Unlocking the Kickflip - (and understanding how a kickflip works).

[@kristofnagy2131]

wow!!!! This is one of the best tutorial/unlocking videos out there!!!! The fuckin golden arch... no one talks about that!!! Huge thanks dude!!! Keep pushing and doing the good work!!!🙏🤜🤛 #beenherebefore100k

[@Skatebetter]

Thank you g! Appreciate the words/ sentiment and hope your kickflips are solid!

[@thallrudedjentstorm1756]

Actually a lot of people talk about that. Very important for the tre flip. Not so important for the kickflip tho..

[@kylespevak6781]

"How to think about" and "how to practice" are so important and rarely talked about

[@MRKRRNZ]

Bro. The Golden Arch makes so much sense. Using the example of the approach angle when doing a FS 50-50 was perfect. It’s interesting that there’s no one really talking about the “approach” when performing moving flat ground tricks.

[@Skatebetter]

Thank you my g. Exactly- i feel like it’s clutch to understand this and i couldn’t find any videos that touched on it. Happy skating brotha. 👌🏻

[@dbeckrtrning2113]

Okay I really liked the “snapping backwards”part when popping with the back foot amazing level up that NO ONE has talked about. Thanks bruv!

[@Skatebetter]

Thank you my g- I’m sure I’m not the first to talk about this concept however when I figured it out it was essential to a ton of tricks including the ollie so glad it helped!

[@MallGrabtheClown]

Best KF tutorial! I've watched so many and this one works. Especially the section explaining the various potentially successful flick types or styles. And I've never heard anyone discuss popping by kicking backwards against the tail to bring the board towards you to flick against... I have an extremely inconstant KF however I know every time I get a good one that somehow I've ninja kicked my pop foot back and away, which brings the board not only up, but back towards my crotch. This video also allowed me to use the word crotch in a comment which makes it even better! 😅 Edit: Oh! And I realized during this video that the steps are NOT... = "Pop&level>>(pause)>>Flick>>Catch>>Land" - It is actually = "Pop>>(pause)>>Level&Flick>>Catch>>Land"

[@stzlys]

This is the type of trick tips we need. Not just jump slide flick and land. Great content! Hope to see more to come.

[@Skatebetter]

Thank you g 🙏🏻

[@UKSkateboarding]

but his kickflips rocket real bad? lol

[@alliemattison]

One of the best kickflip tutorials. Thank you!

[@hannahje6169]

This tutorial is great!!! That snapping-backwards-while-popping-thing helped me a lot, never heard this before. Thank you!

[@hghrmnds816]

Even if I don’t get it once I try after this, I fr appreciate how thoroughly you explained everything wit the different methods but still to the point being completing the trick💯 Much gratitude 🙏🏾

[@Skatebetter]

Appreciate that my g 🙏🏻

[@kylespevak6781]

"Like an ollie north" makes so much sense

[@richardthomas2665]

Sending the board back to begin the pop has made a huge difference…thank you

[@germanherman8454]

Nah wtf he explains everything like no other skater,this the best video to learn how to kickflip

[@darksaga80]

This should be entitled "The kick flip - A masterclass" So much great information.

[@Skatebetter]

Thank you g 🙏🏻

[@LotkaVolterra]

Holy crap, that golden arch bit was a revelation to me. I was wondering why my switch flips were cleaner than my normal ones, and it turns out I do a slight turn outward for my switch flips. Never had that put into words before.

[@ganjjabarsmedium2347]

Deathwish deck, my favorite skate company! Also best kickflip tutorial ever 🙌🔥🔥🔥

[@ryanyoung5607]

This is a really special tutorial man thank you so much for sharing this for all of us to learn the intricate dynamics of the kick flip. You do such a great job at explaining yourself in a humble yet knowledgeable way. This is such helpful information that needs to be watched over and over (at least for me) and practiced regularly. Thank you🙏

[@Skatebetter]

Thank you my g- really appreciate this comment 🙏🏻🙌🏻

[@sqidz]

This is insanely relatable out of all the tutorials I've been watching on these. Awesome stuff!

