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Need some help with my jumping form... (pics)

Savage_Animal

Monkey
Feb 3, 2008
658
0
Norcal
So heres the deal:
Ok well this has been on my mind for looooong time. It seems like when I dirt jump, I just basicaly boost everything off the lip and then push the font down and lean over the bars. A few people I ride with have commented on how ****ty my jumping looks.

Here are a few pics from saturday:








But its not just on those jumps, here is another pic form a long time ago at sand hill:


Now I really wanted to fix my jumping style so I could get the basics down. Long story short, I met a really nice guy at the park today that gave me a ton of usefull advice on jumping. He told me about how if you pull the rear brake in the air your front end will dip down (which I did NOT know). He basicaly told me the most important part of dirt jumping is to

a) be able to roll over anything
b) being confident on your bike

So we wnet to some medium jumps and he showed me how I should manual them and kind of get a feel for that. He said its kind of like hucking, where you do like an air manual.

But I am really confused! I was trying to do some of the stuff and fell really hard. I got a minor concusion and split my lip really bad. So I am very frustrated at this point.

If you can see from the pictures, what should I try to chang? Can someone describe to me the right form for jumping. And help would be great!
 
May 12, 2005
977
0
roanoke va
relax in the air. try turning the bars a little in the air or something to loosen you up.
it might be that your compensating for something funky with your launch. are you popping off the lip front then back tire or both at the same time?
you should be able to rotate naturally to get the front end down, it shouldn't look/feel forced.
 

Savage_Animal

Monkey
Feb 3, 2008
658
0
Norcal
its just sorta loosening up when in the air, how are rudger jumps?
Its the best they have been in years.

But serriously, I don't think it has anything to do with losening up in the air. I am perfectly loose, its just my actual form, like what I am doing and moving my body from the time I take off until the landing.
 

Savage_Animal

Monkey
Feb 3, 2008
658
0
Norcal
relax in the air. try turning the bars a little in the air or something to loosen you up.
it might be that your compensating for something funky with your launch. are you popping off the lip front then back tire or both at the same time?
you should be able to rotate naturally to get the front end down, it shouldn't look/feel forced.
I have tried a few things like that, I am so far forward from my bad jumping style thant there is no way i can get the clearence for an x-up, so all i can do is turn the bars 90 degrees, I also can take my left hand off the bar about three inches, but no matter what I do I still look like **** in the air.
 

pHeller

Monkey
Nov 5, 2007
106
0
Can you guys try pushing the bike forward after launch?

I'm comfortable in the air but I'm not going nearly as big as you guys.
 

freeridekid

Monkey
Oct 18, 2003
789
0
U-District, WA
do you do that because you think you aren't going to clear the jump unless you yank it or what?

the best way to get through a jump safely is to pump the transition really well then just relax and let the jump launch you. if you want to boost it, just kind of pull the bars up with the lip, but not very hard.

maybe you need to think about leaning back a little to correct your leaning forward too much.
 

pHeller

Monkey
Nov 5, 2007
106
0
The bike looks as though its not in an upward motion.

If the jump is doing all the work, the bike should naturally want to tuck up under you. At least that's what I've felt, but I haven't done anything quite as big as your jumps.
 

Savage_Animal

Monkey
Feb 3, 2008
658
0
Norcal
get a few pics of yourself in the air when you are letting the lip do the work and see how they stack up.
But what happens is if I am doing a set of jumps I let the first one do the work but my speed doesn't carry into the next one.

When I get better I will post some picts while I am trying to improve my form.
 

demo 9

Turbo Monkey
Jan 31, 2007
5,910
46
north jersey
you should practice on a small jump and just roll off it faster than u need to go. when u jump the bike should do what it would do with u not on it. (think of how it would go if u ghost rode it) also if u are afraid of casing and cant do that when u jump bronco and "pull" the back up. think of it like an ollie on a skateboard. and ya it looks like u are trying to hold a marble in ur ass so i would say to loosen up.
 

Savage_Animal

Monkey
Feb 3, 2008
658
0
Norcal
Thanks for the advice everyone. Can someone post a pic of someone with perfect form doing a jump from the side angle with no tricks or anything just so I can see what I should look like. thanks.
 

demo 9

Turbo Monkey
Jan 31, 2007
5,910
46
north jersey






think of the way a baseball has an arch. your bike should do the same.

sometimes a whip will help because as u throw the back out you can lean down toward the tranny to get it back
 

ZHendo

Turbo Monkey
Oct 29, 2006
1,661
147
PNW
it looks like you're pulling up on the front end of the bike a lot, i used to look sorta like that when i first started riding. basically, you do need to loosen up and don't worry about pulling on the bars, the bike should do it for you. you don't need to level out the bike in the air either, it seems like you're trying to keep the front end up when you should be nosing in to the landing. trying turning your bars and doing little whips if you can, it'll make it so you can't pull on the bars as much without getting off balance.
 

BIGHITR

WINNING!
Nov 14, 2007
1,084
0
Maryland, east coast.
Try bending your knees and compressing the shocks just before take off at the base of the jump, then lift up as you take off. Just like you bounce up and down on your bike to do a bunny hop, just do it as you are launching. Compress down on hitting the bottom of the jump, then push upward on your legs on lift off. This might be a way to keep your balance centered like motocross guys do. I never let the jump push me up for fear of the rear bucking up and over. I find pulling up on the fork and preloading suspension just before the lip, helps get a good lift off. Just my input. Hope it helps.
 

cmc

Turbo Monkey
Nov 17, 2006
2,052
6
austin
try centering your weight BEHIND your bottom bracket when approaching and launching. you look like you're too centered over the front end of your bike. bend your knees and get low. let the front end come up first. then peak out by pushing bars forward/lifting etc.
 

BIGHITR

WINNING!
Nov 14, 2007
1,084
0
Maryland, east coast.
THE DANCING HAMBURGER!!!
"Everybody want's some, how bout you..."

"Sorry bout blowing up your moms face ricki."

Monique "He keeps putting his testicles all over me."
Lane Meyer: Excuse me?
Monique "You know, like octopus? Testicles?
Lane Meyer: Ohhhh. You mean his tentacles, tentacles. Big difference.

I WANT MY TWO DOLLARS!!!

that movie RULED!!!
 

eaterofdog

ass grabber
Sep 8, 2006
8,186
1,426
Central Florida
Ima throw my 2 cents in here.

After you leave the lip, push the bars out a little, point your feet down and pull the bike up (with your feet) so the tire buzzes you on the rump. If you can do this and keep boosting off the lip, you will be getting some nice air. And you can get the front tire down for graceful landings.
 

Savage_Animal

Monkey
Feb 3, 2008
658
0
Norcal
Thanks for all the help guys! Nextt ime i can get out to the jumps I am going ot take some new pic and post them up and try to work on my style/form.

thanks again for the help.
 

Savage_Animal

Monkey
Feb 3, 2008
658
0
Norcal
Ok sorry for the long wait, I pulled a muscle in my shoulder.

Anyway, here is a pic from just this afternoon, I tried to get back and not hump the bars. Is this the RIGHT way to jump?

 

ZHendo

Turbo Monkey
Oct 29, 2006
1,661
147
PNW
looks much better, but you're standing almost completely straight up and dead sailor-ing. i'm not saying you're jumping "wrong", i'm just trying to say it could look better. one remedy is to just turn the bars a little bit in the air, it'll make you loosen up if you aren't comfortable trying anything else. also, one thing i noticed is it seems that you're extending your legs when you leave the jump, which is good, but then you stay extended in the air. you're supposed to press into the front of the jump, but when you leave the lip let the bike kind of tuck back in under you.