Scootering - Hop-Switching your Feet


In my humble opinion, being able to switch feet is an essential skill in scootering, at least for the type of scootering that I enjoy. I like to explore my city and "tour" long distances. I also enjoy the workout that scootering can provide. I love to include a high speed, high intensity cardio workout in beautiful surroundings. It's for these reasons that I think that being able to switch feet is essential, here's why: When going long distances at a brisk pace your "plant" leg (the one on the deck) will quickly tire. Your quadriceps (thigh) lift your body up and down with every stroke. Even if you're fortunate to have a low deck, this movement adds up and your leg will fatigue. 

In a previous post I showed how to switch your feet by using a "heel-toe-pivot-switch" method. That method is a great "beginner" technique in which you always have contact with your scooter deck.

This article is going to introduce a more advanced "hop-switch" method. This technique is a bit more athletic, requires good balance and strength. Here's how it's done:


In this example, I'm starting off with the right leg being the plant leg. After a few strokes, use your plant leg to hop off the scooter using your thigh, calf and ankle to "pop" you up and to the right. At the SAME time bring your left foot on the deck to REPLACE the spot where your right foot was a moment ago.



As you do this, there is a MOMENT that neither of your feet are touching the deck and you're in the air! In the next moment your replacement foot will land on the deck and you're all set to stroke with your right leg since your left leg is now your plant leg. 

Repeat

I was using the heel-toe-pivot-switch method on my Xootr Mg scooter. It has a relatively smooth metal deck with a few bumps for texture. This allowed me to pivot in my sneakers quite easily. It worked great. My Boardy scooter came with VERY sticky grip tape. This "gripiness" made it VERY difficult to pivot my rubber soled shoes. I had to teach myself how to do the hop-switch technique to adapt to the sticky grip tape. After MANY miles of practice it feels natural and easy. Practice, you'll get there.

One advantage is that it's a fast switch. When done correctly, it's a fluid transition from one foot to the other AND your changing foot comes down in a stroke! You won't miss a beat. A couple points to be aware of: Hop-switching does take more energy than the pivot method. You have to HOP off your deck and if you're tired, realize this uses even more energy to hop. This technique obviously requires precision and timing. Miss the deck with your incoming foot, on either side, and you're bound to stumble. Execute a bad hop-switch at high speed and you're likely to tumble. Still, with some patience, practice and perseverance, this might become your favorite method of switching feet. 

See the video below for an example of what this looks like



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