|Trainer Kite Practice Drills|
Trainer Kite Drills
"Fly a trainer until you can't stand it anymore"
Fly the edge of the wind window
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To The Point:
Steer the kite like a horse or a bicycle. Do everything you can with the trainer kite, including things you might not do with a larger kite. Practice everything until you can feel everything with the kite, even with your eyes closed.
The Detailed Explanation:
Steady At 12 O'clock
One of the most important skills, is being able to keep your kite still. With your kite at the 12 O'clock position, and both hands on the bar, keep it there as steady as possible. If the kite starts going to you left, pull on the right side of the bar, VERY GENTLY. If the kite goes right, pull on the left side, again gently. The key to success for this exercise is thinking ahead, and not overcompensating. It's almost like balancing your kite in one place. You barely have to move the bar to get the trainer kite to drift in one direction or the other.... just thinking about turning the kite is usually enough. Trainer kites react quickly. The most common mistake is twisting the bar, thinking you are steering the kite, when you are not, or, overly aggressive pulling/pushing on the bar.
One Handed At 12 With Your Hand In The Middle Of The Bar
Same drill as above just practice with one hand only.
Both Hands On The Bar With The Kite At 10:30, Then At 1:30
Same as above just do it at 45 degrees on right and left sides.
One Handed At 10:30, Then At 1:30
Now go for it one handed, keep it still.
Sit down, Fly With One Hand, And Take Off Shoe With Other Hand
Sit down, Fly With One Hand, Play Tic-Tac-Toe With A Bystander
Multitask While Flying
Hold the bar straight above your head and then quickly spin to twist and then untwist your lines. you need to avoid accidentially steering the kite. try having your hands close to center of the bar.
To fly a figure eight pattern out in front of you or downwind, pull lightly right then left, then right, then left increase your pulls as you get hte hang ot it.
Similar to above yet starting with the kite at neutral,dive the kite steep on one side then steer it back to neutral, repeat this up and down on the same side at least 50 times, then switch to the other side.
Dry/Simulated Water Start
Same as above yet instead of standing start out in a sitting position and have the kite help you stand up. Start with small dives and work up to bigger dives if needed.
Dry/Simulated Directional Drag Position
Put the kite at 45 degrees, either 10:30 or 1:30, fly the kite with opposite hand. So if kite is at 1:30 (right side) fly the kite with the left hand and vice versa. Now lay down with your body parallel to the lines and your extra arm extended out twards the kite. Practice both sides.
Think You Are Bad-Ass!?!?
(contributed by - ruther 02-08)
Try to bring the kite super low across the entire wind window. As the kite approaches the far edge of the window, bring the kite up slowly, then loop it back across the ground retracing your steps.... then up slowly, loop down and retrace. This should have the effect of crossing and uncrossing your lines. Think of it as a modified figure eight pattern.
Still a bad-boy/girl, then get on snow skiis, a snowboard, or a landboard.
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