How to do the WHIP

GarySemics
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GarySemics
Edited Date/Time 1/4/2013 12:31pm
Before you begin to practice doing the whip find a smooth faced jump with no ruts on the face. The whip can be performed even when there are some small ruts in the face of the jump but it is much easier to do without ruts. Make sure it’s a safe jump (like a tabletop) but has enough hang time to get it sideways and pull it back straight for the landing. Approach the jump at an angle so you can turn the bike off the jump and still hit your intended landing target. As you're coming into the jump lean your body (mostly your head) off the inside of the bike a little. This would be to the side that you are leaning. Just as the bike begins to rebound continue leaning it over and as it starts to rebound let the back end come out to the side. At the same time pull back on the outside handlebar, it doesn't take much, just a little. As it leaves the jump you can pull it over more by the handlebars and by leaning more off to the inside or you can straighten it up or let it stay the same. Right after that instant make sure you find the center of balance with your body movement. Then at the top of the arch of your air time start to reverse the movement that you executed upon takeoff. This will give you enough time to straighten it up for the landing.
To get all the detailed info about jumping and whoops watch the free DVD preview of my Volume 2 DVD #3 All About Jumps and Whoops DVD. If you like you can order the disc or Stream online. http://www.gsmxs.com/dvds/volume-2/dvd-3-all-about-jumps-whoops

Also before Christmas I released the final video in the Volume 3 Series DVD #8 (How to Absorb, Scrub and Whip). http://www.gsmxs.com/featured/vo3-dvd-8-motocross-jumping-absorbing-scr…
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DrSweden
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DrSweden 1/2/2013 5:06pm
1/2/2013 5:06pm
Cool. Sounds so easy though, but in reality for a squid, when I approach that damn face, my mind goes blank, and I go into some mental hibernation just to wake up mid air and realise I missed another opportunity...
scooter5002
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scooter5002 1/2/2013 5:14pm
1/2/2013 5:14pm
I do everything you say, in that order, everytime. Immediately preceeding a horrendous crash. Any tips? Laughing
Seriously, I'll have to go with my esteemed colleague on this one. Thanks for the help though, Gary. Some of us are just destined to watch................and dream.
Black Diesel Bomber 1/2/2013 5:16pm
1/2/2013 5:16pm
The whip is easier said than done and I'm sure everyone wishes they could do something that even resembles a whip....the reality is: jump off face, lean, get sideways, panic, freeze, land sideways, break bone.
Crashinskinoff 1/2/2013 5:18pm
1/2/2013 5:18pm
LOL, I'm okay just keeping the bike straight off a jump.

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scooter5002
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scooter5002 1/2/2013 5:22pm
1/2/2013 5:22pm
Black Diesel Bomber wrote:
The whip is easier said than done and I'm sure everyone wishes they could do something that even resembles a whip....the reality is: jump off face...
The whip is easier said than done and I'm sure everyone wishes they could do something that even resembles a whip....the reality is: jump off face, lean, get sideways, panic, freeze, land sideways, break bone.
(s)..................bone(s). Lol. Exactly.
Hank_Thrill
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Hank_Thrill 1/2/2013 6:13pm
1/2/2013 6:13pm
DrSweden wrote:
Cool. Sounds so easy though, but in reality for a squid, when I approach that damn face, my mind goes blank, and I go into some...
Cool. Sounds so easy though, but in reality for a squid, when I approach that damn face, my mind goes blank, and I go into some mental hibernation just to wake up mid air and realise I missed another opportunity...
Beautifully worded, Dr. Sweden!!!
GarySemics
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GarySemics 1/2/2013 6:37pm
1/2/2013 6:37pm Edited Date/Time 1/2/2013 6:39pm
Okay, okay, I hear what you guys are saying. Of course you don't just go from beginner to laying it into a full whip. Everyone has to start somewhere. I explain how to start learning the Whip in the DVD 8 that I mentioned in the beginning of this thread. Once you are getting better at the starter type Whips you will finally graduate to the full on Whip but first there are all the baby steps.

I know most of you are not expecting to ever be really good at the Whip but for those young men that are I'm offering the info to make it easier and quicker to learn.


