Table jumping is part of the basics of bike park riding technique, is great fun and should be part of the basic repertoire of any real mountain biker. If you take the pro tips from World Cup ace Guido Tschugg to heart, you'll soon be rocking your first table lines. But as with anything new, you should invest enough time and take things step by step.
Stressing yourself out and compensating for a lack of technique with strength and force is a bad idea when jumping. Optimum conditions are important for the best possible learning success. Look for the perfect table with a flat, relatively long take-off and landing. The approach and run-out should be completely flat and without any annoying ruts or holes.
Also pay attention to the wind conditions. If there is a strong crosswind, postpone your training. Roll over the table a few times at a moderate speed to get a feel for the gradient of the jump. Now it's time for the jump. Practise only the jump and landing on the table.
Slowly roll up from the starting position with bent arms and legs. As soon as the front wheel reaches the take-off edge, the arms and legs are stretched dynamically. The sequence is fast but controlled. To avoid leaning in the air, it is important to pull evenly on both sides of the handlebars.
During the flight phase, keep your arms and legs extended without losing body tension and thus contact with the pedals. Keep your legs and arms straight and let the bike hang (see common mistakes on page 46). Aim for the landing edge. Bring the bike into the correct position for landing by pushing the upper body forwards or backwards.
First land with both wheels on the table, later with more speed when landing.
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