SIF Hopping help

[Onza Limey]

I can't seem to hop any higher than 50cm! which is really low! I don't understand! any help would be appreciated! I have tried prebouncing... Static hopping... everything.

[unihopper]

It sounds like you need to learn to tuck. Tucking is when you bring the unicycle right up to your bottom as you hop. It will allow you to hop much higher. To start learning to tuck you could try SIF squats on your unicycle. An SIF squat is the same as a tuck but you lower yourself instead of pulling the unicycle up, the tire never leaves the ground. After this you just have to practise. One thing that helped me was focusing on keeping my back straight as I hop. If you keep your back straight you will be forced to learn to tuck. Good luck and keep practicing!

[hydrophidian]

+1 Unihopper.

I'm basically in the same boat. I just recently started learning to hop higher, since I was mainly doing freestyle and muni, I didn't really do much high hopping. But now I'm getting into street and trials and I completely agree. Learn to tuck. Practicing the tuck-squat works very well. It helps you know where the uni is going to go once you tuck. My first couple of attempts at higher SIF hops ended with me raising the back of the saddle right into my groin. Doesn't feel good. Then I learned of the tuck-squat trick to learning and my SIF hops are now just as high or higher than my seat-in hops. I'm still stuck at 50-55cm, though. Practice, Practice, Practice.

[manon1wheel]

how old, how tall, and how much do you weigh??

[Onza Limey]

I am 19 6'4" tall, 180lbs.

[trueuni]

Unihopper,

Can you please explain tucking and the squats for me a little bit more?
thanks

[unihopper]

Of course!

Watch this video of a huge hop and check out the technique;
Mike Taylor - 141cm Unicycle SIDEHOP - YouTube

Notice how he crouches and pulls the tire right up to his butt. This is tucking. When you first learn to tuck it obviously won't be as good as this, but with practice you'll get there. A squat is basically when you hop on the spot with the seat in front of you, and then bend your knees and sit down on the tire so that you end in the tucked position.

Like I said above, a great piece of advice is to keep your back straight as you hop. Start on a small object about 30cm high, and hop onto it without leaning over the unicycle at all. Instead, pull the unicycle up in front by bending your knees.

All of this being said, tucking isn't necessary until you can hop about 50cm SIF and are very comfortable with SIF.