Drop In

Drop In - From tail stall at the top of a ramp. Dropping the front wheels down and rolling into the ramp.

Dropping in and doing the ollie are the two most wanted tricks to learn as a new skater. Everyone wants to do them. They aren't the best starting spot to learn tricks. A skater will progress much faster if they master these basic skateboard tricks first.

Dropping in the first time feels like you are jumping of a cliff. The technique itself is simple but the risk is what makes it hard. Consider what I say here and avoid slamming into a heap.

How to Drop in

• Put the board on the coping with the tail on top and the wheels sort of snug on the ramp. - Put your feet on the board in a comfortable riding stance. With your back foot on the tail and your front foot on the front area of the board.
• You need to be able to stand there will most of your weight on the back foot and the front foot firmly planted on the deck. The key is to stand there in position comfortably. 
• Do not throw your foot on the front just before you drop in.  Plant the front foot where you want it and stay in position. Skaters who drop in will put their foot on last minute. You do not need to do this. This can be done as you get more comfortable with the trick.
• You want to tip your wheels and body into the ramp until you are perpendicular with the angle of the ramp. Just like you would be when rolling on flat. To do this tip over into the ramp like a teapot pouring. Shoulders, hips, feet and board all in line. You will tip until your wheels hit and your body in perpendicular with the ramp.
• When your wheels hit crouch your knees a bit and just roll away like you would when pumping the ramp.

This is easy once you get it. It will seems hard until you get passed the fear of falling to flat and the distrust in your board balance and abilities. Once again get you basics down and this step will be really easy.

There is little better than the feeling of your first drop in. I have seen it so many times. The skater usually can't wait to do it again and keeps saying: "It's so easy".

Good Luck.

Things to know

Make sure you are good at rolling on a skateboard, fakies and pumping the ramp first. You need to be pumping almost to the top of the ramp on both sides when you practice.

This way you are learning the balance and body position needed to drop in. Seriously, take the time to work on this.

It will make things:
- Less likely that you will smash your head.
- You will have a better chance of landing this trick first try.
- After dropping in you will be able do something other then fall when you get to the other side of the ramp.

When dropping in don't think of it as landing way down there in the flat bottom. Crouch and bend your knees and think of it as just dropping your wheels on the the area of the ramp jump under the coping. That area is much closer.

Smash your yourself when you miss

Taking the fall properly if you miss can save pain and injury. Stay loose and roll.

Getting attention at the skatepark

One thing that attracts attention at a skatepark is someone dropping in the first time. People gather to watch. They love to see you fall on their head. They also watch because they are waiting their turn. The skater usually takes a long time at the coping. Nervous they try to set their board up perfect. This always takes a while and other skaters wanting to use the ramp get impatient.

Then the shouting begins. Everyone around starts yelling advice on how to do the trick. Some helpful, most not. The skater gets even more nervous because everyone is watching. So they tend to stand there and "try" to get ready. Standing for longer and longer psyching themselves out and boring everyone else.

20 seconds and you are out.
My rule is:
If you don't attempt 20 seconds after putting your board down. Your turn is done and its time for another skater to go. If you are not ready, you are not ready. Standing there just wastes time.

You can avoid all of this if practice the basic tricks and the tips I give. Do that and dropping in will take 2 seconds.

Return from Drop In to Skateboard Tricks
Return from Drop In to skateboardhere homepage

skateboardhere © 2010-2024 All Rights Reserved.
Home | Contact | Privacy Policy | Skate Safe