How to do a backflip
First of all I will say that not everyone can do a backflip, and if you try this, it's at your
own risk.
It takes some
flexibility, strength and you can't be too out of shape.
What it is:
You basically jump in the air, flip over
backwards and then land on your feet.
Getting Started:
Location: First you want a place to learn it. I suggest over some
matts or a nice
grassy place that won't hurt too bad if you screw up.
Spotter: You need a spotter, 2 is better, to help you with learning this trick. There's a couple ways they can help you.
1. You can wear a nice long belt and wear it
loosely. They'll hold onto it as you
flip so they can either hold you up if you mess up or slow your fall enough so you don't hurt.
2. You can put a hand on each of their
shoulders as they stand at your sides and you push off as you jump to help you get over and gain a
feel for the trick.
Execution: Get in an athletic
stance to start, feet shoulder width apart with your hips back, knees bent and back in a
neutral position(flat).
You will want to jump straight up, not back. Then
tucking your knees towards your chest at the highest point in your jump, throw your head back and swinging your arms up and grab your knees. You're tucking into a ball and the
angular momentum will
rotate you in the air.
Unfolding too early will result in a crash. Try to unfold as your legs when you start facing the ground.
One of the most dangerous parts of this move is the
fear. You can practice this on a trampoline first to help with the fear but DO NOT try this at a pool. That's just stupid because there's a great risk of just coming back down onto where you jumped from unless you jump straight back which isn't what you do with a backflip on land in which case it would not help you. The fear can make you crash, so be confident.
Make sure to run through it in your head a few times first, and have a spotter.
Good luck.