the secret to tic-tacs, kickturns and pivots

[@kevmoreland8106]

I am just on this path of discovery, one yer in, age 59, your videos and explanations are the best I've found, thank you so much...

[@SarahParkMatott]

The path of discovery is the best to be on 💪 And thank you! I'm glad you've enjoyed the videos! :D

[@sprky2025]

Amazing! 😮 I'm learning age 43

[@JohnAvillaHerpetocultural]

You are amazing. I’m picking it up after a 20 yr hiatus. When I stopped I was doing tricks off of garages and flipping into grinds. All that experience and yesterday was like being a new born colt but with 43 years of injuries to mitigate, lol. I can’t even imagine doing this right now if I hadn’t already done it before. Respect level 10

[@RANDOM-THINGSX]

​@@sprky2025the last time ive played skate back in 2007..now im 36 yrs old i want to pursue to play. It makes my stress go away whenever i play wiyh my board..

[@edenalchemy]

​@@sprky2025same! 43 too

[@ryanhartkopf2442]

This is a good tip. It also provides a mental benefit: when my back foot is in the pocket, I am more committed to the movement because it's harder to step off the board. It forces me to get creative to complete the rotation instead of just bailing.

[@ming545]

OMG TYSM IVE BEEN PRACTICING FOR A WEEK I KEPT FALLING OR NOT DOING IT FULLLY UNTIL I WATCHED THIS VID

[@kybearz]

I was just trying to tic tac (for the like 50th time) and the ‘awkward’ thing you described is so true. I just stopped skating because it started raining like crazy and it sucks i can’t try this out!!

[@Gregorskorino]

Hey, I first started skating in the nineties and have recently decided to start from scratch, relearning everything in switch. You videos are great for breaking everything down to the basics! Thanks for doing these.

[@SarahParkMatott]

ah thanks Gregor! Glad you like them :D

[@cjchavez19]

As someone that's been skating for decades I really appreciate your perspective as it gives me insight that I think will be helpful when giving tips to newer skaters at the park.

[@SarahParkMatott]

thank you Chavez! Glad you can get something out of it as a seasoned skater too.

[@michaelhall3155]

Thank you, Sarah. Just starting and this really helped. Tic Tacs and pivots look so easy, but they felt awkward. This tip makes them feel way more comfortable.

[@SarahParkMatott]

I totally understand. They do feel really awkward at first. Stoked that this tip made them feel more comfortable though! 😃

[@chadbale2]

Your videos are giving real insights that most other experienced skateboarders miss out on. Thank you, Sarah. You've given the confidence back to beginners to go out there and keep trying and get better, each time !

[@SarahParkMatott]

Thank you Chathu! I'm so happy to hear that 🙏 keep trying and shredding!

[@hl356]

Your foot placement diagrams, and the way you made this tutorial in general, sets the standard for skateboarding tutorials IMO. The video isn't unnecessarily long either.

[@SarahParkMatott]

ah thank you! I'm glad you liked this tutorial so much 🙏

[@chongtan1150]

Absolute GOLD for us Beginners Sarah!! You really are the best!!

[@SarahParkMatott]

😃 Thank you! 🙏

[@NewEdgeGaming2]

im 26 now and ive tried so many times to skate. i always quit since it is hard as hell. your videos are so helpful. thank you so much.

[@sethbryant7894]

Very useful advice! Soft, mellow turns are much easier in the pockets whereas fast kick turns are much easier when riding with the ball of your back foot in the center of the tail. While I may be only pressing down, I'm grabbing the edge of the tail with my heel and toes to give it some additional guidance while I'm popping. Then I'm just using my shoulders and front foot to pivot.

[@william4375]

I've watched a lot of vids of tic tack and kickturn so far, but this one really helped me a lot!!!

[@StephenCh]

Your vids feels like a beginner who just found out what their fuck ups are and be able to tell other beginners about it in detail and guide them into doing them properly.

