
I must also say it's even more crucial in pop tricks because we don't get to use the top portion of the jumping motion at all, meaning we have to finish most of the jumping before then. Small squats and its limited ranged of motion mean the room for error would be even smaller, especially for the pop/flick timing and such.
That’s such a great analogy! As soon as I got into lifting this year, I was really enthusiastic about working the full range of motion. To be strong throughout and not at part. That knife a analogy is great though! Will definitely remember that.
thats very good advice
Good topic , I find that for higher ollie's ,I'll squat deeper but I pause at the deepest point before jumping .
world class content
This might've just solved a lot of my issues - I thought I was squatting pretty deeply, but after watching the footage back I now realise I was just bending over, much like you described here. Glad I checked this video out!
damn this was useful thank you!
I dont skate anymore for tricks but this is so cool. I mostly rollerskate now.
Ah thank you 😃 glad you still got something out of it
I suggest filming yourself. I thought I was bending by the knees, until I took a peek. It takes more strength, but I ride with more confidence. And it's fun.
I sit in a squat throughout the day and I also hang from a pull-up bar. This is key to my skateboarding. If you can sit in a deep squat for 2 minutes or more comfortably... your knees, hips, and ankles will thank you and your skating will improve tremendously. That said... check out Ido Portal's 30/30 squat challenge. Keep it up.
I don't do pop tricks as much as used to as I do more old school step off/grab/slappy wallie type tricks. I still have the muscle memory for my pop tricks but forgot about bending lower for height and success in landing the tricks. I want to get back more into doing my pop tricks so this was very helpful. Glad I watched the video till the credits...back biggie attempt to almost landing whaaaaat...That came outa left field:)
Ah! Stoked you got something from the video 😃 and yes! That was the first time I got my back foot to even touch the board. I was so happy haha back bigspins are one of my dream tricks!
Thank you very much, Sarah. You are inspiring and cute. Thanks!
I am an older skater and do not have the flex or muscle I use to have. I have noticed that I use Skating as a way to gain flex and strength. Also my gut gets in my way so I use skating to hopefully reduce my gut. The deep squat position came up in youtube video I saw. Don't know if true but they explained that the length of your tendons play a big role here. Also the hinge point you made hits home as I have been trying to do air outs and a straight back with my squat makes a big difference in being able to bring my knees up to my chest and help land the air out. Thanks
Sure! I imagine our own physical traits plays a big role in everything. That's why I like to take all advice and adjust it to work for me 😃
I want to do a greyslide.....I'm squatting every morning and it's helping loads.....by the way.... I'm 48 and been skating 3 years....its changed my life
It's changed my life too in so many good ways. Keep pushing 💪
This is exactly what I've been trying to fix with my rolling ollies. While I've always worked out and have done squats and plyometrics, doing it on a rolling piece of wood is so different. But I've been finding that squatting and keeping my head and upper body over the board rather than hinging and leaning more forward have helped. Much more practice needed though in terms of getting better pop, the front foot, and of course height. It really is tough when you're an older beginner skater... Our bodies are so set in their ways.
You have been getting some good ones though! And starting now will help so much. I waited way too long 😂 I’ve been stoked on your ollie progress
@@SarahParkMatott Thanks so much for the kind words! I had been getting really frustrated, but I'm reminding myself to be patient. Your freestyle tricks have really been coming along and look so great! I love seeing your progression. I need to revisit some of the freestyle stuff I was working on!
@@kapture520 the ollie is so tough for that exact reason. The months and months of what feel like little progress. You’re killing it though! I always recommend taking a little break and playing with other stuff 😃 helps us reset I think! and thank you! I’ve been having a ton of fun freestyling
@@SarahParkMatott to be honest, in the beginning I wasn't too focused on ollies and worked more on shoves, no complies, and some freestyle tricks. Only recently have I really been spending more of my sessions practicing them. But yes, a break, even a day or two, definitely helps reset the mind and body. Keep doing what you do!! I always look forward to your posts!
I completely vibe with the full squat throwing off everything. I can do it while stationary, but rolling will mess me up.
About the squat culture, I guess that makes sense as to why Japanese skaters are insane
Right? Hopefully that balance will get better over time 😂 and seriously, it helps
Very good!! I am 48
Long femur gang rise up. Just note that your torso will be naturally be angled due to your leverages. Don't try to chase the short-femur gang upright position.
