Butters and Presses

1Goal

A press lifts the nose or tail with a weight shift, not a leg kick. The bar is a nose press and a tail press held 2 to 3 seconds while moving, knees softly bent the whole time, plus a small rotation added on top without the press collapsing.

2Why it matters

Butters and presses train the same fore-aft pressure control (F1, F3) as the ollie, but slowed down so you can feel exactly where your weight sits on the board. This slow-motion feel is what lets you make small adjustments mid-air on jumps and rails later, and the rotation you add here is the same wind-up you will use on flat 180s in the next lesson. It also builds ankle and knee flexibility (F5) you will lean on for every freestyle movement after this stage.

3How to do it

1. Find a flat, mellow line. Start moving slowly on flat or gently sloped terrain with your board flat, knees soft, weight centered.
2. Shift, don't kick, onto the nose. Move your hips and chest forward over your front foot, letting the tail rise naturally. Do not lift the tail with your back leg; the weight shift alone should lift it.
3. Hold the press. Keep your weight over the nose for 2 to 3 seconds, front knee bent about 30 to 40 degrees, arms out for balance. Feel the pressure concentrated under your front foot.
4. Return to center smoothly. Shift your hips back over the board's midpoint and let the tail settle down under control, not with a sudden drop.
5. Repeat toward the tail. Shift your weight back onto your rear foot the same way, letting the nose rise from weight shift alone, and hold the tail press for 2 to 3 seconds.
6. Add a small rotation. Once a press feels stable, turn your shoulders and hips 15 to 20 degrees while holding it, then rotate back before you release. Keep your core engaged so the press does not collapse mid-turn.

Coach's note: if your back leg is doing the lifting, you are muscling the press. A true butter comes from moving your hips over the board, not from kicking a leg up.

4Common mistakes

• Leg lift instead of weight shift. The tail or nose pops up sharply from a leg kick rather than rising smoothly. Fix: move your hips forward or back first, and let the board follow your weight.
• Stiff legs through the press. Rider looks locked and wobbly, unable to hold the position. Fix: keep both knees softly bent throughout, using small ankle adjustments to balance, not big corrections.
• Press collapses on rotation. The board drops flat the moment the rider tries to add a spin. Fix: slow the rotation down and keep your core tight; only add rotation once the plain press is solid for 2 full seconds.
• Rushing to bigger butters. Rider tries deep, dramatic presses before basic weight shift is controlled. Fix: master small, controlled presses first, then increase how far you shift your weight.

5Drill

3 second hold, both ends. Terrain: flat or very gentle green. Reps: 5 nose presses and 5 tail presses, holding each for a full 3 seconds. Feel: smooth weight shift, no leg kick. Move on once both presses feel equally easy on either foot.

Rolling butter with rotation. Terrain: flat or green. Reps: 5 presses, each with a 15 to 20 degree rotation added mid-hold. Feel: the press staying stable while your shoulders and hips turn together. Move on to flat ground 180s once the rotation does not break your balance.

6Self-check

• I lift the tail or nose with weight shift, not a leg kick.
• I can hold a press for at least 2 to 3 seconds while moving.
• Both knees stay softly bent, not locked, through the whole press.
• I can add a small rotation without the press collapsing.
• My nose press and tail press feel about equally controlled.

7Verify it on video

Film from the side, full body visible, on flat ground or a gentle green run. Show 3 nose presses and 3 tail presses, each held for at least 2 seconds, so the weight shift into the press and the smooth return can both be seen clearly.