[@sarahseo6740]

This is the best tutorial I’ve watched about tic tacs. Thank you!

[@JakeFromMilwaukee414]

It definitely helps putting your foot in the pocket/groove, i just got back from skating with my dog and it helped alot when making quick adjustments. I've been watching your freestyle videos, my favorite is the 20 tricks to do without ollieing. Keep up the great videos, they are super chill and informative ✌💚💛❤

[@SarahParkMatott]

Thanks! I'm glad you've liked them :D

[@calvinstevens-charles5320]

I have just started doing turns and this is by far the best tutorial I have watched.

[@SarahParkMatott]

happy to hear that :D

[@playperson]

I've just been practising kick turns and find them very difficult, I'm looking forward to trying this out!

[@gjyalpha]

I watched this video the first time when I just got started on tic tac, kick turn and pivots. And I didn't really fully understand the subtle difference of putting the foot on the pocket. Now several weeks of really slow progress on those tricks, I watched this video again. And suddenly it all makes sense now. I'll give this foot position a try in the next session. Thanks!

[@SarahParkMatott]

ah that's awesome! Good luck with it! 💪

[@deen321xyz6]

Tic-tacs never quite worked for me, this tip seems to be exactly what I needed. Thank you Sarah, gonna try this tomorrow :)

[@SarahParkMatott]

ay! Hope it helps. I love doing tictacs this way :D

[@roussin_]

this instantly made a difference, great tip

[@ענברגולנדסקי]

I work like 1 hor on tic tacs and i see your video and after 2 min i sucses so ezly thnx

[@SarahParkMatott]

ay that's awesome 🙌 keep shredding

[@codydennis5884]

You are the best teacher in KZbin 🎉 thanks for this

[@Squeallyweegon]

Love for pockets!

[@paulyu535]

I just learned about the importance of the pocket for the shuvit. My pivots are a mess and I understand the hip and shoulder motion, but I just knew my foot placement was off because I keep putting too much pressure on the tail and accidently propping the board up too far... causing my hips to know pain. Always on my right side ;~; This is it what I needed to know! Thanks!

[@crusadeprince]

THIS IS WHAT IVE BEEN WAITING FOR. NOVICE HERE. LEARNT ALOT FROM YOU. THANKS.

[@mateusds909]

Just spotted this vid. Had my first post winter sesh today and tic tacs are a weakness but this is a cool way to try them!

[@sammarithinang_pannarith]

Damnit woman, I just love you. Of all the tutorial videos and channels, even with the big, "professional" ones, I get the most knowledge out of your videos. Maybe, it's the type of learner I am, but you constantly blow my mind with your nuggets of knowledge. In my mind, your channel is way underrated. You're the best ever! Thank you so much 🙏🏽

[@SarahParkMatott]

ah thank you so much! That truly means a lot to me 🙏

[@sammarithinang_pannarith]

@@SarahParkMatott Every "beginners" or "step by step" tutorial is pretty much the repeat of the same thing over and over again. You actually walk us through how you go about learning it, with what may work and what probably won't. Like, you take into consideration how everyone's different. That kind of thing.

[@SarahParkMatott]

@@sammarithinang_pannarith yeah, I felt some similar frustrations when learning in the beginning. Part of why I started the channel was just those “ah, I wish someone told me that” moments. Was hoping to share those 💪 So, stoked to hear you’ve gotten value out of the videos!

[@sammarithinang_pannarith]

@@SarahParkMatott Nah. It helps a lot. Everyone else is like a copy of each others tutorials. Do this, then this, and this. With you, it’s do this, but I have more control doing this, so maybe try it this way if it helps. That makes learning easier. It’s more fun when you feel more of the control of the board, even if you mess up here and there. Well worth your words ❤️

[@utespick]

Another nugget of gold. Thanks!

[@SarahParkMatott]

😃💪

[@martinkreim2091]

I love your tips, I always „felt“ them, but now I know why!

