goofy or regular..?

[board_chicky]

my b/f brother told me maybe I am having a hard time because I am boarding reg and I may be goofy. How do you know this? or how do I find out? without going through a major change of the bindings when on the mt. I mean is there a way to find out b4 you go up so that if i am goofy I can change my bindings around. I am not sure maybe they are not set up right.

[SnoChica]

Several methods....

Although, I don't know how accurate they are if you actually THINK about it.

1. Have a friend push you from behind... (without you knowing WHEN it's going to happen.) Whichever foot you catch yourself on should be a good indicator of what your front foot should be.

2. In your socks, go run and slide across a hardwood/linoleum floor. Which foot is is front?

3. If you skateboard... which foot is in front?

4. This one is a bit different... imagine you're on a bike and standing up on the pedals... which foot is in front?

Of course, none of these methods are 100% accurate. And for some people completely unreliable. But, aside from trying to ride the "other" way than you do now, you can give these a try.

[board_chicky]

I was just thinking maybe that is why I have a hard time figureing out going to my toes and boarding better since i have been going for a few yrs now.

I do like your suggestions lol sould like fun...lol

[board_chicky]

then which means which?

[get me out of GA]

2. In your socks, go run and slide across a hardwood/linoleum floor. Which foot is is front?



I have always loved this one, its good for just playing around too, **** finding out what stance you are, the better question is how far across the floor can you slide (without falling on your ass of course)

[Clash360]

if your right foot is in front on all of those SnoChica said, then your goofy, like me, and if your left foot is in front, then your regular.

[Jutty]

I tried # 4 but it did not work for me (boredom had me try this...)...im definitely regular...i think it might have to do with my mongo/bongo skateboard stance....

[board_chicky]

:doh: well i have been ridding reg and if what you say is right i am goofy we wil try that tonight hope that it works for me. maybe that is why i was having a hard time. I will have to let you know later tonight or tomorow.
thanx for you help

[gavn]

Whenever I want to find out I say, "If you had to kick a soccer ball, what foot would you use?" Whatever foot they say they will kick with is the back foot. Meaning the foot not kicking is the lead foot.

[SnoChica]

Whenever I want to find out I say, "If you had to kick a soccer ball, what foot would you use?" Whatever foot they say they will kick with is the back foot. Meaning the foot not kicking is the lead foot.
That's a good one! :)

[ikonXone]

i am all over the place, but to start off i used the foot i had in front when i used to skate. instead of figuring out the front foot, just learn to ride both ways from the start.

[dirtyjerz]

i snowboard the opposite that i skate (ride regular, skate goofy). i can snowboard switch (ollie, carve, spin) but i can't even ride a skateboard regular.

Jussi Oksanen (sp?) is hte same way.

[subjec2failure]

i ride goofy.. but for # 4.. biking.. i ride left foot foward.. and i kick a soccer ball with my right foot.. aka.. my lead foot

[Snowboarder 180]

Try it out both regular and goofy and which ever feels more comfortable for you. The methods that were suggested are good to get you going but its all about what feels comfortable for you once you get out there on your board.

[ADRsk8boarder]

the most reliable way is getting ur ass shoved from behind and seeing wut foot is in front

[board_chicky]

thanx.. tried today and still was all over the place. getting on the lift I felt like my right foot should be out but going downhill I felt more commfortable the other foot, but kinda do both. Just tring to figure out why I cant seem to carve like my b/f etc. I have been going for a few years but not that offten last yr only got up there 2 times. I think I started going down goofey and starting to carve then I lost coffidence. Maybe that is all my problem. The conditions were really good today snowing alot of powder, but today was my worst day ever I am so sore. Maybe I will never figure this out or get it. Maybe as much as i want it to be its not for me. arrgggg so frustrating cause I do enjoy it most times.:hurt:

[sweetalexial]

Goofy footed for a goofy girl :)

[board_chicky]

lol :laugh: :laugh: no kidden

[Clash360]

Whenever I want to find out I say, "If you had to kick a soccer ball, what foot would you use?" Whatever foot they say they will kick with is the back foot. Meaning the foot not kicking is the lead foot.


i wouldnt use that one. that has to do more if your right or left footed. i play soccer and i kick with my right foot, but i ride goofy. all the other things, like slide on the floor, or skateboard. its all right foot in front. so i wouldnt do the soccer one.