I’m 29 and 6’8 started skated a few months ago( I can ollie, shuvit, fs 180 ride off big boxes, and a few other things) one of my biggest issues is being able to jump from a deep squat. I played basketball my whole life and I always told to not squat too low when I jump so I don’t bring the ball down it’s a tough habit to break 😢
ah no kidding! I can definitely see that being some tough muscle memory to overcome! If you want to get a deeper squat though, I'm sure you'll be able to work through it 💪
@@SarahParkMatott thanks for the encouragement Sarah, your videos have helped me a ton in my journey so far. I fully attribute you teaching me power sliding and reverts. Without people like you on UA-cam learning to skateboard would be way more frustrating
@@MrJakeepoo0735 ah that’s awesome! I’m so happy to hear that. Keep pushing 💪
今日はオーリーの為の走りながらジャンプする練習とグーフィースタンスなのでレギュラースタンスの練習をモンスターウォークも練習して転びました楽しかったです♪
今年中にオーリーとショービットをメイクしたいです
楽しかったと言われてよかったです。😃 オーリーとショービット頑張ってください！💪
Sarah is such a great skater. I love her skate style, she is also such an amazing teacher. I wish she did more bowl skating. Did she get sponsored by braille or Mode? Who is she sponsored by?
ahh thank you! I sponsor myself 😃 lol I do wish I could skate some more transition. Hopefully next year I'll be able to find some small transition to start with. Everything around me is just too intimidating to even begin unfortunately.
i feel like there's a perfect timing from the moment you drop your weight for a squat to when you rise for the jump. If i do it all in one motion it feels easier when rising, opposed to squatting way before im even going to ollie, or whatever trick. Even when doing no complies i started doing this squat and rise motion and actually getting air on 180 no complies lololol.
Ah…I think there is actually some science to back that up. I kept hearing about elasticity when looking into jumps and how when you get that timing right, there is an extra elastic help?? Basically some extra snap in the jump. But, when you get down into a squat and pause before jumping back up, you lose that elasticity and it requires more strength to jump up in comparison. I’m not sure on all the accuracy of that of course! But, I definitely can feel it anecdotally as well. So, I think that’s pretty cool you felt that as well!
Do you think squatting deep helps with landing with bent legs too? I'm trying to land lower to the ground so when I primo I won't bail hard.
I'm sure it can assist to build up base strength and mobility in that position. You definitely want to be comfortable in that position if you want to jump into it 😃 However, exploding up (jumping) and compressing down (landing) are different. I've also started trying to land more compressed when jumping too. So, I've trained them in combination. Jumping up from a deep squat and trying to land back into the deep squat by compressing and bending at the knees over say...curving my back.
Hm... I think that's what I've been doing as well. Thanks.
先生、今日もありがとうございます
🙏今日も見てくれてありがとうございます
Great stuff, and the exercises look great! However, I've always been of the persuasion that a little squatting goes a long way. You're not trying to get your head up high in the air, like when you're trying to head an incoming soccer ball, but mainly trying to snap the tail and suck your feet up high at the same time: the 'jump' is more like a quick implosion using your core muscles, as when jumping onto a box, than that you're really trying to push off the ground - a muffled or 'ghost' pop is mainly caused by the foot actually making contact with the ground, when you should effectively be starting to shift your weight upwards while or even before hitting the tail. But again, it all depends on what works for you. I'd like to see you give ollie norths (or as old heads like me call 'em, one-foot ollies) a try. I'm sure you got those easy with your ollies, but I've found they really give you a good sense of the optimal back foot pop/front foot push ratio for regular ollies as well. Greetings as always, Sarah!
ah that's a great point! I've been thinking about that too--the difference when jumping up onto a box and in skateboarding. That compression you talk about. I used to think I just needed to bring my knees up enough like in a knee tuck jump--which definitely helped compared to not lifting my knees, but I've been seeing more and more how less extension on the top and more compression like you said could help. And in part trying to use that to control how close my pop/scoop foot stays to the ground. It was actually FS shove its that have really gotten me into this new mindset. But, I'm still figuring that out myself. Trying to get the muscles to listen is a struggle haha 😃 but I do think that getting more strength on the deeper side of my squat will help me get the power though, which I have always lacked!
