Jun 2, 2010, 7:28 AM
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Head Down Transitions
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Hey guys,
Looking for some advice on transitions into head down. Let me give you a little bit of background on my situation. I'm a pretty good freeflyer, have about 25 hours in the tunnel, can fly pretty much every orientation...except...I'm having a REALLY hard time with head down transitions. I've tried cartwheels, backflips, and trying to tilt head down from a sort of atmo position, and all without any luck. In cartwheels, I end up on my back, with backflips, I end up over-rotating...it's so freaking frustrating!!! I'm also flailing with transitions in the tunnel, so I'm beggining to think I'm just transition-challenged, and will never get them! At this point, I can fly head down out the door either by myself, or in a linked exit, and I'm flying it just fine in the tunnel (but I still have to start off the net...which is getting old). So far, I've spent the last 5 jumps doing solos, and normally about about 4 minutes out of my weekly tunnel session working on transitions (probably over the last 3-4 months), but all without any luck! I just flail all over the place
I'm looking to see what people's experiences with transitions have been. Did it take you very long to get them in terms of both jumps and tunnel time?(And I know...everyone's got a different learning curve...) What things helped you when learning to transition? Should I be doing anything differently? Help!!!
I think a big part of the problem is the fact that I get frustrated when I don't get something right away, so I give up, and revert to doing things that I already know how to do...ugh!!!!
It took me at least an hour to get sit to head front flips checked off, and even then I would randomly under rotate and put myself into the glass for a while after. Same with cartwheels. Back flips were a lot easier.
Around here they start people out with front flips, but I believe it is generally agreed that back flips are the easiest of the sit to head transitions, so you could simply focus on that for a while.
Four minutes a week isn't really enough to progress on any skill. Try ramping it up for a few weeks and see if you break through.
practice in a pool. sounds stupid but if you can do a proper rotation in water you should be able to do it in the air. It helped me on my right hand cartwheels.
Jun 3, 2010, 9:12 AM
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Re: [Skydave103] Head Down Transitions
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practice in a pool. sounds stupid but if you can do a proper rotation in water you should be able to do it in the air. It helped me on my right hand cartwheels.
Definitely true!!! Since I cannot afford to spend much time in the tunnel, l got all of my freefly skills from visiting the pool.. It's less expensive, and mistakes are less painful too
Jun 3, 2010, 11:51 AM
Post #6 of 12
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Re: [Skydave103] Head Down Transitions
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practice in a pool. sounds stupid but if you can do a proper rotation in water you should be able to do it in the air. It helped me on my right hand cartwheels.
I never even thought about that. Thanks for that suggestion! A pool is much closer than a tunnel is for me.
Can you do sit to sit kart wheels in the tunnel or the sky? Or can you do sit to sit front flips in the tunnel or sky, I would start with those if you cant do them.....
It took me at least 1hr of tunnel of just practicing front flips to head down, which were by far the hardest transition to learn, kart wheels came a lot quicker and back- flips were really easy for me. I think you should spend more time then 4 min a week practicing your transitions and also see if you can get some other coaches opinion on what your doing wrong, in the sky and the tunnel.
(This post was edited by Ironmanjay on Jun 4, 2010, 1:04 AM)
you can give this a shot... start off tracking... and start taking the pitch steeper and steeper while staying relaxed until you feel you are vertical. do it a few times til you start feeling comfortable and start working it faster (but still controlled). it will help you start feeling the wind as opposed to trying to fight it... try doing it with another flyer as it is hard at first to judge when you are vertical, without a point of reference...
another fast way if you feel comfortable on your head is as a front flip which is the easiest way for many... start off sitflying and instead of trying to do a front flip, think about putting your head in between your legs and as you feel your bodys rotation pop your hips fwd (which will straighten your body) and just snap into your HD position... the trick is to learn to correct for overcompensating on the rotation...
one thing i tell all my students is, "the more you think the dumber you get", once you start feeling the wind (and i mean really feeling it) you'll know it and you'll be able to do whatever you want without having to think about what to do.
Hope this helps, and keep us posted... Blue skies,
Learn to go FAST. Srait down.. dive with all u got brother, with all you got. Pools and tracking helps (if you can on your back)..once you learn fast, slow is simply pushing against the wind. comtact me. it is easier said than done of coarse, but the first thing you got to get over is STOP tring, DO IT!
Jul 16, 2010, 6:56 AM
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Re: [totalbodypilot] Head Down Transitions
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Thanks for all your help! Just wanted to give you guys an update: I finally got backflips! Almost ready to be signed off on them in the tunnel, and will move on to cartwheels next. Can't wait to get in the sky! I followed everyone's advice, and dedicated a whole lot of time to just transititions, and it payed off. I think that was part of the problem, I wasn't dedicated enough to learning them, and once I tried one or two and it didn't work out, I would get frustrated, and move on to something that I already knew how to do. I also did the pool thing a few times, which was helpful. Great advice! Thanks again!!! Blue Skies!
