How To Do A Handplant In Skate 3

Alright, so you wanna learn a handplant in Skate 3, huh? Cool. It’s kinda like wanting to learn how to parallel park perfectly. It looks amazing when someone else does it, but when you try it yourself, you usually end up sideways, slightly panicked, and maybe dinging a virtual bumper or two. But fear not! We're gonna get you planting those digital hands like a pro, even if it takes a few (dozen) tries.

The Setup: Finding Your Skate Zen

First things first, you need a spot. Not just any spot. Think of it like choosing the perfect avocado. Too hard, and you're never gonna get in. Too soft, and it's just a mushy mess. You need a nice, mellow quarterpipe with a little bit of vert. Something that says, "Hey, I'm approachable, not intimidating."

You’re looking for that sweet spot where you can get some air, but not so much you feel like you're about to launch into orbit. A good benchmark is that if you can consistently pull off a decent air before trying the handplant, you’re probably golden. It's all about building up to the main event, like warming up before a really important karaoke performance.

The Approach: Speed and Angle (The Two Pillars of Handplant-dom)

Okay, now comes the slightly tricky part. You need to approach the quarterpipe with a decent amount of speed. Too slow, and you'll just dribble up the wall like a sad, deflated balloon. Too fast, and you'll overshoot the thing and end up eating digital dirt.

Think of Goldilocks. You want the speed to be just right. Experiment a bit. Find that sweet spot where you're getting enough air without feeling like you're about to spontaneously combust.

Now, the angle. This is where things get interesting. You don't want to approach the quarterpipe head-on. That's a surefire way to just… not do a handplant. Instead, you want to come at it at a slight angle. Like, maybe 30-45 degrees. This gives you the space you need to actually get your body over the coping.

Imagine you're trying to slip past someone in a crowded hallway. You don't walk straight into them; you subtly angle yourself to the side. Same principle applies here, only instead of avoiding a collision, you're initiating a sweet handplant.

The Handplant Motion: Time to Get Weird

Alright, here's the moment of truth. As you approach the coping at that glorious angle and get some air, you need to flick the right stick (or left, depending on your stance – just experiment!) up and towards the direction you're traveling.

This is where it gets… awkward. You're essentially telling your skater to do a weird, sideways push-up on the ramp. It feels unnatural. It looks unnatural. But when you nail it, it feels amazing.

Think of it like trying to floss with your non-dominant hand while standing on one leg. It's gonna feel weird at first, but with practice, you'll get the hang of it. The game is more about the timing and the direction of the stick movement than it is about pure athletic prowess.

Important tip: Don’t hold the stick up the entire time you're in the air. You just need a quick flick to initiate the handplant. Holding it too long will usually result in… well, let's just say it won’t be pretty.

The Landing: Stick the Dis-mount

Landing is crucial. As you come out of the handplant, make sure your board is pointed down the ramp. You don't want to land sideways. That's just… painful to watch. Use the left stick to steer your skater back down the transition.

Just like perfecting a real life skill, there's no one-size-fits-all answer to landing smoothly. It’s a combination of keeping your balance and learning to feel for a good dismount point.

Practice Makes Perfect (Or At Least Pretty Good)

Look, nobody nails a perfect handplant on their first try. Or their tenth. Or even their hundredth. It takes practice. Don’t get discouraged if you keep face-planting into the coping. It happens to the best of us.

Keep practicing. Experiment with different speeds, angles, and stick movements. Eventually, you'll find that sweet spot where everything just clicks. It's like finally figuring out how to tie your shoelaces properly after years of struggling. It's a small victory, but it feels so good.

And when you finally nail that handplant? Bask in the glory, my friend. You've earned it. Now go forth and handplant all the things!