How to Fix Common Ollie Mistakes
Identify and correct the five most common skateboard ollie mistakes, including improper foot placement, flat-footed popping, and unbalanced landing postures.
- Read the tools, materials, safety notes, and steps below for free.
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- Allow camera and microphone. Point your phone at the work; the coach watches your progress and tells you the next step.
🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ Complete skateboard
- ✓ Flat-soled skate shoes
- ✓ Certified skate helmet
- ✓ Knee pads
- ✓ Flat, smooth concrete surface
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ Sidewalk chalk (for marking foot placement)
- ✓ Skateboard grip tape (pre-applied)
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Always wear a helmet and protective pads when practicing on hard surfaces.
- • Ensure the practice area is free of pebbles, cracks, and moisture.
- • Warm up ankles and knees with light stretches before practicing explosive jumps.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (5 Steps)
Correct Foot Placement and Stance
Place the ball of your back foot directly in the center pocket of the tail. Position your front foot 2-3 inches behind the front hardware bolts, angled slightly forward at about 15 to 30 degrees. Keep your shoulders aligned parallel with the board rather than facing forward.
- • Back foot ball centered on tail tip with heel hanging slightly off
- • Front foot angled 2-3 inches below front bolts
- • Shoulders fully square and parallel to the deck's centerline
- • Placing entire back foot flat across the tail
- • Turning shoulders wide open toward the nose
Fix the Pop Mechanics and Ankle Snap
Crouch down by bending your knees while keeping your torso upright. Jump upward with your body weight first, then snap the tail against the ground using a quick downward flick of your back ankle just as your body rises.
- • Knees bent to roughly 90 degrees with head directly over board center
- • Back ankle snaps downward right as body ascends upward
- • Audible sharp crack against the ground without back foot pinning the tail down
- • Stomping downward with the entire leg instead of flicking the ankle
- • Leaving back foot on the tail, trapping it against the concrete
Correct the Front Foot Ankle Roll and Slide
Roll your front ankle inward so the outer suede of your shoe contacts the grip tape. Slide your shoe up the length of the board toward the nose pocket to drag the deck into the air.
- • Front ankle rolled inward at roughly a 45-degree angle
- • Outer edge of the front shoe sliding smoothly all the way to the nose curvature
- • Sliding the front foot flat without rolling the ankle
- • Kicking straight forward off the front of the board
Level the Board by Sucking Up the Back Knee
As your front foot reaches the nose, push slightly forward against the nose pocket while retracting your back knee tightly up toward your chest. This creates a seesaw effect that brings the tail up level with the nose at the peak of the jump.
- • Both knees retracted deeply toward the chest at peak height
- • Skateboard floating completely parallel to the ground in mid-air
- • Back foot floating just above or resting lightly against the leveled tail
- • Keeping back leg straight or stiff after popping
- • Failing to push forward on the nose with the front foot
Commit and Land Symmetrically Over the Bolts
Spot your landing as the board reaches its peak and extend both feet downward together. Catch the board with both feet spread wide over the front and back truck hardware bolts, absorbing the impact by bending your knees.
- • Feet landing directly over the eight truck mounting screws
- • Knees flexing to absorb the downward impact
- • Upper body centered directly between the wheels without leaning
- • Landing with feet close together in the center of the deck
- • Landing with stiff, locked knees
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by Regular Jason — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No Flat, smooth concrete surface? Smooth outdoor basketball court asphalt or short, firm grass (for stationary pop mechanics)
- No Sidewalk chalk? Small strips of masking tape on the deck edge to indicate foot positions