[@Skatebetter]

Thank you g 🙏🏻

[@kylespevak6781]

While learning to skate, I found that stuff like weight distribution is the most important thing. Learning to lean more heelside got my Ollie and shuv it, leaning more towards the front leg helped me get them rolling

[@Skatebetter]

I couldn’t agree more- i think weight distribution is one of the MOST underrated elements of skateboarding. I couldn’t get heelflips forever and finally the simplest fix of leaning back like a FS shuvit and all of a sudden they work.

[@kylespevak6781]

@@Skatebetter That makes a lot of sense. I come from a decade of parkour so I'm used to little hacks like that. It seems like fs spins, fs shuvs, and heels use similar weight, then bs stuff and kicks go the other way

[@hc5118]

Best kickflip tutorial on the net. Thanks man!

[@Skatebetter]

Thanks my g

[@CrankyBat]

this video is by far the most helpful guide on how to do a kickflip. Thank you so much

[@ABSCrunchFit28]

Great tutorial and video. This move terrifies me but your breakdown makes it seem possible! I will rewatch again and again! Thanks!

[@tannikaetzchen6876]

Thank you for your insight! You definitely gave me some tips and tricks I hadn't heard before! I will try to implement your tips, especially the snapping back and the golden arch 😃👍

[@Boba_fehtt]

Last night I was practicing heel flips since for some reason I can do those 1000 times better than kickies.. well I found out you have to flick with 100% of your might to get the board to rotate quick enough for you to catch it. I would sit on top of my board start loading up and singing to myself “it’s 10% luck, 20% skill, and 100% concentrated power of will” and jump at the 100% part almost to remind myself to the se 100% power 😅

[@hangedups2608]

THANK YOU. ANKLE BREAK TIME

[@19Cyrus04]

Wow, finally a really good kickflip "how to". I've watched sooo many kickflip videos here on youtube and 90% are basically saying the same thing. Iam trying to learn kickflips for almost 1,5 years now and i found many things in your video that i noticed myself along the learning process. I landed my first kickflip (about 3-4 months into trying) stationary, because i used the same "pop backwarts" technique that you mentioned. Also, doing kickflips while moving i noticed that haveing a really solid ollie is necessary. I still can not do the third version "dipped down" ollie, i hope i get there. But, i landed my first rolling kickflips a couple of weeks ago. Not the prettiest ones but i was still happy. Iam definitly going to try your "golden arch", can't wait to try it out. Thank you for your video!

[@Skatebetter]

Thanks for sharing your journey and the tips! Cheers to many more kickflips 👏🏻

[@FUZ2706]

Ive never thought about the board popping up on an angle before but it make so much sense

[@lachlanjordan1470]

Greatest educational video about skateboarding on KZbin. I will not hear it any other way. 🙏🏻🤙🏼💛

[@Skatebetter]

Thank you my g

[@friendlyrando4092]

This is so dope! You've got your hands in the mechanics of motion when it comes to skateboarding and that is SUUUUUPPPERR important to understand so that your tricks come together with thier individual parts. Kudos to you brother. Keep up the good work! And don't stop skating! Thank you!

[@Skatebetter]

Thanks my g- happy skating to you as well!

[@jimcetnar3130]

Just went from a 7.75 to an 8.25 board. And the regression of my kickflips TOTALLY make sense now.

[@SkateGirlAndrea]

Great video, lots of good stuff in here. I'm working on my kickflips. Thanks🙌

[@paulfield6815]

Wow, great video. The snapped your pop backwards is something I've never heard. I've been battling kickflips for awhile and hope this tip helps to finally land one. Thanks!

[@Skatebetter]

Thanks my g- and best of luck on that kickflip, hope you land it🙏🏻

[@Mardinovic]

holy fucking shit! the golden arch make so many sense now. i used to have really good kickflip back then. the past 6-7 years its close to none existence. until recent months i kind of got more comfortable doing em cause i approached it more with this "golden arch" thing. god damnn

[@Skatebetter]

Thanks and glad to hear you got em back! 💪🏻

[@mikescott3652]

some decent information respect to you bro went out after watching this video and got my kickflips thankyou man :D you hit on so much stuff that no one is saying! some people are better at teaching and that's you mate :)

[@Skatebetter]

Thank you my g- glad you got em as well! 💪🏻

[@mikescott3652]

@@Skatebetter it was the push back thing mate all these videos saying pop down and the Makin up for curve i contemplated about before.. i watched this video last year took me second watch for it to click oh its been a year trying on off lol

[@mikescott3652]

@@Skatebetter i forgot to say thankyou mate ty so much man :)

[@Skatebetter]

@@mikescott3652 lol totally not necessary but very much appreciated 🙏🏻!

