Hi there - thought for a long time about asking this at the risk of being told

yep you guessed it,practice more !!

Something that most people don't really do is practice specific things

Why don't you try putting a section together where you practice throttle control only, not balance or obstacles

Just focus on your right hand, it does not take long for habits to develop, but you do have to develop them

Make sure you have a little bit of free play in your throttle that does not affect the engine RPMs. Also hand position and bar position are important as well. Postition your hand so that if you yank on the bars it does not rotate the throttle or rev the engine.

Hold the bars "loosely" don't have them in a "death grip".

Sounds like you are covering the clutch so that is good. Keep one finger on it.

and yep practice, practice, practice. Like 0007 says, practice throttle control specifically.

also try slipping the clutch, kinda like working the throttle against the clutch. Hold throttle with some engine RPMs (low) and use the clutch to keep yourself staying in one spot. It is ok to first try this with your foot down to get an idea of what everything is doing. This may help you control the throttle and get used to the relationship between the throttle and clutch. (also useful in tight turns)

Throttle control in trials is pretty much the most important single factor.

Pretty much agree with all the previous posts. Particularly the specific practice.

I would invent some specific routines that force this to happen. I have a variation similar to Zippy's.

Zippy suggested practicing working the throttle against the clutch, perhaps with the back brake on. You're doing well when your throttle control responds exactly to the load that the clutch is placing on the engine. A sign that this is happening is that the engine revs vary very little because you're throttle response is perfectly in time with the change in load. You need very little revs to achieve this (just above tick-over).

The similar exercise that Zippy hints at is full lock turns (in a figure of 8 pattern). With the bike on full lock you cant move fast without falling off, this means that even first gear at tick-over may be too fast. This then forces you to slip the clutch as above, but with the added balance / control of turning thrown in. Success is when you have full steering lock at all times, except when switching from left to right lock and even this can be done within 1/2 a second. With no lurching, the revs will rarely climb much above tick-over, you will be varying the load with the clutch and matching it with the throttle. Simples!!

Good luck

you might find things easier with a slow action throttle

You do not state which bike, yet most modern bikes have a very light and progressive clutch you can cover at all times with one finger. Simple exercizes can be accomplished in any of the lower gears which forces one to learn the clutch slippage and proper application of power, reguardless or gear selected or engine rpm. You will not go forward without clutch enguaged, and it is your instant bail out tool as well.

If its a flat field get a small log branch or brick and just try a blip of throttle to get over simple and small obstacles.

Free play, yes but not too much.

Thanks all so much for the help and advice - I'm going to try everything and practice and I will post back how I get on so hopefully you wont mind keeping on with the help.

Jeffm - how do I position my hands then, I must be wrong somewhere

Zippy - yes I'm definitely in a death grip coz my arms hurt - just trying to relax a bit more

copemech - its a GG250 and its absolutely awesome, I love it

As far as hand position it's nothing technical. Just make sure you don't over rotate your hand like you want to rip the throttle wide open. While standing on bike with knees slightly bent grab the throttle straight out with a natural extension of your arm. And as others have said, cover the clutch with your finger and practice those drills for clutch control

It's probably easy to over analyze this, if you practice smooth throttle application and focus on body position at some point in the near future you will realize that you have completely forgotten about your throttle hand, it will (and must) become automatic, same as your clutch finger

There's waaaaay to much to think about while riding a section, you can't be concentrating on the throttle

Ride for fun and practice for no more than 20 minutes at a time and it will come together

But don't forget how fun these bikes are

It's probably easy to over analyze this, if you practice smooth throttle application and focus on body position at some point in the near future you will realize that you have completely forgotten about your throttle hand, it will (and must) become automatic, same as your clutch finger

There's waaaaay to much to think about while riding a section, you can't be concentrating on the throttle

Ride for fun and practice for no more than 20 minutes at a time and it will come together

But don't forget how fun these bikes are

the automatic throttle and clutch thing is true,especially when things get a little a little out of hand.

Hi mate.. Don't be upset but it will take time.

I have great throttle control now , but it was practice every day for years to get it.

Don't break a wrist trying either. That'll make it much harder! Take you time and it'll come.