Manuals Are The Most Important Trick in Skateboarding

What this video teaches

The most comprehensive beginner manual tutorial available, covering every stage from a skater's very first attempt through to ollie-into-manual on pads. The standout lesson is board placement over leaning: instead of tilting your shoulders back to lift the nose, you push the board forward underneath you so the back trucks sit under your head. Includes three progressive drills and dedicated coverage of what to do when you can't seem to make progress.

Key tips

• 1Keep shoulders flat and parallel to the ground, leaning shoulders back is the #1 beginner mistake and immediately kills the manual
• 2Push the board forward under your body so the back trucks come under your head, rather than leaning your weight back
• 3Bend both knees slightly; a straight back leg lets the hip slide back and the chest tips forward, ending the manual
• 4Look forward past the end of whatever you're manualing, not down at the ground or the ledge edge
• 5For ollie-into-manual, land low and soft, barely clear the back wheels, absorb in the manual position, don't jump high and crash down
• 6Practice the balance position stationary before rolling, then work up to short distances on flat before hitting manual pads
• 7If you're fighting the balance, slow down and work the fundamental hip/shoulder position first rather than adding speed
• 8The same balance adjustments that hold a manual apply to every other trick in skating, manuals train the core skill

Summarized from the video transcript.