Topic: More roll problems?

[Ridwan Mia]

Hey guys, I'm just starting to get back into parkour. Haven't been able to continues it because of school, etc. but enough with the excuses and let's get down with the problem,shall we? When I do my rolls, I feel like I'm doing a barrel roll in the middle, but my exit angle is almost all forward. Am I doing it wrong? I just want to get better form down before moving on to concrete.

Also, anyone ever think of making a Roll Problem Troubleshooting thread? I think if we all put the basic problems and answers down in one place and made it a sticky, well, noobs like me will not have to post individual threads on this.

[Sam Dutton]

Could you make a video of your roll? I can't really tell what you mean. Also, the roll sticky may be a good idea.

[Ridwan Mia]

Well, I don't have a video camera, so that isn't an option. Sorry 'bout that. I'll try my best to further describe it though. The roll feels as if I go in straight, I turn sideways in the middle, and end back up straightish. But I'm at a 60 degree angle from where I started. I don't feel any pain in my roll, I just feel like I'm doing a barrel roll and not enough of a good job going forward. I think it has to do with momentum, but I'm not exactly sure. Sorry if my description didn't help too much.

[John]

I also have roll problems. I don't completely understand what you mean about yours, so I can't give any advice. But then, I don't even have mine down, so I couldn't give you advice regardless.
But while people are diagnosing roll problems, when I roll I feel a little pain behind my shoulder and on my arm/side. I'm not sure if it's because I'm doing them wrong or if I'm just not used to that kind of pressure on my back. I was pretty physically sheltered for most of my life so far. I was very inactive. It kind of feels like I've been punched in the back of my right shoulder every time I do it. But after a little while the pain goes away. Do I try a different method that you should provide, or do I get over it?

[Sam Dutton]

Ridwan: if you don't feel any pain I don't think it is a problem. Do you practice rolls from crouching, standing or running at the moment?

John: again, I can't really recommend a change without knowing what you already do.

[Ridwan Mia]

Sam: I practice them from standing and I'm working to a run and jump. Then I'll take it to the concrete and start working from the bottom there.

John: I think you need to condition those problem areas and/or adjust your roll so that you aren't hitting those areas too much. Since you've been physically sheltered, conditioning should be your main objective as of right now. Discomfort should be okay, but pain shouldn't.

[John]

It might be discomfort, it just kind of aches like I got slapped along my side. It only feels like this for a minute or a few.

[Sam Dutton]

If it hurts for more than a few seconds, I think you probably need to change something. Discomfort doesn't last for a few minutes.

[Roberto Espinoza Jr.]

Ridwan:
Do you mean you roll off to one side or you just end up facing another direction other than forward?

I think that the first could be changed with a little bit of a tweak in the angle you enter the roll but I'm not entirely sure on this one.

I don't think the second one is a problem at all that's how I used to roll.

I say "used to" because I recently lost my rolls because of school and when I tried doing one on concrete off a short drop I hit mah butt bone and it's been hurting for a while xD Funny thing is that I had done other, good rolls, before that. And on the same drop too! 

Okay back to you xD

I'm assuming you've been rolling on grass?  Try finding a place that's mostly dirt or real short grass before moving on to concrete. It won't really hurt if you're doing something wrong but you'll be able to tell fairly easily if something is wrong.

The best advice I could give you is practice practice practice



Anyways xD



John:
I'm assuming you're also rolling on grass. If it's tall, cushion-y grass and you're feeling discomfort behind the shoulder most likely you're slamming yourself onto the ground. I remember I used to slam my shoulder into the ground because....I guess I would tuck for the roll too early before I even touched the ground. This is because I didn't use my arms at all. I would just tuck them under my body. Your arms are a big part of your roll in my opinion. Try absorbing some of the force with your arms. Not all of it of course but just enough so that you can get a smooth rolling motion from your hands to forearms to shoulder and all the way through

Maybe that could help.

[Ridwan Mia]

So, I had my brother watch me roll inside (never got around to going outside yet) and he said I don't even use my shoulder. I just go right into a barrel roll. My side is the first thing that touches the ground and I get back up forward somehow. So tips on rolling over my shoulder instead of my side?

[Tony]

So, I had my brother watch me roll inside (never got around to going outside yet) and he said I don't even use my shoulder. I just go right into a barrel roll. My side is the first thing that touches the ground and I get back up forward somehow. So tips on rolling over my shoulder instead of my side?

What do you do with your hands during your roll? I could say you could use your hands/arms to guide you over more. I prefer a diamond placement where I use them to take some impact and get over on the back of my shoulder

[Ridwan Mia]

It goes like this: diamond placed hands, collapsing, next the side of my forearm and the side of my deltoid hits, then my side, then my left hip (I roll to the right) though sometimes it doesn't go there.

[Tony]

It goes like this: diamond placed hands, collapsing, next the side of my forearm and the side of my deltoid hits, then my side, then my left hip (I roll to the right) though sometimes it doesn't go there.

Try rolling on the other shoulder a couple times to try it out. My right shoulder roll came faster than my left shoulder. I thought it felt natural to do left, but it was actually more so to do my right.

Also, if you're passing over your shoulder completely, you might be tucking too soon. Try to take it as slowly as possible through crouched position.

[Ridwan Mia]

I tried my left, and I completely just did a barrel roll lol. So I tried to offset my tucking by kind of diving forward and having a farther hand placement, as well as scooping the ground. I didn't feel anything the first time. Though the second time, my knee came down first, followed by my back, and me clutching my knee lol. My space is small so i can barely move around. I'll try to do everything tomorrow morning on some soft grass and work on my roll there.

[Tony]

Try to bring your phone or a camera one of your parents uses out with you and record like 1 minute or two of you doing rolls, from different angles too. That way we can see and help

[Ridwan Mia]

I'll try. Thanks a lot though! I feel like I've been improving, even if it's only by the slightest amount!

[Ridwan Mia]

Okay, I think I found the root of the problem: I keep hitting my knees. The right one to be exact. Always.Right after I hit it, I go into a barrel roll. It totally stops me from going over the back of my shoulder and instead makes me go to my side. That's what hits first a split second before my side. Any way to stop this?