Footwear
Slacklining barefoot can be very helpful as it allows you to grip better. Your feet will contour around the line and give better feedback.
If you do wear shoes, make sure that they are tight fitting to prevent your feet from slipping side to side. Make sure they are tightly laced and won't wobble side to side. Shoes with thin soles (such as skate shoes) give you the most feedback and you may find that wearing shoes lets you spin easier for turns and jump with less pain. Some people like to wear climbing shoes but it’s all down to personal preference.
Hard-line treaded shoes that can catch and trip you up should be avoided.
Clothing
Make sure that you are not wearing long or baggy trousers as these will either trip you up, lose your traction or hinder your leg movements. An elastic band around the bottom of each trouser leg can help with this.
Preparation
Before you start, ensure that the area is completely safe by making sure that there are no sharp objects on the floor and that you are working above soft ground covered in grass, sand or, if you are inside, over crash mats. You should allow at least 20 minutes for a decent session.
Remember that when you first start, as with most things, it won’t be easy. You will need patience and a LOT of practice. Try not to get irritated about falling. Perfection will come in time and it’s such a satisfying feeling when you get to the end the very first time that all of the falling off is worth it.
When you do fall off (and you WILL fall), relax and take a few breaths before you get back on the slackline.
Younger or shorter slackliners may benefit from having someone sit on the end of the line behind them when they start. This allows them to get stable with someone else's weight on the line to assist them getting started. Once they make it to the middle it often helps to gradually remove the extra person from the line.
Learning to Walk the Line
Make sure you are mentally and physically relaxed. Shake out your shoulders, arms and legs before you begin. This really helps.
At first, simply trying to stand up on the slackline can seem impossible. Having two spotters, one on each side of you allowing you to hold their hands or shoulders is really helpful for beginners. Using sticks to aid balance will slow down your progress in the long run so it's best not to get into the habit of doing this.
You will notice that if you stand up slowly the slackline will wobble. Place one foot on the line and put very little weight on it and then put your other thigh against the line to stabilise the line and hop with your other foot so that your other foot is at least a foot off the ground before your weight shifts back onto the foot on the line. For a more stable start, try and sink straight down on the line, trying not to jump in at an angle. It takes practice but it does make mounting much smoother.
Bear in mind that most of the movements are in the hip and leg so loosening up the hips and legs is essential. Your centre of gravity will be in your hips, so don’t stiffen up your torso – it needs to stay fluid as you move.
Foot positioning makes a huge difference in stability. The most commonly used positions are the Forward Foot Position which places the line in the soft area between the big toe and the 2nd toe with the line going under the heel. The Sideways Foot Position places the line diagonally in the arch with the line resting to the outside of the big toe. Some tricks rely on using both positions together.
Don’t look down! Focus your eyes on something eye level near the end of the slackline and let your balance tell you where to put your feet. If you must watch the ground, make sure it is at least 15 feet in front of you.
Keep your knees at least partially bent and keep your arms out by your side to assist your balance. Keep your head up and lean your torso back a little while taking steps. Never lock your knees.
Breathe deeply and focus on the feeling of the line under your feet. Proceed when you feel calm, but stay focused. Push off with your right foot and place it on the slack line in front of the left. You should do it all in one easy motion, neither jerking nor hesitating.
Put your arms out at your sides, just below shoulder level. This will assist your balance.
Top Tips
When doing tricks, spread out the sides of the line as much as possible. This makes it easier to stay stable. Stay low and keep your arms out. Try bending your knees outwards in order to stay low.
Keeping a rhythm can make a drastic difference in your ability to move smoothly. Try listening to music or keeping a beat.
Bouncing up and down a bit removes a lot of the side to side swaying of the line. This is very useful if you’re having trouble handling side to side motions as you can create vertical bounces which are easier to control to eliminate the side to side swaying.
Practicing on different parts of the line can be really helpful. The ends are much more firm and tend to move faster but much less movement adjustment is needed while the middle is slower to respond but can swing much further off centre.
Try different starting points, tensioning of the slackline and different heights. Many people find that tighter is easier and more slack is more challenging while others find the opposite true. In fact, what it alters is the speed at which you need to react and the amount of correction required, so if you have move slow on the line, a loose line will be easier. If you are jittery and overreacting, a tighter line will be much easier to get started on. It’s a good idea to master all types of tension, from super loose to really tight.
Certain tricks are easier on tight lines while others are easier on looser lines. Tricks that rely on the bounce of the line or need a firmness to get the proper stance will need a tighter line than those than use the natural sway of the line. Jumping is much easier on tight lines while surfing sideways is easier on loose lines. |
