Master the Ollie: A Comprehensive Guide to Skateboarding’s Foundational Trick

The ollie. It’s the bedrock of modern skateboarding, the gateway to a universe of tricks, and arguably the most important skill any aspiring skateboarder can learn. Whether you dream of grinding rails, soaring over gaps, or simply cruising with style, the ollie is your starting point. This comprehensive guide will break down the ollie into manageable steps, offering detailed instructions, troubleshooting tips, and advice to help you achieve that satisfying pop and float.

Why the Ollie is Essential

Before diving into the how-to, let’s understand why the ollie is so crucial:

• Foundation for Advanced Tricks: Virtually every street and transition trick builds upon the ollie. From kickflips and heelflips to grinds and slides, the ollie provides the necessary airtime and board control.
• Obstacle Clearance: The ollie allows you to hop over cracks, small obstacles, and even larger gaps, opening up new possibilities for exploration and creative lines.
• Improved Board Control: Learning to ollie significantly enhances your overall board control, balance, and coordination.
• Confidence Booster: Landing your first ollie is a huge accomplishment that will fuel your motivation and inspire you to learn even more.

Breaking Down the Ollie: The Key Components

The ollie isn’t just one movement; it’s a sequence of coordinated actions. Let’s break down the key components:

1. Foot Placement: Proper foot placement is paramount.
2. The Pop: Generating the initial upward force.
3. The Slide: Leveling out the board in the air.
4. The Float (or Hang Time): The brief moment of weightlessness.
5. The Landing: Sticking the landing cleanly and riding away.

Step-by-Step Ollie Instructions

Here’s a detailed breakdown of each step, with tips and considerations:

1. Finding Your Stance

First, determine your natural stance: regular or goofy. Regular stance means you ride with your left foot forward, while goofy stance means your right foot is forward. If you’re unsure, try having someone gently push you forward. The foot you instinctively put forward to catch yourself is likely your front foot.

2. Foot Placement

This is where it all begins. Here’s how to position your feet:

• Back Foot: Place the ball of your back foot (the part just below your toes) on the tail of the board. Your heel should be slightly hanging off the edge. The exact placement can vary slightly depending on your preference and board feel, but aim for the ball of your foot being centered on the tail.
• Front Foot: Position your front foot slightly behind the front bolts, angled towards the nose of the board. The angle and exact placement will vary depending on your preference, but a common starting point is with your toes angled about 45 degrees towards the nose. You’ll be sliding this foot up the board, so ensure there’s enough room for a smooth slide. Experiment with different placements to find what feels most comfortable and provides the best board control.

Common Mistakes and Tips:

• Too much foot on the tail: This limits your ability to pop the board effectively.
• Front foot too close to the bolts: This restricts your sliding motion and makes it harder to level out the board.
• Feet too far apart: This can make it difficult to control the board and generate enough pop.
• Feet too close together: This limits your stability and control.
• Experiment and adjust: Don’t be afraid to adjust your foot placement slightly until you find what works best for you.

3. The Pop

The pop is the foundation of the ollie. It’s what gives you the height and lift you need to get off the ground.

• Bend Your Knees: Crouch down, bending your knees deeply. This is crucial for generating power. Imagine you’re coiling a spring, ready to release energy.
• Snap the Tail: Quickly and forcefully stomp down on the tail of the board. The goal is to make the tail hit the ground with a sharp, distinct ‘pop’. The sound is a good indicator of how well you’re executing this step.
• Jump Upward: As you snap the tail, jump upwards, bringing your knees towards your chest. This is essential for maximizing your ollie height. Don’t just stomp the tail; actively jump with it.

Common Mistakes and Tips:

• Not bending your knees enough: This limits your power and makes it difficult to get enough height.
• Not snapping the tail hard enough: The tail needs to make solid contact with the ground to generate a good pop.
• Only stomping the tail, not jumping: You need to combine the tail snap with an upward jump to get the necessary lift.
• Keeping your weight too far back: This can cause the board to shoot out from under you. Try to keep your weight centered over the board.
• Practice the pop repeatedly: Focus on getting a clean, powerful pop before moving on to the next step. Practice the pop by itself until you feel comfortable and consistent.

4. The Slide

The slide is what levels out the board in the air, turning a simple pop into a proper ollie. This is often the most challenging part for beginners.

• Slide Your Front Foot Up: Immediately after you pop the tail, slide your front foot up the nose of the board. The side of your shoe should make contact with the griptape.
• Angle and Pressure: The angle of your front foot and the amount of pressure you apply are crucial. You want to slide your foot upwards and slightly forward, guiding the nose of the board upwards. Apply gentle but firm pressure to level the board out.
• Knee Drive: As you slide your foot, drive your front knee upwards. This helps to pull the board up and level it out.

Common Mistakes and Tips:

• Not sliding your foot far enough: This will prevent the board from leveling out, and you’ll likely land tail-heavy.
• Sliding too late: You need to start sliding your foot immediately after you pop the tail.
• Sliding too early: If you slide your foot before popping, you won’t get any pop.
• Not applying enough pressure: This won’t allow you to control the board’s angle in the air.
• Sliding with too much pressure: This can cause the board to flip or become unstable.
• Focus on the timing: The timing of the pop and slide is critical. Practice coordinating these movements until they become fluid and natural.
• Visualize the slide: Imagine your foot gliding smoothly up the board, guiding the nose upwards.

