Tips on blindside switchups?

If you're not already, look over your shoulder, not at the rail

If you check out the Trick Tips cult there are a bunch of tips and stuff

Try hitting the box/rail like you are doing a lipslide, even if it is a ride on style. It makes it easier. Land with your weight on your back leg and your front knee bent (trying to kick you butt with your heel) so your are pressing on the side of the box with the inside edge of your ski, in front of your toe piece. Then it will start to make you spin. When you are ready to jump, you front leg is already bent so just straighten it. You front ski will flatten out on the top of the box and give you good pop. Look with your head to do the 180 and land back on the box. Stomp and greet all the hot chicks waiting in the landing.

They're very easy on boxes, When you do the 90 on, try and overspin, but only a very very small amount, almost unnoticeable, when you get them on boxes, they'll get really easy, and then rails are basically about comitment, if you don't commit, you won't get it. I find it easiest to keep looking around right after you land on to railslide, and jump almost immediatley.. that way is easier on short rails.

this is great advice


when i learned them, i was jumping onto the rail unnatural (cause its easier for me to do bs swap going from right slide (unnatty) to left slide. anyway, it helped me to jump onto the rail and not even stop my momentum, just almost immediately pop again and continue into the swap

it seems as if you won't catch the rail nicely with your feet coming in blind but you will subconsciously do it pretty damn well. just try it on a nice low rail first or whatever

The overspin idea works to get the feel of it, but it will hurt you in the long run. Learning how to do it by properly using edge pressure will start you off in the right direction. Then later on when you want to hit a longer rail, you will have to skills to just slide it normally, then when you get to the kink or time you want to switch up, you can just lift that front heel, pop, and switch-up on command.

first obviously be able to do bs 270s out cuz similar to a fs sw up u just throw it earlier but learning them on a-frame boxes is really easy

but for a down rail i think you get good grip so ull have more control then a box plus it looks way cooler on a down rail but roll up aggressive be ready and commited and throw it early to learn it like as soon as you pop on use you forward hand to guide you around and jump. u gotta be commited cuz if you puss then ull just come off the rail and only get the tips on when your coming around unnatural so man up pop and set it down underfoot

i respectfully disagree, using the pop-pop method worked for me, and didnt produce bad habits or bad form. i still had to learn the same edge control and scissoring as i wouldve learning a different way

Yeah, well not necessarily bad habits. I just meant that down the road you will have to learn the edge pressure way eventually. The early swap is a great start, but still just a start. I did that in the beginning too, but got frustrated because it wasn't very consistent. Then I learned how to control it with my edges and it was much more pleasant because they came around more often.

yeah basically what i was saying is what you just did. i started by popping fast but still had to learn the edge control

disclaimer: i can't/don't do bs swaps my "regular way" (getting on the rail normal (left foot forward) then bs swapping to the right, i always slip out, same reason i dont really try right 270s on anymore, did it once and slipped out. i hate spinning to the right on rails grrr

that made me lol hard or some reason my advice is jump straight up let your body do it pretty much

So you scissor purposely? Interesting, i've seen videos of myself, and all i do is look behind me pop and spin, and without trying to i scissor.

yeah that's exactly what i mean, i learned to scissor without trying/thinking about it

Yeah bro, basically, do what they are saying with the scissors stuff.  Once you can scissor properly, any and all switch ups, spins on and off and pretzels become way way easier!!!  Just scissor with the proper edge pressure and look behind you over your shoulder and  you'll spin right around.  Just make sure to commit all the way around otherwise there is a tendency to get caught up, or slip off the rail.

Hope that helps, and stoked to see you rocking the switch ups all ways!

this is all great advice... today I was really trying to get switchups.  When you pop for the switchup, would you say you push off with your back leg more than the front?  I was getting the blind 2 switch-up  but it was sloppy as hell.

I always scissor, not matter what way I'm spinning or if its a switch up or a spin out, edge control is probably the most important thing to learn (it's one of the reasons Luke is so ridiculous at rails, he has amazing edge control).

The way I've come up with to make blind swaps pretty much automatic is, as you approach the rail or box put your leading arms back slightly (so if you slide right foot forward, drop your right arm back slightly), not so much that you're going for a 270 on, but back in that manner, then hop on the rail and pull your shoulder across whenever you want to do the switch up - whether it's right off the bat (if you're trying to pretzel back this is probably the way to go) or in the middle of the rail (best for comboing out with style - instead of just spinning and tapping the rail in the middle), or at the end of the rail (good for the before mentioned spin out comboing). While this makes it pretty much automatic, like I said before, still try and scissor, simply dip your front foot toes down and push/pull (depending on how you do it - it's a feel kinda thing) your inside edge against the rail/edge of box, then hop and swap. Also, being comfortable with sliding unnatural really helps too.