Photo from my track last summer in Lisbon Ohio.
GarySemics
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GarySemics 1/2/2013 6:43pm
1/2/2013 6:43pm
Here's another photo of the same jump taken a little before Eric Goodson reaches the top arch of the jump.
Black Diesel Bomber 1/2/2013 7:07pm
1/2/2013 7:07pm
I can only dream of getting a shot like that....maybe I'll have to rent the foam pit, LOL
jhansen510
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jhansen510 1/2/2013 7:11pm
1/2/2013 7:11pm
That dude is a ripper!
MX4EVR
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MX4EVR 1/2/2013 7:28pm
1/2/2013 7:28pm
I will stick to just making the jump without crashing.
That's perfect to me lol
DrSweden
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DrSweden 1/3/2013 11:24am
1/3/2013 11:24am
DrSweden wrote:
Cool. Sounds so easy though, but in reality for a squid, when I approach that damn face, my mind goes blank, and I go into some...
Cool. Sounds so easy though, but in reality for a squid, when I approach that damn face, my mind goes blank, and I go into some mental hibernation just to wake up mid air and realise I missed another opportunity...
Hank_Thrill wrote:
Beautifully worded, Dr. Sweden!!!
Smile Obviously you got my thinking.
DrSweden
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DrSweden 1/3/2013 11:32am
1/3/2013 11:32am Edited Date/Time 1/4/2013 3:13am
They annoying thing is that I pass some of those dicks doing whips and put on style. Feel I'm next to step it up to that level of perfection, kind of that Salieri dude in the "Amadeus" movie from 1984 where Milos Forman portraying Mozarts rise and fall and a envious but more "in tune" Salieri just watching Mozart being a general jerk, drunk, womanizer, but filled with such amazing talent, and Salieri figures God is mocking him.

So I'm Salieri and those whipping kids are Mozarts... Mkay. Two glasses of wine speaking...
WhipMeister
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WhipMeister 1/3/2013 11:50am
1/3/2013 11:50am
Not that I'm any great whip talent - despite my handle - but a helpful method I discovered after some coaching by a master whipper that allowed me to 'ease' into some modest whips without feeling out of control was to start by simply giving a slight push to the inside peg, simultaneously unweighting the outside peg, on the jump face. After you have a chance to understand how the bike reacts to that, hen to start working the other elements - lean, bar tug, etc - slowly into it. Maybe it's just me, but I found it's a lot easier to retain body balance if I focused on my foot platform instead of the body angle, bar tug, etc. Before that it was all upper body and lean, which was not good for my health. The peg push will send the ass end out a little without feeling like you're losing control. The more comfortable you get with it, the more you find yourself naturally pre-leaning more, shifting the bar angle, etc. You really wind up doing the same thing (slight jump face lean). The mental focus is just on limited muscle group instead of a dozen moving parts.

Just my talking-out-my-ass 2c. Gary clearly knows a helluva lot more about teaching it than I do.
Moto_Geek
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Moto_Geek 1/3/2013 11:57am
1/3/2013 11:57am Edited Date/Time 1/3/2013 12:00pm
Gary, I found a video of you whipping it up in a cowboy hat! Is this the right attire to whip it?

https://youtu.be/IIEVqFB4WUo
Torco1
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Torco1 1/3/2013 12:09pm
1/3/2013 12:09pm
The easiest way I've found is to find a table top like Gary said, preferably one that pops you up and you can jump while going slow. Practice jumping it for awhile while sitting down all the way up the face, once you're comfortable with the jump and know how its going to throw you start leaning and "counter steering" right before you take off. If you're going to whip the rear tire to the right, pull the right side of the bars back and that should help drop you and the bike to the left. Don't just yank the bars to the right on the face of the jump or you'll probably die. Just slowly get more and more comfortable doing it and then it will start to feel pretty natural and easy.
Motocross83 1/3/2013 12:11pm
1/3/2013 12:11pm
I've also read in various places that applying throttle will help straighten the bike out? Would love to be talking from personal experience but sadly I can't whip to save my life. Interesting read Gary, thanks.
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Torco1 1/3/2013 12:17pm
1/3/2013 12:17pm
Motocross83 wrote:
I've also read in various places that applying throttle will help straighten the bike out? Would love to be talking from personal experience but sadly I...
I've also read in various places that applying throttle will help straighten the bike out? Would love to be talking from personal experience but sadly I can't whip to save my life. Interesting read Gary, thanks.
I think that helps only to a certain extent. If the wheels are spinning fast enough they have a gyroscopic type effect that will naturally want to straighten the bike out, but once you're too far out of whack.....you're pretty much screwed.

