advanced // flatground
Switch Kickflip
A kickflip performed in switch stance — your non-dominant footing. Every motion is mirrored from your regular kickflip.
The Switch Kickflip is an advanced Flatground trick. Most skaters land their first one within 4-12 months of consistent practice.
Spec
- Difficulty
- advanced
- Complexity
- Learn time
- 4-12 monthsⓘ
- Category
- Flatground
- Stance
- switch
Your progress
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Switch stance
Your weakest stance — more pop, and watch your shoulders and weight.
- Pop harder: you're popping with your 'wrong' (non-dominant) back foot.
- Square your shoulders and stay centered — you'll be inclined to over-rotate backward.
- Treat it like relearning the trick from scratch; reps build the muscle memory.
Variant of Kickflip
Steps
- 1
Build switch ollie foundation
Switch kickflips require solid switch ollies. Spend significant time there before adding the flip.
- Force
- ●●○○○
- Direction
- centered
- Weight
- centered
TipIf your switch ollies are inconsistent, switch kickflips will be much more so. - 2
Mirror your stance
Mirror your regular kickflip foot placement exactly — same positions, opposite feet.
- Force
- ●○○○○
- Direction
- centered
- Weight
- centered
TipFilm yourself in regular stance, then intentionally mirror every detail for switch. - 3
Pop and flick switch
Pop with your switch-back foot and flick with your switch-front foot.
- Force
- ●●●●○
- Direction
- up
- Weight
- centered
TipYour switch front foot must flick just as decisively as your regular front foot. - 4
Catch and land switch
Catch the flip and land riding in switch stance.
- Force
- ●●●●○
- Direction
- down
- Weight
- centered
TipYou land riding switch — this is normal.
Common mistakes
No height in switch
- What
- Switch stance limits ollie height and flip doesn't complete.
- Why
- Switch pop is weaker than regular pop.
- Fix
- Spend more time on switch ollies. Switch pop strength comes directly from switch ollie practice.
Flip is off-axis
- What
- The flip goes at an angle instead of cleanly along the length.
- Why
- Switch front foot flick isn't as precise as regular.
- Fix
- Isolate the switch flick motion. Practice just the flick without popping.
Track your progress
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Community clips
How other skaters land the Switch Kickflip. Hype the ones you rate — the most hyped becomes this trick’s cover in the catalog.
Why this works
The mechanics behind the trick
- Board
- The board mechanics are identical to a regular kickflip, but your body has to learn entirely new motor patterns from the opposite stance.
- Feet
- Your normally-back foot now pops, and your normally-front foot now flicks.
- Weight
- Switch stance often naturally shifts weight differently. Deliberate centering is required.
Frequently asked
- How long does it take to learn a Switch Kickflip?
- Most skaters land their first switch kickflip within 4-12 months of consistent practice, once you can kickflip and switch ollie consistently.
- What should I learn before the Switch Kickflip?
- The switch kickflip builds on Kickflip and Switch Ollie. Get those consistent first, since the switch kickflip reuses the same pop, balance, or flick.
- What should I learn after the Switch Kickflip?
- Once your switch kickflip is consistent, the natural next tricks are Switch Heelflip and Switch Tre Flip.
- Is the Switch Kickflip hard to learn?
- The switch kickflip is an advanced trick. It gets much easier once you can already kickflip and switch ollie.
- Who invented the Switch Kickflip?
- The Switch Kickflip was invented by Rodney Mullen in 1983 in California.
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