# Troubles Landing on Heels



## ShreddyMcPowpow (Sep 25, 2013)

So this past weekend I was up on the mountain trying to get familiar with my board again, and I was noticing that any small jump I took, whenever I tried landing on my heels, my board would always end up sliding out from under me and I would land on my butt. Is this a normal problem with a regular fix? 

I don't ever have problems landing on my toes so I guess I'm just confused as to what I may be doing wrong. Sorry no video for help, but let me know if there are any suggestions! I'm def open to some guidance. Thanks!!


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

land on your toes, the balls of your feet really.


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## Mystery2many (Aug 14, 2013)

A few thoughts. 

Are you centered at take off?

Do you do a board grab? It will get your body positioned correctly, even just trying a grab

How fast are you going? If you go too slow it can cause some over exertion in your effort to get air and throw you off balance

Try to take off flat and land flat. No edges and knees bents. 

Oh yea and knees bent. Straight legs are just bad all together. 


Just a couple thoughts. A video would really help everyone help you.


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## Jed (May 11, 2011)

ShreddyMcPowpow said:


> So this past weekend I was up on the mountain trying to get familiar with my board again, and I was noticing that any small jump I took, whenever I tried landing on my heels, my board would always end up sliding out from under me and I would land on my butt. Is this a normal problem with a regular fix?
> 
> I don't ever have problems landing on my toes so I guess I'm just confused as to what I may be doing wrong. Sorry no video for help, but let me know if there are any suggestions! I'm def open to some guidance. Thanks!!


I'm not too sure why you're trying to land on your heels, honestly landing on your toes is a lot more stable and better.

The only time you want to land with heelside pressure is on certain spins when you're trying to stop rotation (and even then it's only a little heelside pressure).

That said, your current problem is probably because you're landing on your heels by leaning your whole body heelside, instead of getting on your heels by bending your lower body heelside while your upper body stays more upright to avoid slipping out.

Typically no one aims to land on their heels on straight airs though, as I mentioned already, landing on your toes is a lot more stable.


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## ShreddyMcPowpow (Sep 25, 2013)

Alright, I'll stick it to the toes. Thanks guys! :thumbsup:


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## ShredLife (Feb 6, 2010)

Mystery2many said:


> How fast are you going? If you go too slow it can cause some over exertion in your effort to get air and throw you off balance.


95% its this. you're jumping too hard. more speed, less ollie.


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## Casual (Feb 9, 2011)

Run across the room, jump and land on your heels. How did that feel? If the floor was slick you probably landed on your ass, same way you will if you do that on a snowboard. Also harder impact, harder on your feet and knees.


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## IloveWinter (Nov 6, 2013)

ShreddyMcPowpow said:


> So this past weekend I was up on the mountain trying to get familiar with my board again, and I was noticing that any small jump I took, whenever I tried landing on my heels, my board would always end up sliding out from under me and I would land on my butt. Is this a normal problem with a regular fix?
> 
> I don't ever have problems landing on my toes so I guess I'm just confused as to what I may be doing wrong. Sorry no video for help, but let me know if there are any suggestions! I'm def open to some guidance. Thanks!!


Maybe its your bindings? It could be that you are leaning too much backwards.


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## HughJayness (Nov 1, 2013)

IloveWinter said:


> Maybe its your bindings? It could be that you are leaning too much backwards.


Don't mess with his mind. His gear's fine. I had this same problem when I tried my first jumps two seasons ago. I'd wash out heelside every single time.

Do what Jed said to do, and make sure that you take off perfectly flat on your base, and focus on landing your jump the exact same way. Don't tilt laterally in the air either; that really messed me up. Don't lock your knees, but don't look like a cannonball, either. Keep your knees bent as if you were standing on a trampoline or a springy mattress. Once I learned that everybody else took off straight and flat, landing naturally came the same way. 

It'll probably take a few more tries, but you'll get landings if you focus on the takeoff. You got this. :thumbsup:


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