[gavn]

i wouldnt use that one. that has to do more if your right or left footed. i play soccer and i kick with my right foot, but i ride goofy. all the other things, like slide on the floor, or skateboard. its all right foot in front. so i wouldnt do the soccer one.

I would think that finding out if you are left or right footed is the same as finding out what your lead foot is. As with any method, nothing is going to work everytime with every single person. If it doesn't apply to you, it doesn't mean it doesn't apply to me or SnoChica who apparently liked the idea.

The main reason I like the soccer ball one is because it's the easiest for most people to visualize. Even if they don't play soccer, they have at least kicked something or someone and are fairly familiar with what foot they'd favor in that sense. It might not be as clear when going with the Tom Cruise slide, or jumping on a skateboard.

Personally, I'm pretty much a mess... like an ambidexterous retard. I was born left handed, but my parents forced me to write with my right hand. So I hold a pen, fork, etc in my right hand. Though in sports, I throw a football/baseball/shoot a basketball with my left, dribble with the right. When I rode BMX, I was goofy. Kick a soccer ball with my right leg.

[Baz3001]

Whenever I want to find out I say, "If you had to kick a soccer ball, what foot would you use?" Whatever foot they say they will kick with is the back foot. Meaning the foot not kicking is the lead foot.

Yikes maybe I'm regular then.

I kick a ball with my right foot, but I ride goofy. I've been trying to ride switch lately and it just feels really unnatural.

[get me out of GA]

yeah I think its what foot they kick with is the front foot.

I kick with right and I'm goofy, maybe me and baz are just weird

[Clash360]

Yikes maybe I'm regular then.

I kick a ball with my right foot, but I ride goofy. I've been trying to ride switch lately and it just feels really unnatural.

i've played soccer for 15 years, and i kick with my right foot. but when i ride a skateboard, or snowboard, i'm always goofy. so i wouldnt incorporate which foot you kick a soccer ball with to wheather or not your goofy or regular. alot of right footed people are goofy, and regular.

[gavn]

i've played soccer for 15 years, and i kick with my right foot. but when i ride a skateboard, or snowboard, i'm always goofy. so i wouldnt incorporate which foot you kick a soccer ball with to wheather or not your goofy or regular. alot of right footed people are goofy, and regular.

You've been playing soccer since you were 1 years old? Is that even possible? :mrgreen:

[Clash360]

^^lol sorry, i got confused, i've been playing since i was 5...so 11 years.

[SnoChica]

So last night I was going to get sometihng off my kitchen counter. And without thinking, I slid across the floor because I had socks on. About a minute after I did it I thought... "I slid across on my right foot... I really am goofy"

I guess my point is that if you have a thought in your mind about whether you're goofy or regular, you could influence your action because of what you think you should be. But my skid across the floor was about as instinctual as it gets.

[deeAnna]

i've played soccer for 15 years, and i kick with my right foot. but when i ride a skateboard, or snowboard, i'm always goofy. so i wouldnt incorporate which foot you kick a soccer ball with to wheather or not your goofy or regular. alot of right footed people are goofy, and regular.

yeah i agree! i played soccer when i was younger, and i always kicked with my right foot, and i am goofy. then when i used to skateboard i would be regular. when i first started learning how to snowboard i went up as regular, and it was taking me awhile to get better on my toe edge, but my heel edge was fine. so i just switched to goofy and i learned my toe edge a lot quicker! so i think just switching and playing around with it helps!

[board_chicky]

is it possible to be both then? because I cant figure out how to get on the lift goofy but seem to go down the mt. mostly goofy.

[deeAnna]

is it possible to be both then? because I cant figure out how to get on the lift goofy but seem to go down the mt. mostly goofy.

yeah i think so... i do switch every once in awhile...but i feel more in control when i snowboard down the run goofy. i feel like i have less control when i snowboard regular down the run, but i can do it. but yeah i had the same problem with the whole chairlift thing! i feel more comfortable getting off the chairlift regular,some of my friends thought it was weird that i did that... last season and the season before that etc.... i would get off the chairlift going regular. this year i have been just getting off the chairlift goofy...i don't really like getting off the chairlift goofy tho, i geuss i am just used to getting off of the chair lift regular.. but now i just figured i might as well force my self to get off the lift goofy since i ride goofy 90% of the time haha. anyways so if you feel most comfortable getting on the lift and off the lift regular than do it!!

