The tailwhip is one of the easier pro tricks you can learn on a scooter. Performing a tailwhip involves jumping into the air with your scooter, kicking the deck around the handlebars in a full rotation, then landing when the deck gets back to its original position.
The tailwhip might look difficult, but it’s actually super easy and also important to learn for future tricks. If you can bunny hop on a scooter, you’re pretty much ready to learn how to tailwhip.
Today we are going to discover how to dial in your setup and manipulate your scooter in order to tailwhip like a pro.
What You Need to Tailwhip on a Scooter
We always recommend you wear a helmet and pads when attempting any scooter tricks for the first time. Protective gear will not only protect you when you fall but give you more confidence to try the trick.
You should also practice the whipping motion on the ground, first. You can then practice kicking the scooter off your front foot and get that dialed in. Once you get comfortable with both those motions, you’re ready to try it while riding.
Practice makes perfect with these kinds of stunts. Don’t feel discouraged if you don’t get it on your first try. Most riders will only get the handle on a tailwhip after numerous tries.
We recommend practicing into a foam pit, first, until you learn how to stick the landing. This lets you dial the motion without hurting yourself.
How to Tailwhip on a Scooter with Jax Whittaker
Hey guys, Jax Whittaker her from Sacrifice Scooters, and today I am going to teach you how to tailwhip a scooter. So before you start trying tailwhips you want to get the motion dialed, keep trying that until you feel comfortable with it. And when you do feel comfortable, when you’re trying to tailwhip, you want to kick it off your front foot and spin it with your arms. So kick it off with your front foot and spin it with your arms. Keep trying that and get it dialed, and then, yeah, pretty much, center to the quarter and I pretty much guarantee you’ll get it in the first five tries. So yeah, have fun learning tailwhips.
Quick Steps on How to Tailwhip a Scooter
1. Try to practice your first attempts into a foam pit, airbag, or something similar
2. Stand on the scooter in a comfortable stance – regular for righthanded riders and goofy for lefthanded riders
3. Grip the middle of the handlebars with both hands
4. Push off a few times with your back foot to get moving
5. Jump as high as you can
6. Kick the deck of the scooter behind you with your back foot
7. Use your arms to assist the spin during the whip
8. Watch the deck closely to spot your landing
9. Bring both feet down on top of the deck to stop its rotation
10. Bend your knees to absorb the impact
11. Ride away smoothly
Detailed Instruction on How to Perform a Scooter Tailwhip
Start by standing on the scooter in the most comfortable stance. Place your leading foot near the front of the scooter behind the handlebar. Then position your back foot just in front of the rear wheel. Righthanded riders will generally use the “regular” stance with their left foot to the front. If you’re lefthanded, though, you should use the “goofy” stance with your right foot forward instead. Getting this foot placement right will make your take-off and landing much easier.
Bend your knees slightly to get ready to jump. Grab the middle of the bars with both hands. You need to use your arms to stabilise both the scooter and your own body. They will also play a huge part in assisting the rotation of the deck, so keep them in place until you complete the trick.
Your handlebars should be at a height that feels natural to you. You should stay loose and relaxed; if you hold on too tight it will make your arms rigid which will spread to the rest of your body and impact your jump, timing, and landing.
You will also need to build up some speed; about the pace of a slow jog. After your last push, put your back foot back on the deck and always keep your eyes fixed on the direction you’re riding.
Performing a Tailwhip
Start your jump and pull up on the handlebars. This will lift the scooter up with you, tuck your knees to get more elevation, and create as much space as possible between the wheels and ground. Make sure your feet don’t come up before the deck.
Kick the deck of the scooter behind you with your back foot at the peak of your jump. This will cause the deck to swing outward in a wide circle away from you. This is the whip part of the trick. Make sure you don’t cross your legs during the kick or you could end up landing awkwardly.
You should also use your arms to assist the spin during the whip. This is the movement you dialed in while practicing on the ground. At the same moment your feet leave the deck, tilt the handlebars slightly in the direction that it’s moving. Pump your arms up and down then tilt the other way as it starts to swing back around. This will make the deck rotate faster. Your hands should never leave the handlebars during the tailwhip.
Landing
Watch the deck closely to spot your landing. Try to follow the deck as it finishes its rotation. Time your movement to match the deck so you can anticipate your landing and transition right back to riding. Bring both feet down onto the deck to stop its rotation. Aim to stop the deck just before the wheels touch down to the ground. You should return your feet to their original placement before the jump. Try to land on the balls of your feet, rather than your midfoot or heels, for better balance and movement into the next trick.
We recommend bending your knees to absorb the impact of your landing. Sinking your weight into the deck will take most of the shock off the landing and also lowers your center of gravity to improve balance. If you land with your legs straight, the moment of the jump might throw you forward, causing a fall. Learning to brace yourself and lower your center of gravity is important if you plan to tailwhip off ramps and obstacles, safely.
Finishing Your Trick
As soon as you touch down, look back in the direction you’re riding and regain control over your scooter. Watch out for nearby obstacles. The last thing you want to do is complete a sick trick then eat curb because you weren’t aware of your surroundings.
As you keep practicing, you’ll be able to jump and take your whip higher, meaning you can start adding stalls, grinds, and other tricks before and after the tailwhip.
Want to tear it up at the park? Wanting to start tailwhips or up your game? Explore the Sacrifice Scooter range today. We have a wide range of scooters to suit every rider. From decks, bars, and wheel to completes. Sacrifice Scooters has everything you need to become Australia’s next pro rider!
