11 Steps How To Tailwhip A Scooter (Complete With Pictures)

How To Tailwhip A Scooter - The tailwhip is one of the first and most important tricks you will learn when you first start skating. Throwing a rear whip involves jumping the scooter into the air, kicking the deck around the handlebar post for a full revolution, and then landing on the deck as it returns to its original position. It might look difficult and impressive, but it's actually easy enough for most drivers to unlock fairly quickly - if you can jump, you can tailwhip too. The key to the trick is adjusting your setup and learning how to manipulate the scooter with both your feet and arms to complete the turn in time for a soft landing.

• Set up tailwhip

1. Stand comfortably on the scooter. Place your leading foot near the front of the scooter behind the handlebars and position your back foot directly in front of the rear wheel. Bend your knees slightly to prepare to jump.

Of course, most right-handed people adopt what is called a "normal" stance, with the left foot forward. If you're left-handed, you might feel more comfortable standing "goofy" with your right foot forward instead.

Proper foot placement will make your takeoff and landing much easier.

2. Grab the middle of the handlebars with both hands. Use your arms to stabilize both the scooter and your own body. They also play a role in helping the deck (the part of the scooter you're standing on) rotate, so it's important to leave them in place until you've completed the trick.

Adjust your handlebars to the height that feels most natural to you.

Stay loose and relaxed. If you hold on too tightly, your arms may become stiff. This stiffness can easily spread to the rest of your body and affect your jump or timing.

3. Push off a few times with your back foot to get yourself moving. Try to build up a moderate pace, about as fast as a slow jog. After the final push, place your back foot back on the deck of your scooter and keep your eyes on the direction you're going.

Walking too slowly can make you lose your balance, while walking too fast makes it more difficult to control your movement.

Make sure you practice in a place where you have enough space to ride 15-20 feet in a straight path.

4. Practice the tail whip while standing. If you are not confident enough to attempt a tailwhip while in motion, you can do your first attempts from a stationary position. This allows you to focus on your technique without worrying about the ride up just yet. Later, you can work on fitting the two phases of the trick together.

One downside to throwing a tailwhip while standing is that you have to initiate the jump once you have both feet on the scooter, which doesn't give you much time to set up.

• Performing the tailwhip

5. Jump as high as you can. When jumping, pull the handlebars to lift the scooter up with you. Bend your knees to get even more height and get as much clearance between the wheels and the ground as possible.

Try not to let your feet come up in front of the deck. If your timing isn't right, you'll lose track of where it is in relation to your feet.

The higher you jump, the more time you buy to get the deck all the way around before landing.

6. Kick your back foot against the deck of the scooter behind you. Once you reach the peak of your jump, flick your toes vigorously against the back edge of the deck. It will begin to swing outward in a wide circle away from you. This is the "whip" part of the tailwhip.

If you are in a normal stance, you will initiate the kick with your right foot. If you're a silly driver, use your left foot.

Push against the side of the brake rather than the thinner part of the deck for a bigger target.

7. Use your arms to assist the twist while whipping. At the same moment your feet leave the deck, tilt the handlebars slightly in the direction it's moving and "pump" your arms up and down. Then tilt the other way as it starts to swing back. Getting this right will make the deck spin faster.

The arm movement is subtle and can be a little tricky to get the hang of. It can be helpful to practice picking up and spinning the scooter on your own before incorporating the movement into the trick.

Remember, your hands should never leave the handlebar grips during the tailwhip.

• Tailwhip landing

8. Watch the deck closely to spot your landing. Keep your eyes down and try to follow the deck as it finishes its spin. By matching your movements to the movements of the deck, you can anticipate your landing and, with the right foot position, go straight back to driving.

As you practice, note how long (on average) it takes for the deck to travel all the way. This gives you a better sense of when to start preparing your landing.

9. Bring both feet to the top of the deck to stop its rotation. Try to stop the mower just before the wheels touch down. Both feet should return to where they were when you set up the trick, or somewhere close by.

As you continue to practice, you'll be able to complete the twist higher and higher, making it possible to combine the tailwhip with grinds, stalls, and other tricks.

If you're having trouble getting both feet back into position at the same time, break the final part of the trick down by stopping the deck with your lead foot and then maneuvering your back foot where it needs to be.

10. Bend your knees to absorb the impact. Drop further down after gravity brings you back to the ground. Lowering your weight absorbs most of the shock when you land, while also lowering your center of gravity to improve your balance.

If you land with your legs perfectly straight during the move, your momentum may carry you too far forward and you may fall.

Learning to brace yourself properly becomes especially important when you start riding ramps or throwing tail whips off higher obstacles.

11. Drive away calmly. Turn your head in the direction you are moving as you touch down and regain control of the scooter. Congratulations, you've just landed your first tailwhip! Keep practicing until you reach the point where you can hit the trick over and over again with consistency.

Watch out for nearby obstacles. The last thing you want is to pull off a sick tail whip only to eat the curb for not paying attention to where you are walking!