Sep 15, 2012, 10:20 PM
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Yikes...backflip?
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how the Hell do you practice for a backflip? Up until now, I have been able to practice and rehearse at home, at work, at the gym...where-ever. How in hell can I practice doing a backflip in freefall? WTF????
Relax about the backflip. One thing to remember is you are not being judged on the quality of your backflip. The whole point of the drill is to get unstable, then to regain stability again. If your backflip is beautiful that is great. If not, as long as you gain stability again, that is great too.
[note: not an instructor but that is what I have always heard from them]
invision yourself breaking a stick over both your knees when you bring them up. snap your hands down and look up, then open back up once you see ground.
All the pool advice etc.. is good advice if you want to learn a back flip proplerly, but if it is part of your AFF course, DONT BOTHER. the whole point of the bck flip is to get you unstable and then stable again. In OZ at least, I dont know anyone who has failed an AFF level because their back flip was not good.
OK, cool...I'll quit stressing over it, and who knows, it may be a thing of beauty - probably not, but it's all good, and I'll be skydiving! Always a good thing.
It just keeps getting better, guys! Thanks for the advice...
OK, cool...I'll quit stressing over it, and who knows, it may be a thing of beauty - probably not, but it's all good, and I'll be skydiving! Always a good thing.
It just keeps getting better, guys! Thanks for the advice...
Shit, I had a level 1 AFF do so many backflips that I got dizzy... it can't be THAT hard!
The advice about pretending you are flipping under water is what my AFFI told me and what I do. My first attempt during AFF was bad, but I regained stability like they said I needed to show. I picked it up pretty quick and can do them pretty consistently now (I think :P).
All the above is just what I got taught when I was learning. Then I started going to the wind tunnel and learned I'd been doing it all wrong all along. Do whatever your instructors tell you. As above, it's more about being able to demonstrate regaining stability than actually doing a nice backflip. Learning to actually fly a backflip properly can come later... Probably after several hundred more jumps and some embarrassing trips to a tunnel.
A few months ago when I tried it for my AFF jump I totally messed it up. I found the problem was that half way through it I would feel so unstable and not follow through all the way. Then I tried it on a solo and finally got it. It takes longer to fully flip than you expect. Also, I found that the best way to learn it was to not listen to anyones description of how to do it. Just do what you think will work and it will work.