[@rickhowie7337]

Great tutorial man the pop technique has been a gamechanger for me I've been struggling with my ollies for years not knowing what I'm doing wrong 😕 now I know it was my pop! I was popping straight down ! Thanks again man

[@Skatebetter]

Thank you g! Love to hear it 👌🏻

[@angelalfonseca1056]

Watching this video and realizing I already unlocked the golden arch in some tricks lol.. this gives me such a good perspective of other tricks now 🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@jonathandantonio649]

Although I prefer the gear reviews this is your best video yet👍

[@Skatebetter]

Thanks my g! Reviews coming soon 🤙🏻

[@fullspeedfly1370]

Fantastic video and I loved you in Elf bro!

[@Skatebetter]

Thank you! And I consider Elf to be some of my best work 👍🏻😂

[@johndoe9608]

criminally ubderrated channel. such a good explanation. cheers bro

[@matiasmilet4631]

Amazing- so thoughtful and helpful

[@youseufsuliman1546]

The differentiating factor of this video is the aspect of choice

[@SkatebardCA]

This coupled with @whythetrick's breakdown of the physical forces fixed my mental model thanks. Also throw dirt or sand on new mob tape if it is too sticky for you. Subbed.

[@Skatebetter]

Thanks for the tip and the sub my g!

[@HighGroundArmwrestling]

Its true landing a super butter floaty tweaked kickflip caught with the back foot is the best feeling in the world it's like a drug. Same goes for treflips.

[@Skatebetter]

Couldn’t agree more!

[@BangDoelPrepal]

Great thoughts bro

[@L_Dreq_L]

Bro please make more of these!!

[@christianoms1978]

Very good your tutorial! I believe it is one of the most detailed.

[@Skatebetter]

Thank you my g 🙏🏻

[@echooo7906]

wow, you know your stuff with skating. You earned a new sub and ima try and land this tmrw cuz its night rn. Ill update if i land it.

[@Skatebetter]

Hope you land it my g!

[@DjBaapreB]

This is Golden knowledge.

[@DavidBoardstein]

Man. I skated the same shape with jessup for 6 boards in a row. My kickflip was fine and clean. I switch to a different shape with pepper grip and different shoes and holy sh... . My kickflip is gone. I landed maybe 10 ugly ones out of 100.. I still can do all my other stuff but dude.. I almost focused my board yesterday. Good video btw !

[@Skatebetter]

Thank you homie! This comment is all too relatable lol. Hope it works out!

[@joaomoraes8664]

Very inspiring !!! Thank You .

[@Skatebetter]

Thanks my g 🙏🏻

[@zidelll]

Awesome video :)

[@theshiningemerald4288]

Dude...I clicked on this video in the SAME park you're at

[@jonathanhusok8835]

Snapping backwards changes everything

[@RikRiorik]

My flip game is virtually non existant. Heel flips though are sooo much easier for me. Doing kick flips I can never be sure where the board ends up 😂. Appreciate the ”tutorial”, there’s some things in there to consider for sure and it’s nice with a different take. I just need to take more time to do it but I always seem to end up banging my shins and ankles like crazy when doing kick flips and end up needing to take time to heal which is why my motivation isn’t the greatest. Really should get some ankle/shin guards just until I get the hang of it.

[@Skatebetter]

This is literally me but with heelflips lol. I’ll trade you some kickflip skill for heelflips.

[@Skatebetter]

Also- footprint makes some socks with a little padding and they’re great- i used to use them a lot!

[@RikRiorik]

@@Skatebetter I don’t know man what I’m doing on kick flips but half the time the board seems to be wrapping itself around my front foot like a hoola hoop ring and inevitably it ends with a shin/ankle smash 😂. Heel flips just feel natural. It’s like my hips can’t open up ”backwards” on a kick flip to allow my foot to travel correctly.