[@joce_ollin]

Daayymmnn you're on a roll this week! Brilliant as always. This pocket technique in your original pivot video changed monster walks completely for me

[@SarahParkMatott]

Yess! The pockets are a game changer 💪 Thanks Joce!

[@stilelits]

i've seen a bunch of your videos but never left a comment before...i've been skating a month or two, and i'm getting comfortable skating on flat ground, going forward, fakie, and turning, but ive had a real hard time learning this pivot motion, with my foot on the end of the tail like everyone says. it seems like i either don't push down hard enough, and i barely pivot an inch or two, or i push down too hard, and go into a manual, which i always bail out of because i don't have the skill to maintain it. this method makes a LOT of sense to me, and i look forward to practicing my pivots with it!

[@SarahParkMatott]

ahh I'm happy to hear that Travis. I really hope that using the pockets works out for you too. I know it was a massive help to me 🙌

[@stilelits]

@@SarahParkMatott thanks! btw, i'm curious to know what you think about something i've been doing that has really helped, but i haven't seen ANYONE recommend online...in addition to the skatepark, it's been very helpful to practice in a parking lot with a gentle downward slope, so i can get comfortable riding down it without having to push (and without getting up too much speed), and i can also get practice pushing back up the hill. just locking in to that basic stance of moving forward on the skateboard is so important for a beginner, but it's made much harder when you have to keep adjusting your feet to push...i would recommend this type of practice to any beginner, and i'm not sure why it's not recommended widely online

[@SarahParkMatott]

@@stilelits I think if it works for you, that's what matters 🙌I could see how "find a parking lot with an appropriate slope for you" could be tough for general advice. It's personally why I don't give the "push around your neighborhood" advice. It's because in my hometown, you simply couldn't. It was impossible. For me, mastering foot adjustment and pushing as fast as possible is always my focus when giving riding advice, but I could see this being a useful tool in general to supplement that practice. As long as the beginner is comfortable with stopping at the speed they're about to go up to and have a spot they think will work for it haha But, in my experience, you can pick up a lot of speed faster than you expect...I personally might hesitate to recommend it for that reason because it's so hard to gauge as a beginner. But if you find a spot that works, I could see it helping in exactly the way you mentioned. 🙌 But this is just my opinion. I think individual skaters will benefit from different approaches. 😃

[@stilelits]

@@SarahParkMatott thanks for the insight! controlling your speed can definitely be an issue, but i find that i can limit it just by how far up the hill i start...i know that i can handle it if i start at the fire hydrant, for example, so if i want to push myself a bit i can go all the way up to the gazebo, and it gives me a tangible feeling of accomplishment to skate from a higher point than ever before without falling. also, i just practiced with my back foot in the pocket, and i was able to pivot 90 degrees on my first try! never been able to turn that far in a single movement before, and i can really feel how much better my control is from this position

[@SarahParkMatott]

@@stilelits ahhh see?? Night and day with the pocket. Stoked to hear it 💪💪

[@armourking100]

Oooh snap..... can't wait to try this!!!

[@endepisode]

What an awesome tutorial!

[@ian9378]

oh my god this is a revelation, thank you Sarah

[@SarahParkMatott]

Woo! Stoked to hear it 💪💪🙌🙌

[@jesavius]

Sarah is always in the pocket with her videos so I'm not surprised she made a video of why it's good and advantageous to be in the pocket.

[@Jayson666youtube]

sarah back at it again with the best trick tips!!

[@SarahParkMatott]

😃

[@mysticgothmama6796]

I just did some tiny, not so great tic tacs at the skatepark today because of this video! It wasn't pretty looking, but I did it! Thank you so much for your videos!!

[@BenjaminWinder-t9o]

Tic tac is the holy grail in skateboarding 🎉

[@DMSBrian24]

Omg thanks for this so much, I feel like this is what most people do but simply don't realize it as it's already natural for them already

[@SarahParkMatott]

Definitely! It took me a bit to realize this is what I was doing too 😃 until I started noticing how much in the middle other new skaters' feet were!

