The frontroll is a more difficult trick to learn than a backroll. Frontrolls require your body to rotate further than a backroll. Once you learn how to frontroll, you can add variations and your own style to it.
We’re going to break learning how to frontroll down into two categories: body position and kite position.
How to Frontroll
Body Position – The key point to a front roll is the rotation. For the rotation tuck your front shoulder (or elbow) to your front knee AND look over your back shoulder. If you’re sitting at home reading this and you try this, you’ll find that your body automatically wants to rotate in that direction. Don’t stop looking over your back shoulder until you spot your landing. If you stop turning your head, you’ll stop your rotation. Commit to the rotation until you spot your landing. To help quicken your rotation you can bend your front knee and keep your back leg straight. This will help spin you around quickly.
Kite Position – You don’t need much height when doing a front roll, a couple feet is plenty high. Jump like you normally would by edging hard and sending the kite to 12 (don’t over send the kite, try to keep it at 12). At the top of your jump and in the middle of your rotation, you’re going to want to direct the kite back in front of you. Keep both hands close to the center of the bar for better kite control, slower kite movement will help you to focus on the rotation of your body. Once you begin to spot your landing, put pressure on your front hand to steer the kite forward and in the direction you want to go.
Once you understand that your head controls your rotation, you can start adding variations to the front roll. Like these:
Struggling with front rolls? Schedule an advanced lesson with us and we’ll get you making front rolls like a pro