Technique Discussion

**cruiser12** · 07-29-2008 08:29 AM

bump I have a tuck question. I use an American style tuck, but it isn't as stable for me as just crouching down, hunching over my knees and not changing foot placement. Also, when I was in my tuck, I had my back foot pinted, so when I was just making some heelside turns I had to adjust my backfoot and that got kinda sketchy, even though i wasn't going terribly fast. Any tips? (also, I'm not doing serious DH, just looking to be able to handle speed a little bit more confidently)

**bucksaw87** · 07-29-2008 09:10 AM

Originally Posted by cruiser12

bump I have a tuck question. I use an American style tuck, but it isn't as stable for me as just crouching down, hunching over my knees and not changing foot placement. Also, when I was in my tuck, I had my back foot pinted, so when I was just making some heelside turns I had to adjust my backfoot and that got kinda sketchy, even though i wasn't going terribly fast. Any tips? (also, I'm not doing serious DH, just looking to be able to handle speed a little bit more confidently)

er...adjust your tuck so you're comfortable?

**cruiser12** · 07-29-2008 09:34 AM

Originally Posted by bucksaw87

er...adjust your tuck so you're comfortable?

well i figured that, but anything more technical?

**raynerider** · 07-30-2008 04:28 PM

Originally Posted by kaplac

I don't do a lot of speedboarding. Infact what I do probably doesn't even constitute speedboarding.

But looking around at a lot of speedboarding videos and pictures as well as from the people of the fish.

It seems like a good technique for an (american?) tuck is by having your front foot angled to a 45, and the back foot on the toes, with the ball and heel in line with the center of the board. (this board has some good photos) Then the back knee should be located behind the front leg's calf. Hips should be aligned facing forwards, and the back should be as parallel to the ground as possible, with the arms following suit with the back.

With the tuck you're trying to expose the least amount of body from a forwards view. The only parts that should be exposed are the shoulders, head, and front leg.

Here's a photo... (courtesy of eastside longboards)

Please feel free to correct me if anything I said is wrong.

i have both my feet at a 45 angle does that still count as a american tuck if it matters?

**tomes** · 07-30-2008 05:50 PM

All of those dudes are rocking some sort of euro tuck, but i just tried both feet at 45* and it seems that my knee comes in and rests on my calf. If thats the case for you then yours is a Euro tuck, if your knee comes in and rests in the pit of your other leg then its American. I think there was a thread called "how to tuck" or something like that a while back. Its a good one to look through.

**tupat85km** · 08-07-2008 05:37 PM

Originally Posted by longboardorific

very true, i might not be able to think right now if i didnt wear my helmet

thats very true when i first started i didnt wear a helmet at all and then i crashed ...bad and was put into a coma for a week now i wear a full face every wear a go with my board its way worth it

**Spaz** · 08-22-2008 02:28 PM

i guess i just started useing a brazilion tuck last night. while toe sideing and i felt at home with this style of tuck. as soon as i got home i orderd an rayne avenger. but thats not the point. before or curently rather i have a dh race. i think being confortable on your own deck plays a huge role, like ive seen some were on here its 90% rider 10% gear. i finaly under stood after last night what that ment.
I felt more at home useing a drop through that a friend let me barow with the exeptions of my foot catching in the back wheel. but railed a corners down so hard and fast my hip was starting to slide into the pavmentand and was able to pull back to set up the next corner without high sideing were when i used my dh i felt sketchy as hell because my center of gravity wasent forwerd anuff and i would be forced to take the outside line or highside just because i wasent confortable on that deck.
though it has been aficaly given an F.

but you get the point.

**raynerider** · 09-06-2008 07:37 PM

how would you brazilian tuck, ive heard about it but dont know what it is

**Cob** · 09-18-2008 06:10 AM

This is my first real DH season and i have problems sliding at high speeds and speed checking.
I've seen it done and understand the technique but i just end up in the ditch

**melifont monk** · 09-18-2008 06:28 AM

and brazillian

oh, and kludy/drop knee braking...seeing as your low already:

from one brazillian tucker to another.....enjoy- drop knee has saved my life.

**thokk2** · 09-29-2008 01:24 PM

I just learned something the other day that I though I would share.
--When taking toe side corners (right if regular, left if goofy) and putting your hand down to drift put your hand in front of you, not to the side.

**keziahlongboards** · 10-08-2008 01:17 PM

What is the advantage to putting your hand in front of you? More control or keeps your center of gravity better or what?

**thokk2** · 10-08-2008 01:33 PM

In a Brazilian tuck you put your hands in front to break the wind.

AJ · 10-08-2008 03:15 PM

How is canadian different from Euro?

Personnally I dont even believe a candian specific tuck.

**tsmith25** · 10-08-2008 03:39 PM

why is there this need to categorize tucks? really most north americans and europeans tuck similarly to each other at this point in the history of our sport.

putting your hand down in front of you during a toe side corner helps because it lets you keep your shoulders square with the direction you are traveling. this is the same effect as dropping your back knee down in a heel side corner.

AJ · 10-08-2008 04:24 PM

its all about roots.
you gotta know where you come from to know where you're going.

**keziahlongboards** · 10-09-2008 01:21 AM

Thanks T Smith. Makes sense. I will try as soon as I find a run where it even matters. Everyone I ride with is all about mello carving so no one ever goes to good spots unless I'm by myself, and I have a hard time driving somewhere very far away to ride by myself. I just feel lame

**jedininja** · 10-13-2008 04:07 PM

what is the kind of tuck where both feet are 45 deg in opposite directions?
some sort of euro variation?

**DHSAM17** · 10-14-2008 08:58 PM

You could say i have the "euro" tuck. as like alot of other people. I do use the ameircan tuck sometimes on huge straight aways with no turns. But the euro tuck is the most comfortable for me

**surfonsnow214** · 10-23-2008 12:27 AM

Originally Posted by DKcruizer

im kind of confused on this outside-inside-outside idea. if there is a two-lane road, and you are trying to take a hairpin, do you go all the way to the right on the road, turn, hit the inside of the hairpin, then turn so you are yet again on the far right, just going the opposite direction becausse of the turn? if someone could post a vid, or post a vid and tell me where in the video that is demonstrated, that would be great.

Let's say you're going into a sharp right turn at high speed. You want to take the outside and then turn into the inside. It distributes your inertia and gives you a better chance of not drifting the turn completely. Heres a vid. Notice they go outside to inside. And the people that don't eat ####. But sometimes you can go inside to inside or outside to outside if its not too sharp.