Avoiding the head bang

This may seem like a dumb question but does anyone have any tips on how to avoid banging your head on the restraints? I don't think taller people have this much of a problem as their head sticks above as opposed to those of shorter stature.

My head was banged around on:

Mantis
Corkscrew
Maverick

Can't remember if it did on Gatekeeper as it's still very smooth. Raptor was the only one I got by without my head knocked about.

What do you guys do to avoid this and can you? Tried keeping my head back, but the force overcame.

Even tips for particular rides would be helpful. Otherwise I'm in for a painful season. Today I feel like I've been through a war. Hate to avoid more rides as the only one I refuse to get on is Mean Streak because there is no amount of bracing to stop the vibrations.

Maverick : I find pushing forcefully outward on the restraints and pinning my head back while anticipating the turns and rolls has helped me tremendously. I've reduced the amount of clips to my head that way. A friend of mine has successfully done the whole ride without any pain doing that.

Corkscrew, prop feet against the front of the car and push yourself up into the shoulder harness and head back. It also makes for a fun ride, on the hill you're almost somewhat going feet first into it, feels different..

On Maverick I hang onto the harness up by my ears so that it cushions them and stick my head out a bit, but I always watch ahead and get "ready" for the quick left/right....

IMO it seems as though the back row doesn't bang my head as much but I anticipate each turn/flip so that may be why.

Try leaning your head forward during the quick turns, especially on Maverick.

I understand your pain though. Mantis & Corkscrew are two of my least favorite rides. Unless the lines are extremely short, I skip those.

Corkscrew is amazing good sir, retract that statement :P

thedevariouseffect said:
Corkscrew is amazing good sir, retract that statement :P

Just thinking about Corkscrew gives me a headache (grabbing Advil now). Explain why riding Blue Streak and Mean Streak all day doesn't bother me though.

Thanks for the replies!

Darkrider68, do you mean pushing your body forward or your just your arms gripping the restraints while pushing your head and body back?

It's hard to believe Mantis is basically a walk-on now! I wonder if it's because of the head banging or what. It's still a pretty good ride otherwise.

It was my first time on Maverick, what an awesome ride! I've been wanting to ride it forever, always seemed to have a 2 hour wait. Got lucky with about 40 minutes close to closing last night. I see many of you know what to anticipate with riding it many times and I'm sure my not knowing played a part.

I figured, somebody here has to have figured out a way to get around the head banging.

Push against the restraints to pin your shoulders and head back. Then anticipate what's coming. Good luck. It helps me, hope it helps you. Maverick is a coaster I had to learn to ride. It's a challenge, but it has it's rewards.

Corkscrew: Only went on it once, never will go it again. It's short, boring, and is rough. Not really sure what to tell you about this coaster, so I guess try what thedevariouseffect said.

Mantis: Once again, only went on this ride once, and probably never again. I didn't even notice the headbanging due to the pain in my legs... Just try to keep your head back and try to be tense.

Maverick: I've been able to successfully ride it without any discomfort or head banging at all. Like others have said, grip the restraints about shoulder level and hold on tightly. Keep your head pushed back against the seat, and anticipate the turns. And if this makes any sense, try to lean into the turns without actually moving your head very much. If you stay tense and hold on as tightly as possible, and push your head back, you should be good. By doing this I've never had any headbanging. The key is to not sit relaxed during this ride. I know it can be hard to do, but in order to have a painless, fun ride, you have to be tense while riding it.

I just avoid riding headbangers because i see no fun in riding a coaster i can't enjoy! Yes i don't ride Maverick because of the head banging and i put it in the same catergory as a Togo coaster! I can't figure out why a park would put in a multi million dollar attraction that isn't enjoyable to its guests?

The fact that Maverick doesn't yet have the soft straps that I-305 has is still quite disappointing to me. As others have said, holding the restraint near your ears (I hold the outside and put pressure inward) seems to help a lot on that ride. Corkscrew has never really bothered me too much, and Mantis is unbearable for more reasons than one.

Lightly pressing your head against any of the OTS restraints (I usually press my head to the right) will help tremendously. The "head banging" comes from the couple of inches of space in between your head and the restraint. The farther your head is from the restraint, the more force is built up when it collides with the restraint and the more it hurts. If you press your head too hard, more vibration from the track is transferred to your head and that is also unpleasant.

I have never had a problem on Mantis. Some people think it may be because portions of my anatomy are made of brass; but, I think it is just because I bend my knees when I ride. Mantis is a stand up coaster. You should not be sitting on the bike seat. When adjusting the seat upon entering the ride, make sure the "seat" is about 2 inches below your crotch. When the ride is in motion keep your knees slightly bent and they act as shock absorbers. I can only ride Mantis 2 or 3 times a day before my legs are shot. It is not an easy ride to ride but I have never thought it was painful.

Here is what works for me on Maverick: I only sit in the front. I hold onto the handles they have on the restraints. Hold may not be the correct term as I actually push out against the handles mainly to keep the restraints from tightening during the ride. Finally and most importantly, I lean into the turns, much like one would when riding a motorcycle at high speeds in tight turns.

I used to hold the restraints up by my ears but every time this would cause the restraints to tighten up too much mid-ride.

Before starting to use the above steps, I would always bang my head at least once. Now, I can marathon Maverick without any problems.

I really appreciate all these tips as I will be trying all of them!

Thanks again!

I actually find that putting my head forwards in front of the restraints on Maverick is better than pinning my head back. Over the years of riding, I have also learned to lean with the turns.

I would love to have GateKeeper's restraints on Maverick. That would be close to perfection to me.

El Loco1 said:
I just avoid riding headbangers because i see no fun in riding a coaster i can't enjoy! Yes i don't ride Maverick because of the head banging and i put it in the same catergory as a Togo coaster! I can't figure out why a park would put in a multi million dollar attraction that isn't enjoyable to its guests?

Except many guests do find Maverick to be enjoyable and a great coaster...

I love Maverick, but the restraints are the worst restraints I've ever experienced on a coaster. I am waiting for the day that the GateKeeper restraints are on Maverick.

Why do people have a huge problem with maverick restraints...I've never been bugged by it, other than it drops and staples on the first lift thus ruining my awesome ejector seat airtime I had planned :P