Member of the Month

abjectwoe
May, 2025

Online

Welcome to the Newschoolers forums! You may read the forums as a guest, however you must be a registered member to post. Register to become a member today!

Not comfortable in the air

profile picture
Supergyro
Posts: 797 - Karma: 36
Let me preface this by saying I'm pretty good on the trampoline, like backies, front, misties. But when I put skis on I just don't feel like I'm in control, my knees rise almost to my chest and my arms and skis kinda flail around. I try a grab every now and again to see if that helps pull it together, but I still end up flailing.
What can I do to make my air game more solid?
12 years ago
3 0
profile picture
Petey.
Posts: 5736 - Karma: 4,894
Commit? Sounds cliche but I think one of the biggest obstacles with big air tricks is thinking you aren't good enough to do them. If you have your shit together on tramps, that's probably your only issue. Send it!
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
NotGhood
Posts: 2809 - Karma: 1,255
Make sure you're popping, if you just ride off the lip you end up backseat and flailing.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Z-PAULY.
Posts: 559 - Karma: 284
Just keep riding jumps and getting more and more used to them. Then when the times right throw something. Know your limits but at the same time keep pushing yourself
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Stickity
Posts: 7750 - Karma: 769
practice
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Mr.Bishop
Posts: 22738 - Karma: 77,008
Responses #1 and #2 in this thread are the most important things.

If you're not popping, you're fucked and you will never be stable in the air. Pretend like there is a pole lying across the lip of the jump and you have to hop over it to not crash. Insta more stability with a strong pop. Actually - if you can't pop you can't jump. Immediately cease practising anything else on jumps and just work on your pop for two straight days. It sounds fuckign stupid but trust me on this one.

The second is commitment. When I used to coach I always said "Tricks are like a good relationship. If you don't commit, it doesn't go anywhere." - oftentimes instability in the air is simply fear. Chill the fuck out, and believe in yourself. You will actually get a lot more hurt if you're afraid than if you stick to some confidence.

My advice is that if you don't have those two things dialed, absolutely nothing else will help you. The pop is a big one for a lot of people, sometimes the confidence comes with dialing in your pop and you're stoked.

If you feel like a tool doing it in the park, go to a beginner slope and literally get someone to put a pole at the lip of a roller. Jump over it. Good pop burns into your mind and you never, ever, ever forget it. Like riding a bike.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Nicko1981
Posts: 527 - Karma: 180
I think making sure your weight is correct with pressure in the front of your boots on takeoff - was given this advice end of last season and it felt better.

I don't know though, as I'm shit.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
ridetomorrownow
Posts: 75 - Karma: 160
check out a thread i made "flailing on booters" i got alot of good tips and help and i worked great!
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
tbayskier
Posts: 1145 - Karma: 1,751
this.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Creamsoduh
Posts: 29 - Karma: 21
The key is keeping your feet side by side in the air, especially on rotations If u can't swing one ski around, your gonna have a bad time
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Randy_Quench
Posts: 5447 - Karma: 4,348
keep a decently wide stance coming off the jump
pop from said wide stance into ze air.
keep your knees together
if going for a grab, bring your skis to your hand and not your hand to your skis.
spot landing
afterbang.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Supergyro
Posts: 797 - Karma: 36
Thanks for a helpful response. It makes sense that it takes more commitment. That's what I had to do with my rail game, I could slide the rail and once I got more comfortable I decided to just go for a 180 out to switch and I stompped it first try... I guess that's what comes with being confident.
I'll definitely remember to have a ton of pop so I'm jumping, not having it jump me. Makes sense.

Thanks for all the helpful replies guys.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Supergyro
Posts: 797 - Karma: 36
Thanks for that. Lots of good info in that thread.

Also, I feel if I could get a grab down after I pop I could keep myself more occupied in the air. Dots that make sense? Would that help?
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Mr.Bishop
Posts: 22738 - Karma: 77,008
I don't really think so. The grab isn't going to fix the problem - if you are stable in the air then you should be able to do whatever. Whether that is stay motionless, do a big ol' shifty, a nice grab, a 360 or a dub cork 1400. If you're not comfortable in the air standing there, you're not going to get helped by anything else.

Shifty is a great way to just do a check in the air that looks dope. Ball your knees up to your chest and just twist them bitches over to the side and hold it. If you are comfortable and in control, you should be able to do this with zero flailing at all. Your arms should be locked completely in position, and not needed for balance correction.

