# Help me how to whip.



## darkzeon (Jun 15, 2006)

Looking for some advise on how to get more sideways. Yes, I've seen, searched some videos on how to do moto whips but, I can't still whip it to a wow factor whip. 

I did notice that the ones who can get sideways have their head "straight" and tweak the bar followed by the hips. I tend to twist my head just after twisting the bar, after that I can see the back end of the bike. I think that's why I'm having the false sensation that I have gone sideways but, not as sideways enough. 

So, looking for some pointers:

1. Should I have my head, eyes as stationary as possible and minimize looking back?
2. What do you focus more on, upper body or twisting the hips?

Tips, pointers will be truly appreciated.


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## howardyudoing (Mar 31, 2010)

Try initiating the rotation earlier off the lip of the take off, as if doing a 360. Then once you're in the air look straight toward the landing.


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## igotbanned (Oct 20, 2007)

Yup, its all about pushing into the face of the jump on takeoff. I ride into the jump almost as if its gonna be a hip jump to the left (whipping right), preload hard on the back tire (most important part), and just as the back wheel leaves the dirt - push out with my legs and pull in on the bars, such that the rotation point of the bike is just about the middle of the top tube. To pull the whip back, push out and back towards center with the bars and pull on the pedals with your feet to get the rear end back.

Ian Bergman at Boondocks in San Luis Obispo, California, United States - photo by ibergman - Pinkbike starting the whip - pull bars back and sideways, feet out
Ian Bergman at Livewire in Tahoe, California, United States - photo by ibergman - Pinkbike ending the whip - push the bars back to center and pull feet towards yourself. (photos approx. 1 year apart, lol)

Moral of the story, the whip starts before takeoff, not midair. Hope that helps some!

And definitely not me, but copy this guy at 1:41 Dustin Gilding - The Revealing :: PT.1 Video - Pinkbike


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## howardyudoing (Mar 31, 2010)

plus whips are more fun when you get the "oh S***t" feeling right before you land.


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## darkzeon (Jun 15, 2006)

Do you guys approach the lip crouched, like trying to squash it or more upright position?


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## darkzeon (Jun 15, 2006)

Wow, that Dustin Gliding video blew my mind. Awesome trail and riding. Gonna try and tweak my "technique", hopefully get some decent steeze...attempt to that is.


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## #Cyclelife (Jul 21, 2009)

Dustin killing berms @ 2:05! That is a great slo-mo ship @ 1:41 though!


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## ustemuf (Oct 12, 2009)

if i'm hipping left (whipping to the right), as i'm going off the lip i tuck my right side handlebar into my left hip, and twist my hips/butt to the outside as i do this. my weight is mostly on the outside pedal as well.. 

as you start to descend from the apex of the jump start untwisting to bring it back.

being comfortable and loose is the key to doing it. the more you think about it when practicing the stiffer you'll be. just have fun and you'll get better with time!


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## C S (Sep 26, 2007)

igotbanned said:


> Yup, its all about pushing into the face of the jump on takeoff. I ride into the jump almost as if its gonna be a hip jump to the left (whipping right)


That's a big thing right there. I always refer to it as carving off the lip. Whipping right - ride into the jump at a bit of a right angle and start carving left as you get on the jump. Keep it going off the lip. The more you exaggerate your body motion and the harder you push with your legs/pull with your arms, the bigger the whip.

You can kind of see two parts of this going on in this picture. I (wearing the camera) am turned just a bit to the right as I get into the jump while you can see how my buddy has his legs extended/arms pulled.


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## supramk388 (Mar 6, 2007)

*any of you?*



C S said:


> That's a big thing right there. I always refer to it as carving off the lip. Whipping right - ride into the jump at a bit of a right angle and start carving left as you get on the jump. Keep it going off the lip. The more you exaggerate your body motion and the harder you push with your legs/pull with your arms, the bigger the whip.
> 
> You can kind of see two parts of this going on in this picture. I (wearing the camera) am turned just a bit to the right as I get into the jump while you can see how my buddy has his legs extended/arms pulled.


Any pics of you whipping?