[@BenjaminWinder-t9o]

Thanks!

[@SarahParkMatott]

Ah thank you! 😃

[@thedarkriver1]

I needed this! I had no understanding of using the pockets! 👍👍

[@kosaiapita4390]

I know how to tic-tac while riding, finally I learned it yesterday, thanks to your vids❤

[@RikRiorik]

Not sure I had seen this one before but it popped up in my fred and I watched it hanging up wet clothes in the washing room. It’s definitely true that you get much more control if you sort of lean into almost pinching the trucks on a kick turn. Like the difference is huge. You can even slow down the turn considerably like this while still keeping control.

[@captainflimflam]

Thanks Sarah. Inspiring and informative as always.....now I have to wait until the morning to try this out! 😜😭😭😭

[@SarahParkMatott]

Thanks! Hope it goes well 😃💪

[@MidlifeSkateboarding]

Literally the best video on YT. So helpful. Thanks so much. 🙏

[@IImorteII]

Great tip. Thank you very much!

[@mental3666]

tried this today. it defs works

[@eBoard3R]

🤙🏼😮 *my mind is blown!* 😮 Gonna try this! I'm not super smooth with mine so this is awesome.

[@ענברגולנדסקי]

Wow u super help me thnx

[@kumapunku]

I don’t know how to tic tac switch, been skating for the past three months and only realized it after landing a 180 body variable 😅 can’t wait to try out your advice. Thanks 🙏

[@luisasbp]

You are so awesome! Thanks for the generosity in sharing your hacks with reassurance and by breaking down the movements. I love how you explain things! I am a fan

[@SarahParkMatott]

Thank you Luisa! 😃 I'm really glad to hear you're enjoying the videos and explanations!

[@luisasbp]

@@SarahParkMatott , thanks to you! :)

[@paulsamuels5637]

That pocket seems to be the sweet spot on those shuv it’s to. I’m going to try those end overs tomorrow, they look so cool and your very fluid on them. Any truck that doesn’t require bending over to grab the board is up my ally. Unfortunately I’m old and stiff..lol

[@SarahParkMatott]

Yes! the pockets are a powerful tool! 💪 Have fun with the endovers. They've been part of my warm up for a year now, so I absolutely love them. 😃

[@dixielou7086]

This is super helpful, definitely giving it a try 😊

[@ianjeisenberx]

This is such a great tip. Instant improvement! THanks for the video

[@prenomnom2959]

Thank you again Sarah, I am starting skateboarding and your channel is a pot of gold ✌🏻😘

[@SarahParkMatott]

ah happy to hear that! welcome to skateboarding :D

[@firstname-lastname]

Dammnnn…. I gotta try this. You’re godsent girl

[@abigailpitie8590]

Thank you, Sarah! I’m thoroughly enjoying your videos 🌈 you’ve given me new confidence and hope! I appreciate your videos and advice!!!

[@SarahParkMatott]

Thank you Abigail! 😃🙏 I'm really glad you've been enjoying them. I hope the videos prove helpful 💪

[@rloach067]

makes sense! i have noticed that i intuitively do pivots in my natural stance (goofy) with my back foot in the middle or even sometimes top of the tail, because i feel like i can react faster that way, but when i ride switch i do them with my back foot on the pocket because i am more insecure riding like that and i feel like that way i can go slower and more controlled! Hopefully i get to the point riding switch that i feel just as confident tho :P one day!

[@SarahParkMatott]

That's interesting! Every one feels more comfortable in different ways 💪 You'll definitely get comfy switch! Probably before you realize it :D

[@sk8ch658]

So helpful! Thank you! I've become pretty comfortable with tick tacs and kickturns (at least backside), with the traditional foot position, high on the tail. But this helped a lot with backside kickturns and monsterwalks!

