Chris Daniels

Jun 11, 2022

How to Ollie on a Fingerboard

That's right, friends, we are back with another trick tip. This time it's the building block from which almost every trick you will learn stems.

I recommend learning the ollie while 1) standing up and 2) moving. This will help to prevent some nasty habits that can affect your fingerboarding.

Note: Even though our hobby is called Fingerboarding, use your entire arm! I find a lot of the issue with the ollie like not able to pop correctly or lack of control stem from relying heavy emphasis on the fingers. Yes, as you become more advanced in your control you can switch back to using mostly your fingers.

Finger Positioning

Your middle finger should be placed on the tip of the tail, your index finger should be placed across the board just behind the front bolts.

Movement

This trick is almost entirely in the wrist and not in the fingers so much! To pop, rotate your wrist as if you are turning a door knob. Your hand should turn about 90 degrees and not any more than that. Lift your hand up and level the board out by turning your wrist back to your initial position.

Common Issues

The Roll-Back:

Oh, the dreaded roll-back. This doesn't just affect beginners. This habit affects fingerboarders of all experience levels. Once you learn it, it can be difficult to unlearn. Luckily, with some focused practice, you can overcome the roll-back and start popping ollies with style!

First, let's break down the ollie into parts. Practice just popping the board while rolling forward. Don't worry about controlling the board or landing the ollie. Just tap the tail while raising your hand in the direction you are going. Keep practicing this motion until it's ingrained in your brain. Now that your brain is overloaded, try an ollie while focusing on popping moving forward.

Carrying:

The Roll-Back leads into another bad habit, Carrying. While it's tempting to "carry" the board past 90 degrees, stamp that habit out now! An Ollie's rotation only goes up to 90 degrees on the pop. Prevent this by practicing the movement without a fingerboard in your hand.

Tilt your hand back as if you are popping an ollie. Ensure your hand goes no more than 90 degrees. Once your hand reaches 90 degrees, quickly rotate your hand back to your starting angle while lifting your hand up. Practice this movement over and over until it feels comfortable.

Lack of Height:

This problem stems from rushing to level off the board prior to lifting the board in the air. You may not realize it, but you can actually level your board at a more casual pace. Slow it down a little, give your ollie time to breath 😮‍💨