[@Skatebetter]

@@RikRiorik yea i still do this sometimes- usually when it happens it’s because the board is getting “stuck” around my front foot because i either flick too early (my front foot doesn’t have time to get past the nose) or i have too much of my foot on the board (and not sitting heelside enough). Angling the front foot a bit more usually helps with this- but you will have to focus on keeping your shoulders closed. Lastly a lot of people flick “out” when in actuality the best flick is slightly upwards (like your toes go out towards the nose and up a tiny bit). Flicking too straight can cause this “issue” to happen as well. Anyways hope that’s helps brotha! My heelflips always rotate (like a shuvit) or my back foot catches them stopping the rotation- please help lol.

[@RikRiorik]

@@Skatebetter you’ve got some good tips for sure and I’m a bit more stoked to finally get my kick flips on so will have to try it out. Don’t really know if I can be that helpful when it comes to heel flips beyond having a weight distribution that is slightly more heel side and slightly more on the back leg. That’s what helped me with them.

[@LandlockedSurfSkate]

Great tutorial

[@fathallah.b1728]

Bonjour je n'arrive pas a faire décollée mon skateboard, j'ai un skate taille 8" mes pieds font du 46 en chaussures pour 1m85 de taille quelle wheelbase me faudrait t'il et quelle taille de skate ? merci à vous 🙂👍🏻 From 🇫🇷 🤙🏼 Peace ✌

[@hoodedcobra1531]

My issues was I’d get too much lean forwards like on my toes or be too far lean on my back foot

[@robertcasey3528]

great stuff

[@Skatebetter]

Thank you my g 🙏🏻

[@kennethrand1032]

Which kickflip the original where your foot goes under the board or the "Magic flip" or modern kickflip if you don't know what I'm talking about. There was already a kickflip when Rodney Mullen invented the Ollie kickflip and it's was originally called magic flip because nobody understood it.

[@midskateboarder]

I just watched this even though I have kickflips on lock. Maybe it will help with a nollie flip lmao

[@dantelizcano4843]

What are those shoes?

[@Skatebetter]

They’re the Lakai Telford Lows

[@TheLuckyone760]

Holy shit…that arch thing 💡

[@TwoForFlinchin1]

Do you have any tips for people who get the arch before they squat? I start turning as soon as I get into kickflip position. I stopped it by moving my backfoot toeside.

[@Skatebetter]

I would try using less of an angle with your front foot (not sure what it’s like). Helped me a ton.

[@frankrotthier4392]

what is you opinion on griptape (grippy vs less grippy) for kickflips?

[@Skatebetter]

I prefer a medium grip like Shake Junt. With super sticky grip like mob i tend to push the board away instead of flick through- less grippy means I have to flick a little harder so medium for me

[@prod.NCMADEBDOT]

what shoes did you use in this video ?

[@Skatebetter]

They’re the Lakai Telford Low

[@prod.NCMADEBDOT]

@@Skatebetter thank you bro!

[@DarmokAtTanagra]

this is cool but to take the attitude there's just all sorts of kickflips and this is how i do them and sometimes they rocket is...c'mon. :) being able to catch your flip tricks is not just another way to do them, it is the more advanced and correct way to do them..still working on it myself!

[@Skatebetter]

Haha i get what you’re saying- I’m not saying those two things are mutually exclusive. Just saying that I don’t have the best kickflips all the time, and that people do them differently (not related to proper technique). Hopefully that helps!

[@murdahhh]

What type of Board do you ride? brand?

[@Skatebetter]

In this video I was riding a Passport. I switch up my deck brand because I mostly do product reviews. My favorite brands have been: Primitive, Weekend, and April thus far. What about u?

[@murdahhh]

@@Skatebetter thank you, ive just started boarding and currently have a welcome board as a my first. which i feel like wasnt a good choice as my first board because its bit of a weird shape so im looking to purchase something more flat.

[@Skatebetter]

@@murdahhh yea they tend to have some non conventional shapes. In my experience Plan B, Weekend, and Girl were all on the flatter side for concave and pitch.

[@surpassedbass5662]

Shoutout ATX House Park!!!

