Tips on taking off/landing switch?

njinrome

njinrome

Member
While there's obviously no parks open in the east yet, I want to try to prep myself for this winter. In the past, I've been working on taking off and landing switch, and I can't seem to get it right.

Every time I take off, I lose too much speed, and therefore can't pull the tricks I want.

When I land switch, I can't seem to center my weight, and I wind up eatin it or falling back.

Any tips?
 
landing switch: be balanced.

taking off switch: look for it over your shoulder, then make sure you wait long enough to set your spin.
 
when taking off switch, it might help if you carve off the jump, like dig your forward ski into the lip kind of. this will throw you into a rotation and give you better balance in the air. I don't know what to tell you about landing, because it seems pretty natural for me, but just practice skiing backwards a whole lot and you may find you get better at landing that way.
 
it sounds like you arent that comforatable riding switch, because the main reason people lose speed when taking off switch is that they reverse snowplow because they feel they are cruising, just keep em straight thats all i have to say
 
landing switch and taking off switch are both totally different. landing switch, so me, actually seems easier than landing regular, if that makes sense. landing switch just make sure your centered in the air and that you can land on both your skis like as balanced at you were before you were in the air. im bad at going off switch so cant help you there
 
i kind of have the same problem as you. it always kinda felt awkward for me taking off switch. but a couple days ago i put on my skis and got into my normal switch stance and saw that my left toe wasnt aligned with my right heel. i fixed it and it felt more comfortable
 
the best way to prcatice landing switch is to just do 180s on flat ground or rollers and work up your speed. for taking off switch you just have to practice skiing switch as well as carving.
 
Just practice riding switch ALOT for taking off switch, and remember to keep your skis straight when you're maching into a jump and remember to pop too.

As for landing switch, its all about commitment. You'll prob have to drag your hands at first but you'll get it.
 
TAKING OFF:

be patient, wait til your all the way at the end of the lip. and pop hard, to make sure you get your tips clear and over the lip.

LANDING:

when you land switch, try and look back up the hill at the jump, after you've spotted your landing, it will help keep you centered
 
Let me clarify. I can land 180's and 360's and I can land/take off switch, however my switch landings seem to jolt me upslope (upper body goes past paralell with slope). Myabe it's b/c I'm not bending my knees enough at the landing...
 
i'm so glad to see people actually giving advice and helping now instead of just saying "i would take off switch and land switch in the searchbar you n00b"

it makes me happy

the only thing i would add is make sure when you take off you aren't leaning forward or backwards, cause this will throw your balance off at the landing.
 
Committment is the key.

Looking uphill when you're coming around too will help put you back and center your weight.
 
Taking off switch is all about the pop. You have to pop otherwise otherwise your tips will catch and slow you down.
 
landing switch...just keep looking. keep your balance, always look at your landing. taking off switch...havent done much of it, but i've been watching the guys in videos do it. you have to kind of carve off it a bit. like one of the guys above me said.
 
When taking of switch try leaning forward. That helps me wait untill the end of the lip before i pop and keeps me out of the reverse snow plow. Also just practice riding switch even though you look like a show-off tool it really does help a lot. 
 
haha what a great quote

and my advice...just go around your hill/mountain what ever it is and ride switch on all the runs and get comfortable with it for me landing switch was just natural a 5 is my favorite spin...and i guess the good ole rule "practice makes perfect" :)
 
start small, and until you can rock small jumps real easy don't move up, but just take it slow. i still suck at it, and tearing my ACL and MCL last season didn't help. but practice practice homie
 
^mcl? that sucks dude. well so does acl.

i've also noticed that some people when landing swith on not very high spinning rotations land looking down the hill, but that probably comes from experience and muscle memory of doing the spin...
 
this has been said in this thread, but if you wanna stick the shit out of your switch landings like c-van, spot up the hill. this brings your chest up, allowing for your wieght t be centered, and looking a thousand time better!
 
HAHA Soooo true!

Roller 180s at high speed are the best, oh and roller switch 180s help with the switch pop i think
 
Biggest thing people (including myself) have a hard time with when taking off switch is that they set the spin too early and they don't pop. You've gotta make sure that you don't set the spin until you're acctually taking off the jump. Also most people pop way better when they take off forward than when they take off switch therefore they wouldn't go as big as when they go forward. These are probably the problems you're having

With landings, you just wanna make sure you spot the landing when there's 180 degrees of spin left and keep looking at it while the rest of your body finishes the spin. If you get into the habbit of looking back uphill when you land switch you'll end up with your hands touching down and your ass sticking way up in the air. I do it way more often than I should, so it's a good idea to work on looking over your shoulder when you're landing. Only time I wouldn't do that is if it's a huge ass jump but if you're not solid landing switch already then don't do it on a huge ass jump.

Hopefully that helps
 
I have this problem too, or had. You mainly need to keep balanced, like, lean a bit more towards the noses than you would think, it helped me at least.
 
whenever i take off i always carve, not cuz im skilled its just all ive learned so far, makes for some switch cork 3's though 
 
Where are you mounted? True center will help with riding away switch and help with balence and pop when taking off. My opinion. If you havent drilled a bunch of holes looking for a good mount you might want to try it. Also what kind of flex do your boots have? I know it was easier to land switch with last years SPK's because they were hella flexy. 85 I think. I picked up this years SPK's and they have a 95 flex rating. Rode them once in Chile and thought it was alittle harder to get used to while riding switch.
 
thats the most hting people have a problem with is they end up buttering off the lip so just be patient becuase if you butter you will drift and its also harder ot gte onto rails switch if you carve off the jump
 
yes sir it did. I'm about 8 months post-surgery now, and i think i'm gonna go ski for the first time in like 1.5 years in 2 weeks. cannot wait!
 
That's awesome to hear. You must be stoked, yet apprehensive and nervous.

And your sig is making me want to bump the "robe and wizard hat" thread.
 
when coming up switch dont do modified pizza what ever you do it will fuck you up and make you look like a nub just start out closer to the rail/box so you dont have to carve, look over your sholder and keep you skis staggered and straight. come up to the rail jump and your body will turn auto style because you're looking over your sholder. bend knees look steezy and bot away.

ps it helps to be able to slide unnatty first.

and landing switch you just gotta practice dude. practice looking over your sholder and staggering your skis and carving switch. when u land just look over your sholder and spot your landing.
 
i always cant seem to get spins going off switch...i can switch 3 but only off small tables.....and when i pop i always seem to be leaning back a ton....dont know why any tips
 
awesome guys...thanks for all the help

and i have mojos (which have a great flex) and i'm mounted true center -1
 
this is what this forums is about but u might try wanting to commit to te landing when coming out of a trick
 
I have a hard time with the balancing some times. Is there a way that always works. I can 180 drops easy but jumps are sorta harder for me?
 
I have a hard time with the balancing some times. Is there a way that always works. I can 180 drops easy but jumps are sorta harder for me?
 
landing switch is a piece of cake

just make sure your tips touch first and then make sure your ballance and not leanin too far back.

takin off switch, wait to spin/flip/grab whatever it is your doin until you clear the lip or youll hook an edge and be coughin up snow...
 
yo my advice for taking off switch is to keep a wide stance and stay low with bent knees.. at least when spinning... i went to windells and thats what my coach taught me and it turned out to be the perfect advice... keep skis about shoulder width or wider and keep knees bent and stay low... helped me turn my sw 5 into a sw 9 both ways
 
oh ya low wide stance. But bend at the knee's not at the hips. If you bend too much at the hips you won't be able to pop and it will also send you into a corked spin with very little control
 
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