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Motocross83 1/3/2013 12:17pm
1/3/2013 12:17pm Edited Date/Time 1/3/2013 12:20pm
Black Diesel Bomber wrote:
The whip is easier said than done and I'm sure everyone wishes they could do something that even resembles a whip....the reality is: jump off face...
The whip is easier said than done and I'm sure everyone wishes they could do something that even resembles a whip....the reality is: jump off face, lean, get sideways, panic, freeze, land sideways, break bone.
Laughing Yep, I think that's the nightmare scenario most us run through our minds at some point and thus leave it be. I think having a good jump is key, I honestly can't think of a jump near me ideal for beginner whips. Be nice to live near some sand dunes or have access to a foam pit.
mark_swart
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mark_swart 1/3/2013 12:20pm
1/3/2013 12:20pm


When I try, I do this weird thing where it looks like I'm climbing off the bike. If the back is out, I'm straight up and down. And if the bike is over, I'm off the top of the bike, 1980s RJ style. It eludes me...
Motocross83 1/3/2013 12:30pm
1/3/2013 12:30pm
Motocross83 wrote:
I've also read in various places that applying throttle will help straighten the bike out? Would love to be talking from personal experience but sadly I...
I've also read in various places that applying throttle will help straighten the bike out? Would love to be talking from personal experience but sadly I can't whip to save my life. Interesting read Gary, thanks.
Torco1 wrote:
I think that helps only to a certain extent. If the wheels are spinning fast enough they have a gyroscopic type effect that will naturally want...
I think that helps only to a certain extent. If the wheels are spinning fast enough they have a gyroscopic type effect that will naturally want to straighten the bike out, but once you're too far out of whack.....you're pretty much screwed.
Interesting, thanks.
Diego Kawi Rider 1/3/2013 11:22pm
1/3/2013 11:22pm
Torco1 wrote:
The easiest way I've found is to find a table top like Gary said, preferably one that pops you up and you can jump while going...
The easiest way I've found is to find a table top like Gary said, preferably one that pops you up and you can jump while going slow. Practice jumping it for awhile while sitting down all the way up the face, once you're comfortable with the jump and know how its going to throw you start leaning and "counter steering" right before you take off. If you're going to whip the rear tire to the right, pull the right side of the bars back and that should help drop you and the bike to the left. Don't just yank the bars to the right on the face of the jump or you'll probably die. Just slowly get more and more comfortable doing it and then it will start to feel pretty natural and easy.
Yep. I think just flat out going for a whip is foolish for me to try right now.
I agree with Torco: keep hitting a decent sized, slow table that kicks you a bit.
Hit it many times just “regular” until it feels perfectly smooth and the timing and feeling is ingrained in your muscle memory.
Then when your confidence off the jump is really high, start practicing “basic style & english” off it until you get that down.
DrSweden
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DrSweden 1/4/2013 3:22am
1/4/2013 3:22am
WhipMeister wrote:
Not that I'm any great whip talent - despite my handle - but a helpful method I discovered after some coaching by a master whipper that...
Not that I'm any great whip talent - despite my handle - but a helpful method I discovered after some coaching by a master whipper that allowed me to 'ease' into some modest whips without feeling out of control was to start by simply giving a slight push to the inside peg, simultaneously unweighting the outside peg, on the jump face. After you have a chance to understand how the bike reacts to that, hen to start working the other elements - lean, bar tug, etc - slowly into it. Maybe it's just me, but I found it's a lot easier to retain body balance if I focused on my foot platform instead of the body angle, bar tug, etc. Before that it was all upper body and lean, which was not good for my health. The peg push will send the ass end out a little without feeling like you're losing control. The more comfortable you get with it, the more you find yourself naturally pre-leaning more, shifting the bar angle, etc. You really wind up doing the same thing (slight jump face lean). The mental focus is just on limited muscle group instead of a dozen moving parts.

Just my talking-out-my-ass 2c. Gary clearly knows a helluva lot more about teaching it than I do.
Very interesting. For me seems like something to start with, meaning it's possible to grasp and perform methodically.
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Old Mate 1/4/2013 3:53am
1/4/2013 3:53am Edited Date/Time 1/4/2013 4:13am
Gary , i learnt so much from you, To watch you at Amaroo park,.Peter Carney won, unfortunatley your rear wheel colappsed.It was a big speed lesson for us in Aus. Steven Gall had just learnt to coach after his trip to Goats.
TerryK
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TerryK 1/4/2013 5:57am
1/4/2013 5:57am Edited Date/Time 1/4/2013 5:59am
GarySemics wrote:
Okay, okay, I hear what you guys are saying. Of course you don't just go from beginner to laying it into a full whip. Everyone has...
Okay, okay, I hear what you guys are saying. Of course you don't just go from beginner to laying it into a full whip. Everyone has to start somewhere. I explain how to start learning the Whip in the DVD 8 that I mentioned in the beginning of this thread. Once you are getting better at the starter type Whips you will finally graduate to the full on Whip but first there are all the baby steps.