5. The Float (Hang Time)

This is the brief moment of weightlessness where the board is suspended in the air. It’s during this time that you can adjust your position and prepare for the landing.

• Tuck Your Knees: Keep your knees tucked up towards your chest. This helps to keep the board close to your body and gives you more control.
• Maintain Balance: Focus on maintaining your balance and keeping your weight centered over the board.
• Prepare to Land: As you begin to descend, prepare to land with your feet over the bolts.

Common Mistakes and Tips:

• Not tucking your knees: This can cause you to lose balance and control.
• Leaning too far forward or backward: This can make it difficult to land cleanly.
• Rushing the landing: Take your time and focus on landing with your feet over the bolts.
• Focus on feeling weightless: Enjoy the brief moment of airtime and use it to prepare for the landing.

6. The Landing

A good landing is crucial for riding away smoothly and consistently.

• Feet Over the Bolts: Land with both feet over the bolts (the screws that attach the trucks to the deck). This provides the most stability and prevents the board from snapping.
• Bend Your Knees: As you land, bend your knees to absorb the impact. This will help you maintain your balance and prevent injury.
• Ride Away: Once you’ve landed, maintain your balance and ride away smoothly.

Common Mistakes and Tips:

• Landing with your feet too close together: This can make it difficult to maintain your balance.
• Landing with your feet too far apart: This can make it difficult to control the board.
• Landing with stiff legs: This can jar your joints and make it difficult to maintain your balance.
• Leaning too far forward or backward: This can cause you to fall.
• Practice landing in different positions: This will help you develop your board control and balance.
• Visualize a clean landing: Imagine yourself sticking the landing perfectly and riding away smoothly.

Troubleshooting Your Ollie

Learning to ollie can be frustrating at times. Here are some common problems and how to fix them:

• Problem: Board shooting out in front or behind you.
• Cause: Weight distribution is off.
• Solution: Focus on keeping your weight centered over the board throughout the ollie. Engage your core muscles for stability.
• Problem: Board not leveling out.
• Cause: Not sliding your front foot far enough, or not applying enough pressure.
• Solution: Focus on sliding your front foot all the way to the nose of the board, and apply gentle but firm pressure to level it out.
• Problem: Not getting enough height.
• Cause: Not bending your knees enough, not snapping the tail hard enough, or not jumping upward.
• Solution: Focus on all three of these elements. Bend your knees deeply, snap the tail forcefully, and jump upward with the board.
• Problem: Landing tail-heavy.
• Cause: Not sliding your front foot far enough, or leaning too far back.
• Solution: Focus on sliding your front foot further and keeping your weight centered over the board.
• Problem: Slipping out when popping.
• Cause: The grip tape may be worn out or your shoes might not have enough grip.
• Solution: Replace your grip tape or wear shoes with better grip.

Practice Drills for Ollie Mastery

Here are some practice drills to help you improve specific aspects of your ollie:

• The Pop Drill: Focus solely on the pop. Crouch down, snap the tail, and jump. Repeat this until you can consistently get a good pop.
• The Slide Drill: Practice sliding your front foot up the board without popping. This will help you develop the proper sliding motion.
• The Stationary Ollie: Practice ollies while standing still. This will help you get comfortable with the basic movements before trying them while moving.
• The Rolling Ollie: Once you’re comfortable with stationary ollies, start practicing them while rolling slowly.
• Over Small Objects: Start ollieing over small objects like cracks in the pavement or small pebbles. This will help you build confidence and improve your timing.

Tips for Success

• Be Patient: Learning to ollie takes time and practice. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t get it right away.
• Practice Consistently: The more you practice, the better you’ll become. Aim to practice for at least 30 minutes a day.
• Watch Videos: Watch videos of other skaters ollieing to get a better understanding of the technique.
• Get Feedback: Ask a more experienced skater to watch you ollie and give you feedback.
• Wear Protective Gear: Always wear a helmet, knee pads, and elbow pads when skating, especially when learning new tricks.
• Find a Smooth Surface: Practicing on a smooth, flat surface will make it easier to learn and improve your ollie.
• Believe in Yourself: Have confidence in your ability to learn and improve.

Advancing Your Ollie

Once you’ve mastered the basic ollie, you can start to advance your skills:

• Ollie Higher: Focus on improving your pop, slide, and jump to get more height.
• Ollie Over Obstacles: Start ollieing over larger and more challenging obstacles.
• Ollie While Moving Faster: Increase your speed as you ollie to challenge your balance and control.
• Learn Variations: Explore different variations of the ollie, such as the nollie, switch ollie, and fakie ollie.

The Journey of the Ollie

Learning to ollie is a journey, not a destination. It’s a process of continuous improvement and refinement. Embrace the challenges, celebrate the successes, and never stop pushing yourself to learn and grow as a skater. The ollie is more than just a trick; it’s a symbol of perseverance, dedication, and the boundless potential of skateboarding.

Safety First!

• Always wear a helmet. Head injuries are serious and preventable.
• Consider wearing knee and elbow pads, especially when starting out.
• Skate in safe areas away from traffic and pedestrians.
• Be aware of your surroundings and potential hazards.
• Know your limits and don’t attempt tricks beyond your skill level.
• Stay hydrated and take breaks when needed.

Now go out there, practice hard, and conquer the ollie! You’ve got this!