[@Skatebetter]

It’s one of my favorite parks

[@maksstrzinar4247]

Bro what IS your board size, its huge

[@Skatebetter]

Lmao- I mostly skate 8.38 and 8.5’s. I’m 6’0 tall and 170lbs so the bigger board helps me feel more stable. I skate Thunder 149 (8.5) trucks but recently over the past 2 months have tried an 8.25 on some Venture trucks (8.25 width). They have their benefits but i will be going back to Thunders. Any questions I’m happy to answer g. Happy skating 🤙🏻

[@nuggetjocks9879]

My board over rotates even when I do the smallest flick

[@Skatebetter]

You mean it’s flipping too fast? Or its rotating like a shuvit?

[@alexcheda305]

Damn lot 11 🔥

[@erdemmk62]

Thanks a lot

[@Skatebetter]

Most welcome 🙏🏻

[@mrtnn5297]

banger

[@knyghtryder3599]

Lets go marlins !

[@philip6252]

talking about the hips being opened and closed is missed by every other tutorial

[@jorgeandrescoppiano]

The 3rd kickflip...daang

[@Skatebetter]

Thank you g 🙏🏻

[@UKSkateboarding]

you kickflips rocket bro, lift your back leg more. you want to catch on the back foot not the front. just saying

[@Skatebetter]

lol- I literally say this in the video, but thanks for the tip 👍🏻

[@gang6009]

After leaening switch flips i learned its not about sliding it up and off the nose but more kicking it too, using your foot to push the board like a lever. Id slide my foot for hours and destroy my shoe until i figure out i have to kick it, more than flick it, to actually achieve rotation, the flick is just a small addition to ensure it rotates properly, but without actually kicking the board it wont rotate at all. Thats why i hate these new thin shoes conpared to the fat ones 20 years ago. Big ones you just move them and the size and inertia does most of the work, now a thin shoe like today totally changes everything, you have to work much harder, you have cleaner flick but almost no kicking force, you see these new guys even the pros and theyre all flick. makes your hip move a totally different way, thank god és hasnt stopped the accel. "Boardfeel" what a joke. People complaining a shoe has no boardfeel is like saying skatebaording from 95 to 2008 didnt happen, like all those guys who wore ct4s, creagers, and d3s on 7.75s couldnt do anything on their boards at all, they all quit and went home because they said they had no boardfeel. 😑🙄 Skateboarding is dead. 🙁

[@PatriceLarochelle]

Wow ! Best explanation ever !!

[@olympiapenelope2330]

Love the time stamps🙌🏻, great addition to your video!

[@stoneisland1006]

Really nice and new angle to teach this trick! I am not quite there yet to start actually learn this trick but I will keep your advice in my mind! Heelflips instead feel much more natural for me and I am so so close to land it Could you make a video about unlocking heelflips ? 🫡

[@Skatebetter]

Thanks my g! What is the main issue(s) you’re having with heelflips?

[@stoneisland1006]

@@Skatebetter When I pop and flick the board I catch it with my back foot, but the problem is that way too often the board moves a bit behind me and cant put the front foot on bolts. I believe it may have something to do with my weight distribution and/or the angle of my pop. Should I try to start learning them while moving?

[@Skatebetter]

@@stoneisland1006 i can tell you EXACTLY why I think this happens (to many people). Yes it’s your weight (sort of). You know how I said for kickflips you kind of “bring the board forward with you” as you flick? That happens because your dragging your foot up the board a bit and the friction causes this to happen. Heelflips is the opposite- when you “kick” the board with your heel, there is no drag- so the board actually “kicks back” towards your back foot a bit. Watch anyone when they heelflip, you’ll see right when they start to extend their pop (after crouching), their head/shoulders move slightly back towards their back trucks (it’s slight but it happens) to offset the kick back and help them stay over the board when they kick. However since you have the slight adjustment back, it’s even more important to kick your foot waaaay out there past the nose. I’m final- i would focus on keeping your head slightly back when you pop- see if that helps!

[@stoneisland1006]

@@Skatebetter Thank you very much for advice ! That totally makes sence now when you explain it. When analyzing my heelflip I definitely am too much on my front foot when extending to pop. Gotta watch some heelflip videos more and hope that this rainy weather goes away and I can go out and try it myself. I will give some update if I happen to land it 😂

[@Skatebetter]

@@stoneisland1006 i hope you land it!

[@coachdaveskateboardingnj2941]

Great stuff