Counter-intuitive Front Rolls

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zarb
zarb
NSW
703 posts
NSW, 703 posts
26 Dec 2013 8:30am
Managed a quick Xmas kite yesterday afternoon and was playing around with front rolls.

Any tips on getting the rotation right? It seems like I just can't get that rotation happening the opposite way. I've been trying them off kickers and also popping off the flat, but it's really difficult to edge one way to get the pop, then trying to spin the opposite direction. I almost always end up feeling like I am trying to force it too much, and land on my back or my head.

It just feels really counter intuitive popping and edging going one way, then trying to reverse the partial rotation to do a front roll.
NickT
NickT
WA
1094 posts
WA, 1094 posts
26 Dec 2013 8:52am
Really pull that front knee in and roll over it after your pop. You almost want to try and headbutt your pulled in knee while looking under the armpit ( I like inverted frontrolls) Don't fly your kite up or back for that matter as it will stall your rotation also. But dropping your kite if you're coming up short can bring you in.

Took me ages to stop flipping onto my back, kite was my issue, is even resurfaced this year on my switch fronts and I only roll and land on my arse. Found I need heaps more wind than a backroll also.
arloj
arloj
WA
237 posts
WA, 237 posts
26 Dec 2013 9:57am
Emphasise the movement of your hips during the rotation aswell
Kamikuza
Kamikuza
QLD
6493 posts
QLD, 6493 posts
26 Dec 2013 2:50pm
Body English then use the kite.

Load n' pop; lift your front knee, drop your front shoulder, look back over your rear shoulder*.
You only have to get half way around, as the pull from the kite will drag you around the rest of the way...
If you try to rotate all the way around with your body using momentum, you'll get spanked if you get lifted at all as you'll over-rotate uncontrollably.

* bend yourself without leaning - imagine a kick boxer using a shin/forearm block, balancing on one leg.

Feels wrong to me too :) I much prefer to do a sent front roll, using the kite to lift me and only doing the (partial) rotation up to the zenith, then redirecting the kite and using it to nail the landing... doubles and triples are much easier as front rolls though.

This is all assuming that what you mean by "front roll" is what I mean by front roll
magentaninja
magentaninja
QLD
50 posts
QLD, 50 posts
26 Dec 2013 8:36pm
Only advice I can give for a front roll is "Commitment".

When I was first learning front rolls I noticed you had to commit more than for a back roll, you really gotta throw it harder (especially if doing inverted fronties) and just commit to the momentum of it. Yes it does feel weird like your almost jumping towards your kite but you just have to commit to it.

Other than that the guys above have said plenty. Too many words may fry the brain. Good luck ;)
stuntnaz
stuntnaz
NSW
540 posts
NSW, 540 posts
26 Dec 2013 11:58pm
When you go to pop out of the water push twice as much off your back leg when you pop
This will help you rotate better .
zarb
zarb
NSW
703 posts
NSW, 703 posts
28 Dec 2013 8:38am
Thanks for all the advice. Good wind forecast for this arvo so I'll be giving it a good go. I want to get the hang of them before moving on to unhooking. If I don't devote an entire session to something, I'll end up purposely ignoring it if it's too difficult
Saffer
Saffer
VIC
4501 posts
VIC, 4501 posts
1 Jan 2014 1:44pm
Other thing I would add is jump off your back foot and don't try pull yourself through the loop with your front hand or you will loop the kite.
pattiecannon
pattiecannon
QLD
593 posts
QLD, 593 posts
1 Jan 2014 7:22pm
Hey zarb, we're in similar territory, I have them down to a degree off kickers, but on the flat, off my unnatural side I am getting spanked!
I have been sending the kite a bit contrary to what NickT said, but I find it gives me a little more time to come around on my underpowered pops and on the good pops it give a sick floaty upside down rush that is hard to beat, speshally the moment you come over and spot the landing 6 or 8 feet up. Mad fun.
But tmy left foot forward ones on the flat need some work, I'm gonna practice my praying mantis arm block, shoulder drops for this one. and definitely won't be back looping the kite.
Sunday I sent the kite to the right, popped and sent my head over the right shoulder but all I could feel was heaps of pressure on my right hand. In backrolls when this happens I've been leaning into it and landing little baby hooked f16s but this time I had my back facing the ground and lost all rotation. Then I felt the loop power. It pulled me back the other way I had come from and I spotted the landing and only had to decide if it was gonna be face or ribs. Naturally I chose ribs. I've broken ribs twice before and I was sure they were gone this time. I couldn't breathe but I could kind of stand up and float around moaning, which is a skill when you can't really inhale or exhale.
I think most of the winding was from landing right side down being the liver punchers target of choice, so they shouldn't hurt so much if you screw them up in this way right foot forward.
Either way I'm seriously considering a vest, mainly for how cool i'll look, but my ribs are thanking me.
Saffer
Saffer
VIC
4501 posts
VIC, 4501 posts
1 Jan 2014 9:03pm
pattiecannon said..

Hey zarb, we're in similar territory, I have them down to a degree off kickers, but on the flat, off my unnatural side I am getting spanked!
I have been sending the kite a bit contrary to what NickT said, but I find it gives me a little more time to come around on my underpowered pops and on the good pops it give a sick floaty upside down rush that is hard to beat, speshally the moment you come over and spot the landing 6 or 8 feet up. Mad fun.
But tmy left foot forward ones on the flat need some work, I'm gonna practice my praying mantis arm block, shoulder drops for this one. and definitely won't be back looping the kite.
Sunday I sent the kite to the right, popped and sent my head over the right shoulder but all I could feel was heaps of pressure on my right hand. In backrolls when this happens I've been leaning into it and landing little baby hooked f16s but this time I had my back facing the ground and lost all rotation. Then I felt the loop power. It pulled me back the other way I had come from and I spotted the landing and only had to decide if it was gonna be face or ribs. Naturally I chose ribs. I've broken ribs twice before and I was sure they were gone this time. I couldn't breathe but I could kind of stand up and float around moaning, which is a skill when you can't really inhale or exhale.
I think most of the winding was from landing right side down being the liver punchers target of choice, so they shouldn't hurt so much if you screw them up in this way right foot forward.
Either way I'm seriously considering a vest, mainly for how cool i'll look, but my ribs are thanking me.


To avoid looping the kite when you are first learning, put your left hand near the centre of the bar and the right hand at the end of the bar (if you are travelling normal)

As you tuck your left leg for the rotation, it feels quite natural to pull yourself through the rotation by pulling on your left hand which is exactly what you don't want to do to the result is a down loop and a proper spanking. I know this because I went through many spanking while learning it.
pattiecannon
pattiecannon
QLD
593 posts
QLD, 593 posts
1 Jan 2014 11:18pm
What I'm getting here is to lift that leg good and proper. Also good to know I have many loop slappings waiting for me saffer.
Maybe I'l just keep both hands in the middle next time, the back loop spanking was quite enough without worryin' about the one the other way
magentaninja
magentaninja
QLD
50 posts
QLD, 50 posts
2 Jan 2014 3:21am
pattiecannon said..
Maybe I'l just keep both hands in the middle next time


Highly recommended

general_dude
general_dude
WA
150 posts
WA, 150 posts
2 Jan 2014 10:43pm
Chin to knee
Rails
Rails
QLD
1371 posts
QLD, 1371 posts
16 Jan 2014 9:16pm
Like the title
Jus smash yourself a few more times and you'll get that front roll dialled in as well
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