12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Drail
Posts: 14045 - Karma: 10,323
While I agree with everything Mr.Bishop is saying, once your balance is on point hitting a jump, I do find that spinning a 360 helps a lot with 'occupying' yourself while in the air. Before you address the problems already stated (pop and commitment), getting over your fear of flying through the air can be solved by spinning a 360. Keeps your brain busy so you don't send the whole time in the air staring at your landing wondering if you're going to land in the sweet spot or eat shit. I've seen a number of people get over their fear of hitting a big jump by doing a 360 instead of a straight air... but as I said when starting this post - pop and commitment come before dealing with what you should do trick wise. If you don't have a good pop and don't commit to the jump itself but try a 360 anyways... well... you're not going to have a good time.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Supergyro
Posts: 797 - Karma: 36
Alright, so the super smooth grabs and shifties I see are a result of being solid in the air, not the cause.

Sounds like I need to hit the jumps more and pop more. What's a good rule of thumb on where to pop?
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Mr.Bishop
Posts: 22738 - Karma: 77,008
lip of the jump.

Try it on a super small jump for a bit and you'll get the feeling.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
LukasSchroeder
Posts: 1461 - Karma: 2,683
Couldnt have said any better
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Plankton
Posts: 3226 - Karma: 6,840
just practice as much as you can.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
I_Am_Mod
Posts: 13214 - Karma: 3,753
goddamn bishop, you make me want to do shifties so bad!


12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
TheClap.
Posts: 21685 - Karma: 4,249
his shifty 5's are $$
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
freestyler540
Posts: 13231 - Karma: 20,388
I must point out a difference with throwing a trick and understanding a trick. Let me explain what I mean by understanding.
Can you throw a 360? great! Now can you grab that rotation in 6 different ways? Maybe not? here is my point, throwing a trick down and hoping it will work will give you that feeling of unstableness. Its the same when you attempt a new trick without practicing in a safe environment. That feeling will induce that "rush and finish the trick" panic feeling, in turn loosing spacial orientation, thus fucking up your trick. When a trick is smooth 9 times out of 10, you own it.
If it feels wrong, go back to the basics. Master an easier trick before working it up.

Now let me tell you about simulation. They can only approach a feeling. Being on a real pair of skis, on snow changes everything. When I was training in moguls on the water ramps, I thought the season will be a breeze to start, having skied all summer. to my surprise, the skiing is different; I had to relearn to ski. So here is my point, tramps are worth shit. The are a starting point in a training program, not a way to perfect tricks on skis.

All I can give for advice is ride with other people, in different terrain. Seeing different set ups, feeling different angles gives you a crapload of experience and confidence. Remember to have fun, throwing down everyday only rises the probability of getting hurt.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Royal-bamboo
Posts: 294 - Karma: 105
Click for larger image

how not to look while in the air
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
gotti
Posts: 4269 - Karma: 4,552
i always like to start with my knees semi bent and in an athletic-forward-ready-to-pounce stance at the bottom of the jump, as i ride up the jump i extend my legs so by the time I'm at the lip they are extended and i have popped and i am still stable. Do not wait until the last second to pop.

Also a strong core helps a lot. As you do said pop style, make sure your upper body is hard as a rock, and you want your legs to be strong and powerful. A lot of this comes with confidence too.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Tikayt
Posts: 1031 - Karma: 1,543
It is necessary for you to pop when approx half of your skis are out of the kicker.
I know for myself, when I go for tricks like flats & rodeos or underlips I try and visualise my self in the air, it's like i'm on top of the slope and in my head I see myself taking speed, flying of the kick, making the trick and OBVIOUSLY stomping, i'll never say to my self I won't stomp.
But I do this since I know how it feels to do correctly one of these tricks, If you havn't landed one correctly it might be harder to see how thing actually goes before you go for it...
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
CalebT
Posts: 1186 - Karma: 765
seriously, all that is going to help is time. everyone learns differently from each other and no one way is going to fix your problem except for time. practise makes perfect.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Supergyro
Posts: 797 - Karma: 36
Thanks for all the helpful replies guys. I'm heading out this weekend to out this to action... Should be fun.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Polar_Beer
Posts: 1515 - Karma: 228
Just think of the lip of the jump as a trampoline and hop right into your trick.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
big_MACZ
Posts: 132 - Karma: 34
Need to pop that's pretty much it.I had the same problem when I first started
12 years ago
0 0
All times are Eastern (-4); Currently it's 3:21AM