Advancing on the handle?
 

Okay this may seem like a silly question but me and my friend got into this discussion after riding the other day. After I went out the front on a blind 360, he said that my problem was that I pulled the handle to my hips while in the air. I always assumed that proper form on a spin was pop pull pass in that order. He said that his technique was he would advance his hips to the handle right before leaving the wake and then initiate the spin by pulling the handle towards the small of his back while in the air. My question is is this the way to spin correctly? His spins are a lot more consistent than mine while I am decent at them they are sometimes off axis and I struggle with getting the handle a lot more. Are you supposed to pull the handle to your hip while on the wake for every trick short of a raley? I guess I don't really understand one of the basic foundations of whiteboarding LOL. I don't ever do this I also struggle reaching te board on grabs and think it may be related too. What's embarrassing is I have been riding for 10 years and never have thought of this

Your friend says that he is advancing his hips towards to handle, I might suggest that he is actually bringing the handle in to his hips (rather the hips to handle), right before take off.

I'm no pro but it maybe would help for you to get the handle into position (close as possible to your hips) before, or right at the beginning of, your approach to the wake.


Again, I'm not the greatest rider, so this is just my 2 cents.

I'm no expert, but this video seems to illustrate a pretty rock solid 360 technique that indicates pull to pass in the air. With the 360, low line tension is going to make it easier to spin and execute the handle pass. So pulling the rope to your hips right before your hip is going to increase the line tension.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAOKUwL_ugQ

I don't see how pulling the handle into your hips in the air would make you go over the front. You're going over the nose, or you're going over your toe edge?

I am with j-rod. I dont see how advancing the handle would cause this. Without video I would imagine you are either under spinning it a bit or landing front foot heavy. The only time I advance the handle is when I am spinning TS Backside, I cut in D.Harf style with my but sticking out. As I ride up the wake I start to stand tall and advance the handle towards my lead hip. I do think your friend might be describing keeping the handle in tight.

Various instructional video I have watched in the past always say pull the handle towards your hip at the peak of the wake, including on grabs, backrolls etc. I guess this is why I am confused. Look at shaun murays detention videos.

Out the front is out the front regardless of nose or edge it all depends which way I am spinning and where I am in the spin. I guess my shoulders are getting in front of my hips if that helps you

Tom pulling the handle in increases line tension?? How is that

IMO the best way to spin is arms slightly bent on approach and takeoff. That gives you room to pull (or advance yourself towards the handle) once you're in the air but makes the travel distance less (as compared to arms straight out) to get the handle pass. So arms slightly bent, pop, pull the handle to your hip, then pass.

pulling the handle in to your body is intended to reduce line tension during the handle pass.

I do it both ways. I can do heel front 3's with the handle pinned at my rear hip starting from the time I begin the cut in to the wake. Or I can pop, pull, and then pass. The later usually forces me to slow down the spin and pop better. The later also seems to work better for 5s.