How to Tail Whip
Practice your jumps and airing out., Wait until you've completed a quarter-turn to kick the bike., Kick the bike with your turn., Do the "washing machine.", Catch the pedal with your left foot., Guide the bike where you want it to go.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Practice your jumps and airing out.
To do a BMX tail-whip, you'll need some serious air.
It's hard (though not impossible) to tail-whip from the ground, so practice on a quarter-pipe or other jump that you can get up off the ground high enough to whip the bike around safely and have a chance of landing it.
Practice getting big air and turning around clockwise to aim forward as you land.
One good exercise when you're trying to learn is to kick off your far leg.
If you're turning to your right, practice lifting your left foot off the pedal and bringing your knee up while you picture yourself tail-whipping.
Then, bring your foot back to the pedal for the landing.
This will help you get the timing right and practice your form.The steeper the transition, the easier the trick.
For some BMXers, it's easier to transition between a quarter-pipe and a wedge to land more safely.
Do some experimenting and perfect getting good air before you try to tail-whip. -
Step 2: Wait until you've completed a quarter-turn to kick the bike.
As you're transitioning, it's usually good to kick the bike when you're just starting to turn around in the air, not quite to parallel, but in between your jump and your transition.
It'll take some work to get the timing right, but you want to make sure you've got enough time to get the pedals controlled under you before you come crashing down. , If you're transitioning to the right, you'll kick the bike with your right foot, and vice versa.
Usually, the best place to kick the back is on the frame, right under the seat.
It's also less of a "kick" and more of a push, using your motion and gravity to follow through and ease the bike around.
Most of the "whip" is done then with the wrists. , Keeping the corny dance-move called the "washing machine" in your mind is actually a good way to get the proper arm motion down for doing a tail-whip.
You want to rotate your arms around in the direction of your turn (clockwise, if you're going right) and, keeping a firm grip on the handles, whip the bike around as quickly as possible as you continue turning in the air. , The hardest part of the trick is catching the bike under you and getting your feet back on the pedals.
If you can catch it and push it down, you'll also be able to quickly find the other pedal with your other foot.
Ideally, you'll get the pedals under you for the safest and most comfortable landing.
If you want, though, you can try a one-footed landing if you can't get it situated in time, and you can use the seat some if you need to.
If you need to bail, just letting go of the bars should usually lets gravity do its work.
The bike will continue on it's trajectory away from you, and you can use your knee-pads to land safely and , When you're trying to wrangle the bike back into position, use your arms as much as possible to fight gravity.
Make it go where you want it to go to ensure a successful landing.
Bring it back and under you to position it correctly and nail it.
Keep practicing, and you'll get it eventually. -
Step 3: Kick the bike with your turn.
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Step 4: Do the "washing machine."
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Step 5: Catch the pedal with your left foot.
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Step 6: Guide the bike where you want it to go.
Detailed Guide
To do a BMX tail-whip, you'll need some serious air.
It's hard (though not impossible) to tail-whip from the ground, so practice on a quarter-pipe or other jump that you can get up off the ground high enough to whip the bike around safely and have a chance of landing it.
Practice getting big air and turning around clockwise to aim forward as you land.
One good exercise when you're trying to learn is to kick off your far leg.
If you're turning to your right, practice lifting your left foot off the pedal and bringing your knee up while you picture yourself tail-whipping.
Then, bring your foot back to the pedal for the landing.
This will help you get the timing right and practice your form.The steeper the transition, the easier the trick.
For some BMXers, it's easier to transition between a quarter-pipe and a wedge to land more safely.
Do some experimenting and perfect getting good air before you try to tail-whip.
As you're transitioning, it's usually good to kick the bike when you're just starting to turn around in the air, not quite to parallel, but in between your jump and your transition.
It'll take some work to get the timing right, but you want to make sure you've got enough time to get the pedals controlled under you before you come crashing down. , If you're transitioning to the right, you'll kick the bike with your right foot, and vice versa.
Usually, the best place to kick the back is on the frame, right under the seat.
It's also less of a "kick" and more of a push, using your motion and gravity to follow through and ease the bike around.
Most of the "whip" is done then with the wrists. , Keeping the corny dance-move called the "washing machine" in your mind is actually a good way to get the proper arm motion down for doing a tail-whip.
You want to rotate your arms around in the direction of your turn (clockwise, if you're going right) and, keeping a firm grip on the handles, whip the bike around as quickly as possible as you continue turning in the air. , The hardest part of the trick is catching the bike under you and getting your feet back on the pedals.
If you can catch it and push it down, you'll also be able to quickly find the other pedal with your other foot.
Ideally, you'll get the pedals under you for the safest and most comfortable landing.
If you want, though, you can try a one-footed landing if you can't get it situated in time, and you can use the seat some if you need to.
If you need to bail, just letting go of the bars should usually lets gravity do its work.
The bike will continue on it's trajectory away from you, and you can use your knee-pads to land safely and , When you're trying to wrangle the bike back into position, use your arms as much as possible to fight gravity.
Make it go where you want it to go to ensure a successful landing.
Bring it back and under you to position it correctly and nail it.
Keep practicing, and you'll get it eventually.
About the Author
Larry Hayes
A passionate writer with expertise in hobbies topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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