How to manual

A manual is balancing on your back two wheels while you roll, like a wheelie. There's no pop, no flip, nothing spinning. It's just balance, and it's one of the best tricks for building board control, because it trains you to feel exactly where your weight is.

Foot placement

• Back foot: on the tail, a bit further back than for an ollie. Some skaters put their toes on the tail and their heel hanging off.
• Front foot: near the front bolts or a bit behind them, depending on comfort.
• Knees: slightly bent, so you can adjust.

The balance point

Every manual is a balancing act between two things:

• Too far back: the tail scrapes the ground and the board stops or slides out.
• Too far forward: the front wheels drop down.

The balance point is between those. When you find it, the board feels light and steady, with the nose up and the tail just off the ground.

The motion

1. Roll at an easy speed on smooth, flat ground.
2. Shift your weight back onto your back foot, smoothly, not with a jerk.
3. Lift the front wheels off the ground.
4. Hold the balance point. Use small adjustments with your knees and front foot, and your arms out for balance.
5. Set down by shifting your weight forward until the front wheels touch.

A practice plan

1. Stationary on carpet or grass: find the balance point without rolling. You'll feel how little movement it takes.
2. Short and slow: roll slowly and hold for a second or two.
3. Between two lines: pick two cracks in a sidewalk and try to manual between them. Make the gap bigger as you improve.
4. Through a whole sidewalk square.
5. Then onto and off things, like a low manual pad, once flat ground feels easy.

A worked example: tail scraping every time

Leo's manuals keep turning into tail drags. He films from the side and sees he's dropping his whole body back to lift the nose. So he keeps his shoulders more over the board and lets his hips do the shifting, with his back knee bent more. The nose comes up without the tail touching, and his manuals go from half a meter to a whole sidewalk square.

Small adjustments do the work

The trick to longer manuals is tiny corrections:

• If the nose starts dropping, press a tiny bit more on the back foot.
• If the tail is about to touch, ease forward a hair with the front foot.
• Use your arms to help. They're counterweights.
• Look ahead, not at the board. Your balance follows your eyes.

Nose manuals

A nose manual is the same thing on the front two wheels. Your front foot moves forward onto or near the nose, and your back foot goes near the back bolts. It usually feels harder because you're looking down at the ground ahead of you. Learn the regular manual first.

Speed and ground

Manuals are much easier on the right ground at the right speed:

• Smooth ground matters. Cracks and pebbles catch the back wheels and throw you off.
• Medium speed is easiest. Too slow and small mistakes knock you off balance; too fast and you can't correct before the end.
• A slight slope makes it feel easier because you don't lose speed. Flat ground is the honest test.

Getting into and out of a manual

A manual on its own is a trick, but it's also how skaters link tricks together. Once you're comfortable, try an ollie into a manual (land the ollie with your weight back so you go straight into it), or a manual into a shove-it out (pop the tail at the end to spin out). Start with ollie-in, manual, set-down before you add anything at the end.

Manual pads

Skateparks often have a low, flat box called a manual pad. Getting up onto it with an ollie and manualing across the top is the classic next step. Learn to land the ollie on the pad, then add the manual, then roll or ollie off the end.

Common mistakes

• Leaning your whole body back. It's the hips, not the shoulders.
• Stiff legs. Bent knees let you adjust.
• Going too fast too soon. Speed makes mistakes bigger.
• Looking down at the board. Look ahead.

FAQ

Is a manual the same as a wheelie?

Basically, yes. Skaters call it a manual.

How long should I be able to hold it?

There's no rule. Start with a second, then a sidewalk square, then longer.

Can I manual in a game of SKATE?

Many house rules allow manual tricks on flat ground. Check what your game allows.

Do I need an ollie to learn manuals?

No. Manuals don't need a pop, so they're a good early trick.

Next: How to kickflip

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