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Switch riding

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
The standard test that people say to do, is to stand with your feet about a shoulder's width apart and get someone to push you from behind, whichever foot you use to break your fall is likely to be your most comfortable front foot.

Not sure how scientific that is, but it seems to be accurate for me at least!

Incidentally I started off riding left foot first (regular) until an instructor suggested the above, at which point I tried riding right foot first (goofy) and found it felt more 'natural'
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@flangesax, just catching up, I might agree with you in going 'full on' switch. . . If I were a teenager with rubber bones, elastic muscles and a quicksilver mind . . . few of us fall into that category. That's why I'll always err towards taking risks coupled with minimising potential damage. Changing ride styles or attempting a new trick will require more energy, both physical and mental. Unless you have unlimited reserves the only thing that will happen when you get tired is that you're going to hurt yourself.

As with most technical sports, you push hard until you start to lose control; you stop and recover, analyse and develop a strategy to improve. It's quick and not that difficult with elite athletes . . . bit more of a minefield for us lesser mortals. That's why unless I actually know the person's capabilities, I'll always defer to an element of caution.

I'm going to need to go through the same process this eosb, I'm old, heavy, unfit and been off my board for near 5 years . . . What hurts me will probably kill me Twisted Evil
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
vjmehra wrote:
The standard test that people say to do, is to stand with your feet about a shoulder's width apart and get someone to push you from behind, whichever foot you use to break your fall is likely to be your most comfortable front foot.


The problem with this test is that you know you are going to be pushed and will be preferring a foot to put forward.

The one you can't really fake is sliding across a floor in your socks. Take a run up and slide as far as you can. Either regular or goofy will feel better. This test gives another big piece of info... so hold a piece of chalk when you do it. When you stop, chalk around your feet and draw two lines, one through the centre of each foot. The intersecting angle is what you should be aiming for when you add the two angles of your bindings. Something between 20-30 degrees is typical, but 3 degrees can be the difference between foot/knee pain and total comfort.
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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
@bar shaker, That angle measurement almost always leads to a heavy negative angle in the rear foot as your instrinctive balance position to the braking effect of the slide puts too much weight into the rear foot. A static squat will be closer to a "natural" angle for normal riding conditions.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
bar shaker wrote:
The one you can't really fake is sliding across a floor in your socks. Take a run up and slide as far as you can. Either regular or goofy will feel better.


^+1. This is the one I always recommend for surfing.
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
Good thread.
I've been practising riding switch, mostly so when I'm playing in the stuff at the side of the piste, I can see piste when I jump back on. Plus I like to popping 180's simply to p*ss my kids off. I am visibly too old for that kinda stuff so it looks particularly tragic.

Drill, practice, fall. Same as learning in the first place. Never found it that much of a problem, but then I am thoroughly mixed up: Left handed goofy rider. (I kick a ball with my right foot).

Seems a shame that we follow this natural "goofy" or "regular" stance. I reckon if I'd started out riding either way round 10 years ago I wouldn't have developed this fear of reversing my direction of travel.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@Masque,
Quote:

What hurts me will probably kill me

No reason not to try though? Toofy Grin
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Strax wrote:
Good thread.
I've been practising riding switch, mostly so when I'm playing in the stuff at the side of the piste, I can see piste when I jump back on. Plus I like to popping 180's simply to p*ss my kids off. I am visibly too old for that kinda stuff so it looks particularly tragic.

Drill, practice, fall. Same as learning in the first place. Never found it that much of a problem, but then I am thoroughly mixed up: Left handed goofy rider. (I kick a ball with my right foot).

Seems a shame that we follow this natural "goofy" or "regular" stance. I reckon if I'd started out riding either way round 10 years ago I wouldn't have developed this fear of reversing my direction of travel.


You are completely opposite to me I kick with left but use my right hand, even in my head I can't visualise how I ride and this makes me want to learn switch even more because then it will never matter which way I face or which leading leg, regular or goofy.
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 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
I spent 4 days last week teaching a mate how to snowboard from scratch, he is goofy so it meant I had to ride switch the whole time and really think about what I was doing. It improved my riding massively. End of the week I was happy going into smallish jumps switch and landed my first few backside 180s, really enjoyed the week!
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