[Spin240]

OK... everyone gave some really good advice here, all the the most common answers... 1 more to add is "If you were swinging a baseball bat or a tennis racket, Which foot would you have forward?"

In reality... everyone is different, so having taught many many people in the same situation as you... my best advice is... Decide on ONE direction and STICK to it... Eventually hopefully you will learn to ride switch anyways so it doesnt really matter which direction you start out..whatever you choose ONLY go that direction... do not flip flop and confuse the sh.it out of yourself because that is the worst you can do... Just adapt to one direction and get comfortable with it.. your body is capable of doing the same motions both ways so inturn you are capable of going both ways... just learn ONE of them first. Make your decision and stick to it.

heed this and you will save yourself a lot of wasted time..

[deeAnna]

^good point..haha... but still regular is more comfortable for me getting off the lift...and it never confused me...but i geuss i have been snowboarding for awhile now...

[gavn]

Ok, so this weekend I tried using the "sliding through your kitchen with socks on" example in all of my lessons and I don't know how effective it was. Most people seemed kind of confused for a while and people ended up switching mid way through the lesson.

I think the next thing for me to try is swinging a baseball bat/golf club.

[board_chicky]

all this is very helpfull so thanx and I will still just try try try,.... I hope one day I will just get it lol.

[Nevereversummer]

Ok, so this weekend I tried using the "sliding through your kitchen with socks on" example in all of my lessons and I don't know how effective it was. Most people seemed kind of confused for a while and people ended up switching mid way through the lesson.

I think the next thing for me to try is swinging a baseball bat/golf club.
The baseball swing won't help. I bat righty naturally, also a switch hitter, but I ride goofy and switch comes pretty naturally to me.
The only way to really tell which is more comfortable is to decide on the hill. It's normal to feel awkward either way. My friend was regular for 2 years before he switched to goofy, but he still can't ride regular to save his life. Weird, I know.

[gavn]

I got this idea last night while watching something on the Discovery channel..

Have everyone get on their bellies like they're on a surf board and have them push up onto their feet like they were taking a wave. The foot that they lead with in this scenario would be a pretty good indicator of regular or goofy I think.

Any thoughts?

[DC-RiDa-4-LiFe77]

I got this idea last night while watching something on the Discovery channel..

Have everyone get on their bellies like they're on a surf board and have them push up onto their feet like they were taking a wave. The foot that they lead with in this scenario would be a pretty good indicator of regular or goofy I think.

Any thoughts?

old thread but anyways. i disagree. i ride goofy skateboarding and i did the one time i went surfing. b/c in skateboarding and surfing you lead with your front foot. snowboarding your control is more in the back. granted your just doing it for comparison but who knows.

best way i think is go out on sum sort of hill. get on a cheap $5 plastic snowboard and see which is better. or hop on a sled and pretend to snowboard down. best way is just to try. i have heard that if you push them back the first foot that goes back usually is the back foot. i think.

[djstealth]

old thread but anyways. i disagree. i ride goofy skateboarding and i did the one time i went surfing. b/c in skateboarding and surfing you lead with your front foot. snowboarding your control is more in the back. granted your just doing it for comparison but who knows.

best way i think is go out on sum sort of hill. get on a cheap $5 plastic snowboard and see which is better. or hop on a sled and pretend to snowboard down. best way is just to try. i have heard that if you push them back the first foot that goes back usually is the back foot. i think.


nah uh who told ya your control is more in the back foot in snowboarding, last time I checked that's a main ingredient for that little recipe we all hate called wipeout, is just plain physics. as you move forward in a snowboard your front foot is the one that is in FRONT, actually you are never going backwards in snowboarding, just riding switch, fakie.... however you want to call it, that's why you lean forward while riding, unless you are doing butters but that's a different story. probably your approach would work but we are talking about people that are learning how to ride from scratch, I have found that the push from behind method is pretty accurate actually, that or ask them to step on a rock or something like that and just jump forward, then pay attention which foot is forward.

[DC-RiDa-4-LiFe77]

when your turning what foot swings around? its your back so doesn't that mean your back foot controls more than your right foot? imagine someone going left to right really fast. there front foot stays stationary while the back foot is moving left to right to left.....

[gavn]

When teaching beginners, you need to focus on using the edges to turn. Swinging your back foot like that is considered a bad habit at that stage.

