What game mechanic was not explained (not clear enough) so you missed using it until FAR too late in the game?

I remember WAY back in Jax and Daxter, you could jump from a roll and it would do this massively long jump thing. I got stuck on part of the game, assuming it was something you have to come back to, but eventually it was the only place I could go.

I tried for 20 minutes over and trying to time my jumps and never making it over that gap until I must have accidentally hit the roll just before the jump and it did the long jump.