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## genemk (Sep 15, 2009)

Any tips for bringing the whip back? I can get halfway to sideways, maybe even a bit more sometimes, but am afraid to go further because I don't always bring it back in time and have had some close calls as a result. I've been told to twist past the center point in the opposite direction of whip when bringing it back if I need to bring it back more. I know I can land on the front wheel to ride it out, but that only gets you so far.


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## howardyudoing (Mar 31, 2010)

^^^ more air = more time to make adjustments, but you'd have to have a large sac for getting that sideways.


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## genemk (Sep 15, 2009)

I'm trying these on everything up to a 35ft jump we have so I think that's plenty of air. Didn't wanna test it on the 50ft Crabapple hits until I got it dialed. I'm missing something in my technique for bringing it back. Just need a bit more practice I guess.


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## juan pablo (Jan 17, 2007)

I might be wrong and I am not the best whipper snapper but I have found that I cannot rotate my bike for a hip or whip unless my bike is leaned over slightly, kinda like a giro effect. Bringing my bike back other than counter steering I find it helps to push out on the opposite hand/grip and not just turning the bars.


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## dhbike8 (Jan 23, 2006)

Hope this helps, this is how I whip, written for whipping to the left, as pictured.

Off the lip, drop your right shoulder a bit and pop the lip as you leave it.
Turn the bars to the right, and rotate your shoulders, and hips, slightly to the right as well.
Depending on how much time you have turn your bars to the left halfway through the jump
(The pictured jump is only 15' so I didn't make it to 90*)
This will kick the rear end out a bit more and then start straightening the bike. 
Ideally the bike will be back straight but if not push the front down or tap the brakes to bring the nose down, If you land front wheel first and you are looking ahead you can land completely sideways without issue.


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## csermonet (Feb 2, 2009)

Depends which way I'm whipping. I ride left foot forward, and when I whip to the right I really try to lean like I'm hitting a hip jump and really try to throw my hips and get a nice bar turn to help the motion. When I whip left I try to do the same off the lip. When in the air I turn my bars to the right and make sure to get my shoulders turning too and it really lets me get my hips engaged and the bike really flys sideways. I'm just learning and everyones technique is different. And ways of describing it for that matter. Thats what's so cool about a whip though because everyone has a different style.

I also agree with ustemuf's comment about thinking too much and remaining loose. You always keep in mind what the motion looks like, the key is to stay loose on the bike and not think too much in the moment about the whip. At least that's what worked and is working for me.


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## Gman086 (Jul 4, 2004)

genemk said:


> Any tips for bringing the whip back? I can get halfway to sideways, maybe even a bit more sometimes, but am afraid to go further because I don't always bring it back in time and have had some close calls as a result. I've been told to twist past the center point in the opposite direction of whip when bringing it back if I need to bring it back more. I know I can land on the front wheel to ride it out, but that only gets you so far.


Yeah, just get more air. Learned that the hard way breaking my shoulder off my arm at Post Canyon - got 90 deg sideways but did not have enough air to get the front tire back down straight ahead and slammed into the next hit's woodwork.

Have FUN!

G MAN


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## evasive (Feb 18, 2005)

Yeah, that video is rad. I missed it the first time around; thanks for the link.


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## ustemuf (Oct 12, 2009)

dhbike8 said:


> Hope this helps, this is how I whip, written for whipping to the left, as pictured.
> 
> Off the lip, drop your right shoulder a bit and pop the lip as you leave it.
> Turn the bars to the right, and rotate your shoulders, and hips, slightly to the right as well.
> ...


you can get 90 on that jump :thumbsup:


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## delirian (Jan 1, 2009)

here you go matey, see how the pro's do it. hope this helps you. 
Coastal Crew: How to do a Whip


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## darkzeon (Jun 15, 2006)

ustemuf said:


> you can get 90 on that jump :thumbsup:


That's what I'm aiming for, nice whipper snapper Ustemuf! BTW, hope you're recovering from your injury. :thumbsup:

I got some decent jumps to get "more air", the lips on my jumps aren't that wide to carve off though. Now i just need to grow bigger balls to commit getting a 90. Gonna keep in mind all the tips discussed here.

