Heel flip is a skateboarding trick invented by Rodney Mullen. It is similar to Kickflip where the board performs a flipping rotation alongside its long axis, but in the opposite direction because you will flip the board with your heel.
Definitely, you are here because you want to know How to heel flip, Keep on reading and you will learn how to heel flip your skateboard easily.
Equipment needed:
- A good Quality Skateboard (Obviously)
- Safety gears (Optional)
- Self Confidence (a little)
Skills you need to know already:
The steps to do a successful heelflip are:
- Position your foot
- Pop up the board
- Rotate it with heels
- Land on the deck (after a rotation)
- Keep Practising
Now let’s move on to by step-by-step technique to learn heelflip:
Stand Properly or Roll
Either you can practice it in a stationary position or you can move/push at a speed you are comfortable with.
If you want to practice in a stationary position the board keeps rolling all the time, I know it can be very irritating but there is a training tool made with rubber available in the market which you have to apply on the wheel to prevent it from rolling.
Position Correctly
Position your foot like you do before doing an Ollie. Put your back foot on the back bolts and your front foot on the half middle of the deck.
Also, make sure you bend your knees before you kick and pop the board up, This makes the board Pop higher and also helps to make your balance.
Also Read:
Get Set for Heelflip
Before you kick the board to pop, first make a mark on the board or imagine a mark there, where you have to slide your heel.
You can also rub your shoes over there a few times and make a mind makeup of how you have to flick the board while you are in the air.
Kick and Pop the board
Now, Kick the Tail of the board so that you get a bounce in the air. Make sure you get a good height before you flip the board. If you did not get a decent jump try again.
Low-height Pops can make your heelflip unsuccessful.
Flick and Catch
Flick: While in the air flick the board with your front foot heel.
Tuck your knees: Make sure you tuck your knees to your chest so that your foot does not hit the board before completing the trick. It also helps while doing tricks like 540, 720, 1080, etc.
Catch your board: No, You do not have to catch the board with your hands, like you do in the Grab trick. You have to stop the flipping of the board with your foot.
Land Perfectly
To land perfectly on the deck of the board you need to keep in mind these two things:
Land on the Bolts: Landing with both your feet on the bolts will not only make your landing perfect but also prevent your board from Snapping.
Bend your Knees: Bending your knees while landing on the board absorbs the shocks produced by the jump. This leads to a smooth landing and it also maintains your balance on the Skateboard.
Keep Practising
The more you practice, the more you become a master of that skill. So keep practicing and skating.
We would recommend that whenever you are learning a new trick, you must wear all the possible safety gear. You know why we recommend it.
You might not be always lucky that you learn a trick without falling .
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