[nikki b 007]

i tried the bike one the other day n that worked.....i didnt even realize i was doing it n i thought of this thread n my left foot was foward which is my front foot while boarding

[Cr0_Reps_Smit]

when your turning what foot swings around? its your back so doesn't that mean your back foot controls more than your right foot? imagine someone going left to right really fast. there front foot stays stationary while the back foot is moving left to right to left.....

if thats how you're riding then you need work on your riding because your front foot is whats suppose to initiate the turns you make and the back foot follows.you should have nice thin lines behind you from carving, not big skidded marks.

[Spin240]

Your backfoot does not control your turning unless you are in deep powder and even then it doesnt control all of your turning.

Think of your snowboard like a car... with your front foot being the front wheels and your back foot being the back wheels. When the front wheels turn the back moves, but that isnt whats turning the car. The pivot of the front wheels is.

The same thing goes for your body and snowboarding. How you use your front leg determines how the snowboard will turn. Snowboarding on harder pack snow is 80% front leg for the most part. If you ONLY try and steer with your rear leg you will get a lot of hard falls that aren't necessary

[djstealth]

that's exactly my point, you swing your back leg around to finish the turn or for style points, but is a rather "advanced" technique for turning, and even then your front leg is still doing most of the work

[Snow Kitty]

Yikes maybe I'm regular then.

I kick a ball with my right foot, but I ride goofy. I've been trying to ride switch lately and it just feels really unnatural.

goofy is right. Regular is Left. yeah when I first boarded, i went regular. I kept on switching to my "goofy" side, basicall I was boarding backward. so I changed my bindings to goofy, my ride went smoothly

[yellowsnowmaker]

sorry for continuing off topic, but i'm puzzled by the conversation between front or back foot controlling the turns.

I am not new to snowboarding, i have been riding for 6 years and can quite comfortably take anything given to me, but i have learned the faster i go, the more reliant i am on my back foot then front. My front is the foot that initiates the turns, but once i start it is all on my back for swinging out and bringing the board back in. I can go fast and carve an entire path or go 5 feet out both ways, both work fine. But it's mainly on the back foot..is this normal? or just something i taught myself to do and need to "un-teach" myself? Any help would be coolio
8)

[DC-RiDa-4-LiFe77]

sorry for continuing off topic, but i'm puzzled by the conversation between front or back foot controlling the turns.

I am not new to snowboarding, i have been riding for 6 years and can quite comfortably take anything given to me, but i have learned the faster i go, the more reliant i am on my back foot then front. My front is the foot that initiates the turns, but once i start it is all on my back for swinging out and bringing the board back in. I can go fast and carve an entire path or go 5 feet out both ways, both work fine. But it's mainly on the back foot..is this normal? or just something i taught myself to do and need to "un-teach" myself? Any help would be coolio
8)

i do the same thing, people told me back foot controls more than the front..it makes sense to me and its more comfortable to me as well.

[ashleyistwisted]

stand on one foot
whichever leg keeps you more balanced is your back foot on the board
makes sense because alot of your balance is on this foot
[idk if i explained that right]

according to most of those i should be regular..but im def goofy..my first and only lesson i rode regular and i did horrible, after that i did goofy and i didnt fall as much

[Mighty Sasquatch]

Of course it all comes down to what you prefer. You can stand on one leg all day then slide across the floor, and pretend to kick a soccer ball if you want.

But really the best way to choose is to strap in and practice both ways and see what way feels more natural.

Then when you do choose make sure you board is set up right :D

[DragonUSMC]

sorry for continuing off topic, but i'm puzzled by the conversation between front or back foot controlling the turns.

I am not new to snowboarding, i have been riding for 6 years and can quite comfortably take anything given to me, but i have learned the faster i go, the more reliant i am on my back foot then front. My front is the foot that initiates the turns, but once i start it is all on my back for swinging out and bringing the board back in. I can go fast and carve an entire path or go 5 feet out both ways, both work fine. But it's mainly on the back foot..is this normal? or just something i taught myself to do and need to "un-teach" myself? Any help would be coolio
8)

When you first start the back foot is used more for steering... as you progress in your riding the initiation of the turn will start with your front leg and is powered by the follow through, or in a sense, your back leg. So no you are fine... you can see the difference when you go really really slow and turn and when you are at normal riding speed. At slow speed you will still turn with your back foot... =) your body has adjusted your balence points for the right speed. Try it, you'll see what i mean.

stand on one foot
whichever leg keeps you more balanced is your back foot on the board
makes sense because alot of your balance is on this foot
[idk if i explained that right]



Ummm no... not at all, this is absolutely TERRIBLE advice. I dont care how you figure out which foot is forward, there are many methods, and some people are ambidextrious to begin with. But saying what ever foot keeps you most balanced is your back foot because most of your weight goes to your back foot is transfering your incorrect and poor riding technique to others.