Curtis makes it look so easy :madman:


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## Moosey (May 18, 2010)

my friend learned how to whip way before I did. We rode together all the time, same spots, same times, but somehow he picked it up way quicker. he carves the lip hard, and gets the bike really sideways, then somehow pulls it back. I dunno how he does it. I tried carving the lip a few times, and found myself off balance every time. My friend tried teaching me his way, and I couldn't get it. I started getting really frustrated. I just kinda said screw it, i don't care about whipping, I just care about having fun... and let it go for a while.

I recently found a nice step and decided to try some whips off it. within an hour or two I was whipping like crazy. I hit the lip strait on, and pull the bars back, while pushing forward with my legs. I don't carve the lip or anything. It's a unique style, and (IMO) doesn't look as good as the carvy whips, but at least its something...

I guess what I'm trying to say, is don't get frustrated. If you can't get it, let it go for a while and come back to it. while i was trying backflips into the foampit at whistler, almost everyone I talked to said it took them two times at the foampit to get backflips. They said they get annoyed and frustrated, give up (in a way) and come back to it later, only to nail them right away.

Whips are a unique thing. Look at pros. a lot of them have differing techniques. There's no right or wrong technique. it something that's hard to teach. Just work on it and give it time.

heres some of mine..






























and a short vidya (skip to about 18 seconds in)


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## genemk (Sep 15, 2009)

Nice pics Moosey! Got a backflip on 4th try at the Whistler foam pit. My friend and I were pretty shocked. Now as for trying it on dirt. Not sure I'm willing to go for it just yet.


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## mattkock (Mar 19, 2009)

One footed 2001.


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## Moosey (May 18, 2010)

genemk said:


> Nice pics Moosey! Got a backflip on 4th try at the Whistler foam pit. My friend and I were pretty shocked. Now as for trying it on dirt. Not sure I'm willing to go for it just yet.


Wow, I got it on my 9th or 10th try. I crushed my nuts and split my knee open too. I'm not taking it to dirt yet lol. Plus I want to try it on a resi-ramp first. Luckily, woodward tahoe is about 1.5 hours away, and they have indoor foam and resi, so expect to see a backflip attempt (attempt being a key word) to dirt next summer.

Back to the thread... How's the whips coming?


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## darkzeon (Jun 15, 2006)

I don't have pics right now. Hopefully I can get close to a 90 (that would be my christmas wishlist, since I'm broke for parts, upgrade on skills  ).

This pic was taken before this thread, not really trying to whip it, just twisting bar. It's a decent gap (scary enough for me). I feel this is the "peak" part, and it's where I really need to commit getting it sideways. I just need to make the receiver a bit longer and steeper, just in case I don't pull it back.


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## kdaly1 (Oct 10, 2012)

Woah, hell yeah darkzeon! That looks pretty badass! - kev


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## ron m. (Aug 1, 2009)

You're a sandbagger, Pare!

If that's not a badass whip, I don't know what is. You're more sideways than 90% of guys I see (bike park and trails).


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## darkzeon (Jun 15, 2006)

ron m. said:


> You're a sandbagger, Pare!
> 
> If that's not a badass whip, I don't know what is. You're more sideways than 90% of guys I see (bike park and trails).


Aiming for 90 bro or at least close to it. I pull back my bars when I get out of my comfort zone. Gonna be riding this weekend, try out the others "technique" discussed here.


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## ronnyg801 (Oct 4, 2008)

Green River, UT - Yeti Cycles on Vimeo

0:34 second in, watch it, over and over and over


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## arkon11 (Jul 26, 2009)

That's not really a "whip" it's more of a scrub. At least that's how I look at it.


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## darkzeon (Jun 15, 2006)

Update. Took these pics from last weekend. Crappy pics though.

I think this is an ok whip on the practice jump. Not on the big jump though, and not pulled back (pretty sure the back end is begging mercy on the landings). Going to try it out next weekend with a bit more air time, and pulled back.










Also had the chance to sneak in a bit of "Gangnam" style while practicing


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## darkzeon (Jun 15, 2006)

My whips, so far...trying to do it left and right. Sorry for the water mark.


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## delirian (Jan 1, 2009)

coming along nicely,,, keep up the good work,


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## darkzeon (Jun 15, 2006)

delirian said:


> coming along nicely,,, keep up the good work,


Thanks.


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