I know most of you are not expecting to ever be really good at the Whip but for those young men that are I'm offering the info to make it easier and quicker to learn.


Photo from my track last summer in Lisbon Ohio.
In this statement lies the inherent problem: "I know most of you are not expecting to ever be really good at the Whip but for those young men that are I'm offering the info to make it easier and quicker to learn."

Most of us on here are old.

Tongue

PS: Seriously, thanks for posting these tips Gary!
scooter5002
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scooter5002 1/4/2013 6:42am
1/4/2013 6:42am
Motocross83 wrote:
I've also read in various places that applying throttle will help straighten the bike out? Would love to be talking from personal experience but sadly I...
I've also read in various places that applying throttle will help straighten the bike out? Would love to be talking from personal experience but sadly I can't whip to save my life. Interesting read Gary, thanks.
Torco1 wrote:
I think that helps only to a certain extent. If the wheels are spinning fast enough they have a gyroscopic type effect that will naturally want...
I think that helps only to a certain extent. If the wheels are spinning fast enough they have a gyroscopic type effect that will naturally want to straighten the bike out, but once you're too far out of whack.....you're pretty much screwed.
i actually got a semi whip once by accident, (kicked on a tabletop) and the gyro effect, especially from the 500, was crazy. An entirely new sensation, and when I landed, (in one piece) I thought WTF? why can't I do that ALL the time? Still no balls though. Lol
Bodieg3
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Bodieg3 1/4/2013 11:32am
1/4/2013 11:32am
Thanks Gary for giveing us these free tips . I was going to order this DVD your site says its on sale for $19.98 but when I put n my cart it's charging me $39.98 all way through checkout . Am I supposed to enter a code ? Or what am I doing wrong ? Again thanks for all your help with the tips n contributions to the mx world .
GarySemics
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GarySemics 1/4/2013 12:19pm
1/4/2013 12:19pm
Bodieg3 wrote:
Thanks Gary for giveing us these free tips . I was going to order this DVD your site says its on sale for $19.98 but when...
Thanks Gary for giveing us these free tips . I was going to order this DVD your site says its on sale for $19.98 but when I put n my cart it's charging me $39.98 all way through checkout . Am I supposed to enter a code ? Or what am I doing wrong ? Again thanks for all your help with the tips n contributions to the mx world .
I don't know how that could be. The VO3 DVD #8 sells for 24.95. I did a test and that's what is coming up. None of my DVDs are listed at 39.95.
GarySemics
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GarySemics 1/4/2013 12:21pm
1/4/2013 12:21pm
Old Mate wrote:
Gary , i learnt so much from you, To watch you at Amaroo park,.Peter Carney won, unfortunatley your rear wheel colappsed.It was a big speed lesson...
Gary , i learnt so much from you, To watch you at Amaroo park,.Peter Carney won, unfortunatley your rear wheel colappsed.It was a big speed lesson for us in Aus. Steven Gall had just learnt to coach after his trip to Goats.
Wow, that was back in 1987, right? I was there with Willie Simmons, Brock, Glover and Marty Moats.
DrSweden
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DrSweden 1/4/2013 12:31pm
1/4/2013 12:31pm
Torco1 wrote:
The easiest way I've found is to find a table top like Gary said, preferably one that pops you up and you can jump while going...
The easiest way I've found is to find a table top like Gary said, preferably one that pops you up and you can jump while going slow. Practice jumping it for awhile while sitting down all the way up the face, once you're comfortable with the jump and know how its going to throw you start leaning and "counter steering" right before you take off. If you're going to whip the rear tire to the right, pull the right side of the bars back and that should help drop you and the bike to the left. Don't just yank the bars to the right on the face of the jump or you'll probably die. Just slowly get more and more comfortable doing it and then it will start to feel pretty natural and easy.
That's pretty good. I watched a vid of Roczen a few months ago, and it seems hi did what your are saying and it looked so easy. He was basically going straigh until his front wheel almost reached the top, and you could see how he just tilted his body a few inches to the left while stearing to the right and got a nice little whip to the right.

Damn, it's so easy on paper!

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