I've done one ollie north! But you're right, that might be a fun trick to tie-in to ollies! That'd be fun to work on and try out 💪 I'm going to write that down haha Always enjoy reading your thoughts Arno! Thanks 😃
@@SarahParkMatott Can't go wrong getting strong, they say. And theory is just that. There's a guy on UA-cam who pretty much drags his knuckles on the ground before he pops, but then he could really ollie over my grandma. For me, what works is trying to get 'weightless' for a second, rather than actually trying to lift off from the ground, if that makes any sense. But maybe that's just because that's how I've done it for most of my skating life. Thank YOU for the great content, you're one of like 4 UA-cam skaters I actually find sympathetic and not annoying lol
@@ariekanibalie Sure. The whole de-weighting idea is super interesting. So, that makes a lot of sense. How we can try to feel weightless for a moment! 💪And thank you 😂 I'm really glad you've enjoyed it and have been here for the discussions! Certainly wish I could film more. Endless stuff to talk and think about!
💙
4:29 now that I see you're also wearing Vivos, I'm actually kinda curious if you have some tricks for adjusting to skate shoes?
I like to wear Vivos or similar minimalist shoes most of the time, and switching to more skate-appropriate shoes was kinda hard. I now stick to Vans, since they have a slightly bigger toe box than most sneakers, but are there better alternatives for minimalist-friendly skate shoes? (preferrably vegan, I'm sorry I am that guy™)
Ah, interesting question! First of all, I've found all my skate shoes to get much more flexible over time. So, I've started wearing them out and around before skating in them. Just to get them pre-worn in because I love the extra flex of worn in shoes. But, when I think similar to vivos, I immediately assume thin, flexible sole and wider toebox. (Sorry in advance if I over explain too). In that case, I'd recommend looking first and foremost at vulcanized (vulc) shoes (like vans). The soles are often softer and more flexible than cupsoles. And then I'd actually recommend being careful when trying any corporate brands like Nike, New Balance etc. In my own experience, and from what I've heard and seen, they tend to have much narrower toe-boxes. So, I'd definitely check reviews on them first to gauge that. As far as shoes I've had good luck with toebox-wise, Cariuma and Etnies. Etnies have a vegan option among their singleton vulc xlt and joslin vulc shoes. I'm wearing in the singleton right now and like them. Cariuma also has a nice wide toebox compared to other shoes I've skated and offer a really nice vegan shoe. I need a wide-toebox myself, so I know the pain of buying shoes that don't fit. Hope something in there is useful 😃
@@SarahParkMatott oh this is exactly what I had hoped for! I like the style of Etnies, just never gotten around trying them on. Never heard of Cariuma, might check them out as well!
Thank you! Continue making great content 😊
@@SaintOfSwords ah glad to hear that! If you have a local skate shop that sells shoes, it's always great to go there too. You can try them on. Shops don't carry my size usually, so I'm always guessing and hoping. But, I wish I could! haha Hope you find a pair you like!
I have developed really horrible patella tendonitis in both knees from this hinge squat issue, trying to rehabilitate it at home and correct my squat but I feel crippled! worried I will never be able to skate again :( I just want to be able to hop on my board and ollie up a curb again pain free, I don't plan on jumping down huge stairs again but, I really would like to be able to skate comfortably again. I'm only 28 but, feel like I've ruined my knees for good, does anyone have any good information or help/hope?
Currently following KoT guy and all that but, I cant even do most of those exercises due to pain.
I mainly do spanish squats and nordic curls and poliquin steps etc, but the progress is just not showing.
Ahh sorry to hear that! If at all possible, I think that sounds serious enough to warrant looking into physical therapy (if you haven’t already). I think there is definitely hope though. I had to get physical therapy at 19 for chronic knee pain to find out the issue had been in my hamstrings the whole time. Not my knees. And I hurt my knees again skating myself. Once two years ago and and again recently. The first one took about a year to heal and this one is looking to be a similarly slow process. Though, I got some exercises from a physical therapist this time around and am sticking to it without going beyond it either. Just the exact reps and sets. But, I definitely think there is hope 💪
We are big fans of your channel. Let me ask you an ot question. What brand is your pants? Looks so comfy 😅 xox
Ah! They are. These are probably my favorite pants. I wish I bought more! I just found them at Target. Part of the levi denizen collection I think. In the men’s section. They are the best 😃
Thank you love 🙃❤️
Welp, more reason to get back to my Slavic roots and relearn to squat with heels on the ground as best I can.
😂😂😂
So how do I keep my pants from splittin open at the back end when I'm doing my skate squats? 😅 For real, what brands are out there to keep my butt from busting out? SOMEBODY HELP!!
Ahh 😂 wish I knew. That’s why my pants often are just a bit too big for me haha for the extra moving room. Not sure that’s the best choice though
Sometimes I don’t know diddly squat
this would help me if my knees werent made of noodles
Pro skateboarder Pamela Rosa struggles because she hinges constantly when she skates
I think Frankie hill did that best. He was like a frog