This whole back foot riding thing is the reason some people will never get better... because they NEVER figure out how to get out of the back seat. Sorry to be so harsh but this is the reason why instructors should teach and not people learning from friends...

[advres]

Run and slide on ice... which foot do you put forward NATURALLY? there you go...

PS... I'm a goofy b1tch

[snare_samn]

I've tried all those stupid "this is how you figure out what you are" things and if it works for you, great. But personally, I'm right-handed, I kick a soccer ball with my right foot, and when I slide on linoleum in my socks the right foot goes first; but I was 100 times more comfortable riding goofy my first time so I stuck with it. To each his own I say, and you just have to try both ways before you can figure out what you setup needs to be.

[Spin240]

I've tried all those stupid "this is how you figure out what you are" things and if it works for you, great. But personally, I'm right-handed, I kick a soccer ball with my right foot, and when I slide on linoleum in my socks the right foot goes first; but I was 100 times more comfortable riding goofy my first time so I stuck with it. To each his own I say, and you just have to try both ways before you can figure out what you setup needs to be.

If you slide on linoleum and you put your right foot first that is goofy. So at least 1 of those tests shows you to be goofy

[DragonUSMC]

^ummm yeah... so how are you going to justify that comment now samm?

GJ spin... way to keep on your toes!

[Cr0_Reps_Smit]

i use to skate board so it was pretty easy to figure out if i was goofy or regular. i just snowboard the way i skate.

[Clash360]

^well good for you cro.

[snare_samn]

Ah, I meant to say left. You guys knew that.

[Spin240]

*cough* bullsh!t *cough* ;)

[jenni8200]

When i first started snowboarding i rode regular for most of the season but then i got the bright idea one day to try and ride goofy.. DUMB!!!!! That was the scarest thing for me just getting off the ski lift, you feel so awkward. needless to say i know i'm 100% regular

[DragonUSMC]

^you should eventually learn to ride switch. It will make you a more confident rider and will get you out of dangerous / hard spots with greater ease.

[Baz3001]

^ I attempted switch the other day... most frustrating thing ever. I did what you had suggested in previous posts, I did everything switch... the most annoying bit was getting on the lift and just walking with my back foot out. The riding itself was slow going but I could do it (just about). It is just like starting again.

[DragonUSMC]

^yeah it is frusterating... and yeah the lift part is the hardest.

But thats why i always suggest doing it with a grp of friends because you can make a game of it and such to keep things less frusterating.

[Baz3001]

Haha, my friend was a d!ck. He wouldn't do it and just kept laughing at me instead.


I punched him in the throat.

[DragonUSMC]

heh... dont hit him too hard in the neck. Its easy to kill someone that way.

But i think i spent most of my day playing flat land tricks, and just trying giant turns and eventually making them smaller and smaller... as for pushing... well i stil dont do that switch well, i used it as a reminder that I'm a noob on my switch day so i would keep the correct body posture.

[Spin240]

I can ride moguls and trees switch... But I cant kick for the life of me at all.

[DragonUSMC]

Trees is where i mostly think knowing how to ride switch is key... it can literally save your life.

[Snowolf]

You are right there. Sometimes there is not time to make a turn. This is another reason for not doing away with teaching linked traverses in my opinion, it will help with switch riding and will help in the trees.

I am very dominant regular and I struggle with switch riding. I can ride blue groomers switch just fine, but off piste and steeps, I always chicken out and revert to regular...more practice!

[Spin240]

This might seem too general.. but switch riding is actually really easy. All you have to do is think about it while you do it at the beginning... Just do everything you do normally... but backwards. Use the opposite muscle and you ride the same both ways.

Maybe smoke some weed and get into it regular and really pick apart your riding.. then do it switch ;-)

[Cr0_Reps_Smit]

^hahaha i like that idea, i'm already pretty decent at riding switch but could always get better.