[@SarahParkMatott]

oh yeah~ this is a game changer for pivoting tricks 💪 glad it was so helpful! 😃

[@ksfwfc2899]

Excellent instructions

[@Ibra.the3mob0y]

As a beginner this helped me out thanks 🙏

[@jmiguelortiz5430]

Best tutorial from ever

[@kum5070]

so well edited and easy to understand! just started skating recently and have been struggling with consistent turns. will try this out soon!

[@Beaner..]

This was pretty interesting. Gonna try this out tmrw

[@SarahParkMatott]

Hope it helps 💪

[@ReinLie]

This is a bit late, but posting as a street skater who started with flip tricks and is starting to do more freestyle stuff, this is really good advice. In fact, if you watch Rodney Mullen (i.e. look up Rodney Mullen 1986), he always has his back foot in the pocket while doing freestyle tricks. That means what you're doing is right, case closed. :)

[@Trojeans]

I need that aggretsuko griptape 0:59

[@Sergey_Migits]

Very interesting, thank you, Sarah!

[@DeeBeeStudioSabah]

Yes definally and the pocket also the key to do better manuals.

[@realrossl3oss]

You're videos are perfect

[@solidmoods]

I hope your channel blows up and makes you some $$$ , great tutorial !

[@SarahParkMatott]

haha thank you! 🙏

[@rumble108]

This why I follow you👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

[@sergeyzhelezko]

This… was… awesome! Keep it up

[@SarahParkMatott]

thank you 😃

[@sickha4755]

You are really good at observation and research! its work for me.thanks~

[@SarahParkMatott]

Thank you 😃Glad to hear that!

[@Rockin23]

This makes total sense. I'm off to the skatepark this evening to try it out. Nice one :)

[@90s_HipHop]

Great video. Thanks for the info.

[@phillippritting4802]

Thank you 🤙🏽

[@ceg3909]

Dude, i have the same helmet! Great video

[@gossy79]

Brilliant tip and so well explained- thank you

[@SarahParkMatott]

Thank you :D

[@lewisone878]

Can't wait to try this tip when I'm not injured. Thanks for the tip :)

[@SarahParkMatott]

Hope you recover soon! 🙏

[@mkhairulanwarmhatta1293]

Really helpful. Im subsribing.. keep up giving good content

[@SarahParkMatott]

Glad you liked the video! Welcome to the channel :D

[@liv193]

thank you sm for this!! i have had such a hard time getting my kickturns to stick and its 100% because im not in the pockets, my shoulders move before the board too! thank you aaahhh

[@SarahParkMatott]

Yes! 😃 Stoked to hear that. It's always in these little details haha Hope you can get out there in the pockets and get those kick turns to stick 💪

[@mjslaw]

Thank you!

[@tinormous-road2gains13]

Thank you

[@iox42]

I'm going out right now to try this!

[@SarahParkMatott]

woo! Hope you have fun! :D

[@iox42]

@@SarahParkMatott I did! As you said it really helps with board control, I feel much more in control of kick turns and reverts, I could do monster walks real easy (never really tried them before), so really cool! I got such a rush from it I practiced pop shuvits (again....... for a long time) and I landed one and immediately shot away my board but it was all right :) Progress! Thanks a lot for this tip. I was wondering, do you put your foot in the same way over the pockets when you do manual? I tried it a little bit, kinda felt a bit more in control maybe?

[@travistobias]

Thank you for the great video

[@BugBiteSquared]

Thinking about it as lifting your front foot instead of pushing down on the tail has also helped me a lot in the past. It ends up being a bit short & snippy otherwise, since just pressing down on the tail, by itself, is a bit like pulling yourself up by the bootstraps. You need to shift your balance in order for this all to work, so lifting your front foot kinda reframes it more like a shift of the pressure your put on each foot.

