The Snowboard Ollie

Winter is definitely here and many of us will be heading to the slopes this season for some skiing or snowboarding. When heading out, it is a great idea to have a trick or skill in mind that you plan on learning. Anything from slaloming on skis to riding your first rail on a snowboard will help to motivate your sessions on the slopes and ensure you do not get too frustrated with crowds.

Whatever trick it is that you plan on learning, see if you can find some video of it being done. Study the video carefully and keep it in your mind as you try the skill once you get out on the snow

We will keep it basic this time and take a look at the snowboard ollie. We have discussed the ollie in skateboarding in a previous post. On snow and a snowboard the trick is performed similarly. As in skateboarding, the ollie is the basis for most aerial tricks on a snowboard and therefore it is important to learn how to do a great one.

1. Try the ollie from a standing position first. Get used to the mechanics of the movement before you try the jump while moving.
2. Start with your knees bent and body upright. You do not want to bend at the hips and lean forward or backward. If you do you will have difficulty landing your ollie as you will have started the trick off balance. Bend at your knees a little though to give you some spring.
3. To start the trick, push down on your back foot moving your center of mass backward over your back foot. This will allow you to pull the front of your snowboard up and prepare you to jump off your back foot. Remember that a snowboard is also pretty flexible so pushing down on your tail will bend the board giving you some spring into the air.
4. As the nose of your board begins to pull up into the air, jump off your back foot so that your back foot comes as high as your front foot. To get higher into the air, pull your front leg higher up and jump higher off your back foot to allow your back leg to catch up in the air.
5. Once your back foot and front foot are at the same height position yourself over the center of the board and stabilize yourself for landing. Your center of mass should now be in between your feet.
6. Land on both feet evenly, so that you do not slide out once you hit the ground. Once again do not bend at the hips. Bend your knees slightly to absorb the landing.

Take a look at this video of a small ollie on a snowboard.


Watch lots of videos of the pros and film yourself to see if you can improve your style or get higher in your ollie or any other trick you try this winter.

Have fun in the snow.

Kobe Bryant Perfect Trick Shot Mechanics

Kobe Bryant is one of the three best players in the NBA. However, there can be no doubt that he makes more unbelievable and impossible shots than anyone still playing professionally on a basketball court

Take a look at this one from the LA Lakers Game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. There is no need to try and spot the trick, he is shooting over the backboard.



Kobe can make these incredible shots time after time, because of two important facts.

1. He practices making shots from almost anywhere on the court. To learn how to shoot the ball over the backboard , you need to try it and try it often. It may seem like a waste of time but professional athletes practice trick shots to give themselves more options on the field. Having a practiced trick up your sleeve also confuses your opponent who in the professional leagues has probably seen and knows how to defend the regular shots. Practicing trick shots happens in all sports. Take a look at Roger Federer and his trick shot winner at the US Open in 2009.
2. Practice is important, but what also makes this shot and many other of Kobe's trick shots possible is that he uses flawless shooting technique. Take a closer look at his mechanics in the video above as he shoots.

• Kobe gets up in the air and squares his shoulders so that he is facing the net.
• He keeps his elbow high.
• He paints the ball with his hand, allowing the ball to roll off his fingers rather than pushing it toward the basket.
• He shoots the ball on a high arc, taking advantage of the size of the basketball rim (2X the diameter of the ball).

Take a look at this video of Kobe shooting free throws. Notice that his arm mechanics here are pretty much the same as for the over the backboard shot against the thunder. Shoulders squared to the basket, elbow high, paints the ball with his hand and launches the ball on a high arc.



By using good mechanics for all his shots, Kobe is ready to try any trick shot at any time.