Once they have their trampoline enclosure safely in place, the first thing that most people want to do is start learning trampoline tricks. Of course, if you're not particularly familiar with the way that gravity interacts with a body in motion on a trampoline, you're likely to be disappointed with how hard it is to figure out how to do anything but bounce up and down. The important thing is to be patient with your body and learn to work with the recoil of the trampoline, not against it. Here are some tips for learning the front flip safely and at your own pace.

If you're below the age of eighteen, it's important to make sure that you get your parents' permission before you start doing tricks that are going to give them a heart attack. Assure them that you've researched ways to learn the trick safely, and that you're going to take it slow until you've developed the reaction skills to execute the front flip correctly. The first thing you have to learn to complete a front flip is how to tuck up your legs so they won't get in the way.

Start learning your tuck jump by positioning yourself in the middle of the trampoline mat and performing and bringing your knees up as high as possible while bouncing as little as possible. This will get you in the habit of using your own energy to tuck your knees during the flip. Slowly, add more effort to your bounce, using the trampoline springs to propel you higher and higher off the mat while still tucking your legs as quickly as possible. Of course, you have to be sure to uncoil your legs fast enough to land on your feet again before the next bounce.

When you're confident that you can tuck jump without giving it too much extra thought, it's time to practice the flipping part of the front flip. Start by standing still again in the center of the trampoline. Without using much force from the trampoline springs, lean your head forward and tuck your knees to your chest as you slowly perform a somersault on the mat. As you become more comfortable with this flipping motion, add some momentum by bouncing first and simply landing on your back after you've flipped over. Soon you'll be able to combine the full tuck jump with the somersaulting motion, to land a perfect front flip.