How do I pop Shove-it light?
Timing is everything. The first step is to lift your weight. Not to pop.
When I started skating, I always had difficulty completing a full rotation in my pop shove-it. My board spun 90 degrees, and my shoulders opened up 90 degrees in the other direction.
But I also knew some people can pop shove-it so lightly. Is that because they have natural gifts? It might be true. But considering I don't have anything as such, everyone can do what I can, at least.
My mission today is to show you how to low but easy and consistent pop shove-it and how to practice it. Trust me, what I will talk about today will be the foundation of more advanced tricks, whether a flat ground big spin or tricks off a bank.
And it also helps you solve a problem that your shoulders turn in the air.
Summary
Make sure to lift your body weight first.
Ever wondered why your board doesn't spin no matter how hard you try it? While your weight pushing down your board, you can't spin your board effectively. Make sure to lift it first then you can spin your board with the tiniest amount of energy.
How do I spin my board?
You don't even need to swing your backfoot intentionally. With your weight being on the toe side, you can spin your board simply by pushing down the tail.
How do I land back on my board?
Your board swings out in front of you as the front part of your board has bigger mass than its rear part. Shift your weight on the toe side and let your board slip under your feet before reaching the ground.
Simulation
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Why makes it hard to spin your board?
Necessary amount of energy
First, imagine how much energy you need to spin your board. When standing on the ground, you only need a little bit of a nudge, not even a SHOVE. And your board spins perfectly.
Why is it so much harder when you are on your board?
The answer's simple; your body's pressing your board down. As I said in the previous content about Treflip, your body presses down your board when it tries to generate upward force to jump up.
The energy is transferred to your board through your front foot during that process, making it heavier. Needless to say, a heavier object is less likely to move. And that's why you can't spin your board when you are on your board.
How to spin your board most effectively
On the contrary, as soon as your weight starts going up, your body weight is virtually no longer pushing down your board.
Without your weight pressing down on your board, you can spin your board with the same amount of energy you need while standing on the ground.
Timing of pop shove-it
What happens if your timing is wrong
If you time it wrong, you have to scoop the tail of your board while your front foot is pressing it down. It doesn't sound very efficient, is it?
How to practice the right timing of pop shove-it
Before popping, your body has to be going up already. To practice this, try lifting your weight without jumping up. If you feel your weight is floating in the air, and if your feet become light, you are doing it right. Then, simply push down your board, and you should be able to spin your board just like you do when standing on the ground.
Another issue: turning shoulder problem
Why do your shoulders turn in Pop shove-it?
This timing issue is also indicated by your shoulders turning in the opposite direction of your scoop.
When you jump up, your body's downward momentum directly transfers to the ground. Then the ground pushes the momentum in the other direction. That's why you can jump up.
Suppose you add a horizontal spin to your jump. Then the ground pushes your body in the other direction due to the same physics. In other words, if you try to scoop the tail while your body's trying to jump up, your body receives a counter reaction from the ground and turns in the air.
How to avoid the "turning shoulder problem?"
Make sure to lift your weight first and pop after that to avoid receiving a direct reaction from the ground.
If your body's going up, you won't receive as much repulsion from the ground even if you pop down your board.
Landing
Where does your board go in Pop shove-it?
Since the front part of your board has a bigger mass, your board swings out in front of you as you shove-it. So if you jump straight upward, your board goes in front of you.
Let your board slip under your feet
In order to land back on your board, try to shift your weight on the toe side before jumping up.
This causes a difference between your body's center of mass and a point of action(in this case the tail). This difference allows you to spin your board by simply pushing down the tail.
As your board moves to the toe side due to the said reason, it will slip under your feet before your body reaches the ground.
Let your board slip under your feet
To do this, make sure to practice this trick while moving. While moving, even when you lean on the toe side, you can keep on moving in an arc without falling down.
Try to visualize where your body will be before leaving the ground. Generally, you should shift your weight by 30 cm in front, but this may change depending on your body structure and the set up your board.
So try different weight distributions and find one that suits you the best.
