How to do a Shove It

The first trick that most skaters try to learn is the ollie, but I think that the shove-it is a way better alternative. You don't need to know how to pop, and the footwork is simple.

Many tricks are easier to learn with a bit of speed, but this also increases the chances of hurting yourself, so starting with a trick you can do while standing still can be helpful. Of course, I can't guarantee that it will be easy to learn, but I firmly believe that you can learn it within a day if you put your mind to it.

The shove-it is a great start to your skating journey, I got a lot more confidence after I learned it, and it also helped me to land similar tricks later on. So let's look at what you should focus on to learn to shove it.

What is a shove-it?

Shove-it is a basic skateboarding trick where you make your board spin 180 degrees by shoving the board with your back foot. The trick is a key component to tricks like pop shove-it and varial kickflip.

How to shove-it

The shove-it is a simple trick to perform, but it can seem difficult if you don't know the trick to it. You shove the board with your back foot to make it rotate 180 degrees, then catch the board with your front foot.

Many people can't get the right spin on the board, which is likely because they do not have their body weight centered on it.

Shove-it Stance

Your front foot should be by the hardware on the front trucks with your heel angled a little bit down, and the front foot should be back on the tail, with your toes poking out a little bit on the side of the tail.

Doing the shove-it with adjustments to the foot position is possible. Still, it would help if you tried to have this as a default muscle memory.

Bend Your Knees and Get Ready to Jump

Bend down with your knees to get the power you need to spin the board and lean forward. You should be looking near the nose of the board to be able to see the board spin.

Jump and add spin

The key to shove-it is that you don't need to add much power to the movements. Instead, do a light jump and push the side of the tail towards your back with your back foot.

Your front foot shouldn't interrupt the trick at all; just keep it right above the board as you jump and get ready to catch it. Remember to look forward and be ready with your front foot.

Cathing Your Board and Landing

Wait until your board spins 180 degrees, catch it with your front foot, and place your back foot onto the board after you have stopped it with your front.

It is easy to fall if your legs are fully stretched out when you land, so try to have slightly bent knees to cushion the fall as you land.

How to practice shove-it

Most people I have met started practicing while standing still, but try it at least once while moving to see if it makes you more comfortable. I also recommend learning how to pop-Shuvit after the shove-it; it is a natural progression that will help you with more advanced tricks later on.

Standing still

Your board lands more towards your toeside when you don't move; it will do it when you move as well, but you probably need to jump more towards your toe side.

While moving

Find a flat surface where you can practice, it doesn't need to be smooth, but it is better if it is. It is better to practice while moving if you can since you will perform the tricks while moving later on. It is probably better to start practicing while standing still if it's your first time.

Focus on Your Weight and Balance

The biggest reason people feel like it is hard to spin the board correctly is that they lose their balance while shoving or don't have their body weight in the center of the board.

It will help if you actively think about keeping your body weight in the center; this also applies to flip tricks or a new trick you want to learn.

Safety gear

It is extra important to use safety gear if you are new to skating. Use a helmet and try to include other pieces as well; I think the most important one is the wrist guards since it is easy to damage the wrists.

Conclusion

You should learn shove-it before you even try to ollie, and you can learn it within a day if you try. It is a trick that will help you learn many other tricks in the future.

A shove-it is when you push the board 180 degrees in the air with your back foot without popping. The technique is very similar to the fs pop shove it. If you ride switch, you can do a shuvit in the exact same position, and it will be a switch shove-it.

Use safety gear to stay safe and practice while standing still if you feel uneasy about moving.