What does the front foot do in Treflip?
It holds down the board and it does NOT flick it.
We have been saying different things about the function of the front foot in Treflips. In fact, there's no such thing as a unique way to use the front foot and it does vary depending on skaters' preference. This time, I will be showing you how I use my front foot in my Treflips.
Summary
Treflip flips without the front foot flicking it.
In an experiment we will talk about on this page, you can see my board flips without a part of the board where you'd flick when you kickflip. This should prove that my board flips NOT because of my front foot.
While the back foot applies the scoop, the front foot has to hold down the board.
Without the front foot, the board would start flipping over as soon as you touch the tail, let alone scooping it. So the front foot has to hold down the board before the backfoot completes the scooping motion.
Simulation
New: Convert your video into 3D
What do they say about it?
Different skaters say different things.
Whenever we talk about Treflips and how to use our front foot, we say different things. But what does it do?
- It's all in the backfoot. The front foot is just a guide.
- Front foot does not do anything.
- Scoop as hard as possible.
- Combine kickflip and 360 pop shove-it.
- Learn kickflip first. But flick lightly, not too hard.
Why do they say different things?
Because of the complexity of the flip, even if I tried to show you what my front foot does, not only was it hard to show you what was happening, it was just not convincing. So let's drastically change the condition by cutting out a part of my skateboard and see what happens. Then, I might be able to give you a different perspective you didn't have before.
Premises
Previously on whythetrick
Throughout the previous episodes, I've been saying my front foot does not cause the flip in my Treflips. Instead, my board flips due to the spring of my rear truck. And although I could use my front foot to flip my board, not only do I find it feasible, but easier to cause the flip without using my front foot by being able to focus only on the movement of my back foot.
Is there a right way to Treflip?
I'm not saying either of these ways is better than the other. And whether to use the front foot or not comes down to your preference and set up your board. So I'll just be talking about how it is possible to Treflip for me without using my front foot. I'm just removing this part to ensure my front foot is not causing the flip.
Preparation
Cutting the side of my deck
So I decided to cut down the side of my deck. I feel sorry for almost skateboards for wasting their product like this. As you can see, I couldn't cut through a part around the front truck due to a carbon disk embedded around it. Anyway, there's no way my front foot cause any flick anymore. Even if my front foot tries to flick it by any chance, there's no place to flick it in the first place.
Experiment
Moment of truth
Moment of truth. Although it was uncomfortable, unstable, and uncontrollable at first, I could flip my board without any problem in the end. Without having any place to flick, my front foot can not be causing the flip. So I think it's safe to say this proves that my front foot does not cause the flip in my Treflips.
So why does it flip?
Instead, it is my backfoot that plays the role: It scoops the tail so that I can pinch down the rear truck. By doing this, you can let the rear truck store energy to go back to its original state, which, when released, causes the flip. If you'd like to know more about the scoop, please check out the "How do Treflips REALLY work?"
Function of front foot
Does the result of the experiment mean the front foot does nothing?
Yes, It does play an important role. Without the front foot holding down the board, the board shall start tilting over when you touch the tail. For the back foot to pinch down the rear truck deep enough, the front foot has to hold the board's movement before the backfoot completes the scooping motion.
What'd happen without front foot
Think about it: If you push down the tail without the front foot, the board flips over before it has any chance to pinch down the rear truck, right? So try considering the front foot as a sort of counter weight.
Re-summary
#1 Crouch down with weight on front foot
As I approach and crouch down, I put most of my weight on my front foot. While my head and weight being over my front foot, I can hold down my board effectively. AND what's more important: I can release the pressure at the same time as I jump up.
#2 Start jumping up
And then, I start jumping up. Meanwhile, my front foot keeps on holding down the board.
#3 Scoop
When my body has momentum to go up, I finally scoop. And by this time, my front foot practically is not in touch with my board anymore. If you want, you could also add some style to it by extending your front foot.
Opinion
How it FEELS to me
When I Treflip, I really don't pay even the slightest attention to whatever my front foot does. When I jump, the center of mass of my body brings my front foot with it. So I can release the pressure of my front foot without even thinking about lifting it.
