# How to Backside Flip > A backside flip is a kickflip with a backside 180: you and the board turn together, back first, while it flips once. A step-by-step guide from Skate AI (getskateai.com). Canonical: https://getskateai.com/tricks/backside-flip Last updated: 2026-10-19 Flat ground · Level 4 of 5 · Learn first: [Backside 180](https://getskateai.com/tricks/backside-180) ## The short answer A backside flip is a kickflip with a backside 180: you and the board turn together, back first, while it flips once. You roll away fakie. Put the ball of your back foot about 2 cm from the tail tip, centered, and your front foot about 6 cm behind the front bolts at about 45 degrees, heel hanging off the heel side, like a kickflip. Pop like a backside 180, nudging the tail toward your heels, and flick off the heel-side corner of the nose a beat later. ## Where your feet go - **Regular:** Ball of the back foot about 2 cm from the tail tip, centered. Front foot about 6 cm behind the front bolts at about 45°, heel hanging off the heel side, like a kickflip. Pop like a backside 180, nudging the tail toward your heels, and flick off the heel-side corner of the nose a beat later. - **Goofy:** Ball of the back foot about 2 cm from the tail tip, centered. Front foot about 6 cm behind the front bolts at about 45°, heel hanging off the heel side, like a kickflip. Pop like a backside 180, nudging the tail toward your heels, and flick off the heel-side corner of the nose a beat later. ## Step by step Each step is a part of the trick Skate AI scores when you film a try. 1. **Set up:** Ball of the back foot about 2 cm from the tail tip, centered. Front foot about 6 cm behind the front bolts at about 45 degrees, heel hanging off the heel side, like a kickflip. 2. **Pop:** Pop like a backside 180, turning your shoulders backside from the pop and nudging the tail toward your heels. 3. **Flick:** Flick off the heel-side corner of the nose a beat after the pop, not at the same time. 4. **Catch:** Catch it high, halfway round, with the board and your body facing the same way. 5. **Land:** Land over the bolts, knees bent, and roll away fakie. ## Troubleshooting ### It turns but never flips **Why:** The flick is missing or comes too early to count. **Fix:** Pop first, then flick off the heel-side corner a beat later. ### It flips but only turns 90 **Why:** Your shoulders are not committing to the backside turn at the pop. **Fix:** Turn your shoulders backside from the pop, like a backside 180. ### You land before it finishes **Why:** The pop is too low for a flip and a turn together. **Fix:** Pop higher. The board needs time to do both. ### You land blind and off balance **Why:** You are not spotting the landing during the turn. **Fix:** Look for the landing over your shoulder before you commit your weight. ## Drill 5 backside 180s, then 5 kickflips, repeated. Then combine them on flat ground, flicking a beat after the pop. ## FAQ ### Which way does a backside flip turn? Backside, toward your toe side with your back leading, the same turn as a backside 180. You roll away fakie. ### What should I learn before a backside flip? The backside 180 and the kickflip. The turn comes from the 180 and the flip from the kickflip. ### Why flick a beat after the pop? The pop and the turn come first. Flicking a beat later gives the board its flip once it is already turning, so the two do not fight each other. ### Is a backside flip harder than a backside 180? Yes. It is level 4 of 5 in our guides, one level above, because the board has to flip as well as turn. ## What to learn next - Learn first: [Backside 180](https://getskateai.com/tricks/backside-180) - Learn first: [Kickflip](https://getskateai.com/tricks/kickflip) App: [Skate AI: Kickflip Ollie Coach on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6814983538) ## Related - [Intermediate tricks, easiest to hardest](https://getskateai.com/intermediate-skateboard-tricks) - [All 21 flip tricks, easiest to hardest](https://getskateai.com/skateboard-flip-tricks) - [Foot placement chart for every flat trick](https://getskateai.com/skateboard-foot-placement-chart) - [All 64 trick guides](https://getskateai.com/tricks)