How to heelflip

The heelflip is the kickflip's opposite. Instead of flicking the board off the heel side with your toes, you kick it off the toe side with your heel, and the board flips the other way. Some skaters find it easier than a kickflip, some find it much harder. Either way, it's the second flip trick most people learn.

How a heelflip works

You pop the tail like an ollie. Your front foot slides up, and instead of leveling the board, your heel kicks off the toe-side corner of the nose, forward and out. That spins the board one full turn under you, flipping toward your toe side. You jump, let it flip, and catch it.

Foot placement

• Back foot: ball of the foot on the tail, like an ollie, roughly in the middle.
• Front foot: pointing straight across the board, just behind the front bolts, with your toes hanging slightly off the toe-side edge.

That overhang is what lets your heel hit the toe-side corner of the nose as you kick.

The motion

1. Crouch like an ollie.
2. Pop the tail.
3. Slide and kick. Slide your front foot up a little, then kick your heel forward and out off the toe-side corner of the nose. Think of kicking diagonally forward, not straight out to the side.
4. Jump up and lift your knees so the board can flip under you.
5. Catch the board when the grip comes back around, usually back foot first, then front.
6. Land over the bolts, knees bent.

A practice plan

1. Stationary on grass or carpet: just kick and watch which way the board flips.
2. Stationary on smooth ground, holding something for balance, catching it with your feet.
3. Rolling slowly.
4. Rolling at normal speed.

Film from the front and from the side. From the front you'll see if the board is going out to the side; from the side, whether you're jumping forward.

A worked example: the board shoots forward

Jay's heelflips keep flipping, but the board lands ahead of him. He films a few and sees he's kicking straight forward with his heel, not out. He changes the kick to forward and slightly out off the toe-side corner, and keeps his shoulders square. The board flips under him, and he starts catching it.

Heelflip vs kickflip

• Kickflip: front foot angled, flick off the heel-side corner with the side of your toes. The board flips toward your heel side.
• Heelflip: front foot straight across with toes off the toe edge, kick off the toe-side corner with your heel. The board flips toward your toe side.

Both use the same pop, and both need you to jump up, not forward. In a game of SKATE, each is its own trick, and so is each stance.

Fixes for the usual problems

• Board doesn't flip: kick harder, and make sure your toes hang off the toe edge so your heel can hit the corner.
• Board goes out to the side: your kick is too far out. Kick more forward.
• Board shoots forward: your kick is straight forward. Add some out.
• Board flips but you land behind it: you're leaning back. Shoulders over the board.
• Board rotates sideways as it flips: your shoulders are turning. Keep them square.

Why the shoulders matter more here

Heelflips are famous for turning into accidental frontside spins. The heel kick pulls your front leg forward and out, and your shoulders want to follow it. When they open up, the board rotates sideways as it flips and lands crooked, or you end up turning. Keep your shoulders square to the board, and your head over it, from the pop to the catch. If you film from the front, you'll see it immediately: square shoulders mean the board flips straight under you.

Variations

The same heel kick shows up in fakie heelflips, nollie heelflips and switch heelflips, and in combinations like the varial heelflip, where the board also spins frontside like a shove-it. Each is its own trick in a game of SKATE.

Common mistakes

• Front foot angled like a kickflip. For a heelflip, keep it straight across.
• Kicking straight forward or straight out. It's a diagonal: forward and out.
• Not jumping high enough.
• Opening your shoulders. Keep them square to the board.

FAQ

Is a heelflip easier than a kickflip?

For some skaters, yes. Many people learn the kickflip first, but it varies.

Which way does the board flip?

Toward your toe side, the opposite of a kickflip.

Which foot catches first?

Usually the back foot, then the front.

Do I need a kickflip first?

No, but you need a solid ollie.

Next: How to boardslide

Join the testers at skatelabs.app/testers and play a Game of SKATE with your friends. Global SKATE is free and in testing on iPhone and Android.