[@SarahParkMatott]

Totally agree with the shift of pressure more than a "push" 💪

[@deviantanalogue3429]

@@SarahParkMatott @BlackFox just clicked for me recently thinking of it this way! Been trying to think through bio-mechanics of it (I'm nerdy & it's part of day job). From what can figure out effectively you're standing on a lever with fulcrum point over the truck. You don't need to push down as force comes from body weight & shifting position of back foot changes size of force applied from it, so having closer in naturally gives more control. Out of curiosity what do you do with your head eg look down vs forward to where your going and whip it round? Also are you able to do with eyes closed? (fully appreciate not exactly most obvious thing to try but really useful to help understand how your switching use of different sensory cues for balance) Excellent videos btw. Love the way you're kind of working with the board rather than against it if that makes any sense?!? You have great, intuitive way of breaking things down really clearly & making seem far less scary for old duffers like myself😂

[@just1bobm793]

Cool, I'll try it....

[@azumkyo]

❤❤ Thank you ❤❤

[@GeremiaGerosa]

This is brilliant!

[@Ikuchan-jp7lx]

Placing your foot on the pockets while pivoting works well for standard skateboards with wheels around 52mm. However, it can be risky for boards with larger cruiser wheels and a high tail, as there’s a higher chance of straining your ankle joints.

[@solnya]

Great tip ! I really need do try these double pivots (to a 360 rotation in the end), they look great.

[@SarahParkMatott]

The double pivots are monsterwalks and the 360s are endovers. They're two of my favorite freestyle footwork 😃 Super fun to get!

[@solnya]

Big sesh today : Your foot positioning tip worked great ! I'm a lot more at ease tictacking this way.

[@SarahParkMatott]

@@solnya That's awesome! Glad to hear it 😃

[@abnorc8798]

I think I may have intuited that being further from the end of the tail helps, but I don't know if I've tried going that far in. I'll give it a try when I'm skating next.

[@kirayagami9272]

Started learning at 44... Still afraid to stand on board and tic tac. I can cruise fine in slow speed but the fear of the board disappearing under my feet while i tic tac is unbeatable...

[@pavedwavessurfskate2203]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@marinastrong7977]

Very useful

[@KNNKLTD]

thank u so much !

[@SarahParkMatott]

😃🙏

[@scatpack1381]

Great info. Not sure if you have videos on troubleshooting skateboards. An issue I have on my new board is only 3 wheels touch down. Skateboard shop said when the bushings break in it should fix. 🤞

[@SarahParkMatott]

I do have a similar video about how I ruined my bushings. Bushings can become squished down on one side if you tighten them too quickly before breaking them in. I actually broke the bushing in one set of trucks, it cracked and everything. I couldn't fix that. You can wait a few weeks and see if it gets better as your break them in more. But, if your bushing is just a little compressed on one side even after they break in, I would recommend taking the bushing and spinning it around so that the compressed part faces the nose or tail. I did this for another set of bushings that I slightly compressed. It wasn't perfect, but it helped. Kind of a way to wear the bushing evenly.

[@ryanwale3201]

brilliant!

[@SarahParkMatott]

😃😃

[@BraveBlueButterfly]

love these videos as a beginner and only girl at the skatepark thank you!!!! the guys at my park saying just send it is kinda annoying and unhelpful

[@SarahParkMatott]

haha I hate the advice "just send it" 😂 not for me either! Glad you're enjoying the videos!

[@BraveBlueButterfly]

@@SarahParkMatott the videos mean the world honestly I’m 25 and just started skating in September, I’m absolutely awful at it but every time I want to give up I remember your story and know with time I can get better! 💜

[@SarahParkMatott]

@@BraveBlueButterfly totally! And I had some unfair advantages like having tried as a kid 💪 you totally got it. It’s as rewarding as it is slow and painful 😂

[@BraveBlueButterfly]

@@SarahParkMatott it definitely is painful 😅 Learning to stretch is a priority after so many pulled muscles now 😂

[@SarahParkMatott]

@@BraveBlueButterfly haha it was for me too 😂 better at stretching and warming up all the time.