Goofy vs. Regular: The Official Guide to Snowboard Stances

Since the dawn of boardsports, the goofy vs. regular debate has raged: right foot forward vs. left foot forward. But then snowboarding was born. And suddenly there were many more factors to consider than just which foot goes in front.

Fortunately, Burton has been around since the beginning of snowboarding (literally) and we’re here to set the record straight. So, whether you’re mounting up your very first pair of snowboard bindings, or you’re just a little stance-curious, you can find all the answers you need in The Official Guide to Snowboard Stances.

What is a stance?

In boardsports a stance refers to the placement of your feet on the board, with one foot in front of the other foot while standing sideways. Because of this sideways orientation, balance is extremely important, and most riders naturally select a stance that provides maximum stability. But when it comes to snowboarding there’s a few more critical details.

Snowboard Stances: An Overview

In snowboarding, stance includes four main factors: footedness, width, angle, and setback. All of these factors work together to allow the rider optimum comfort and control. It is worth noting that stance is largely preferential, and we recommend that you modify your stance based on what feels best for you and your riding style.

Footedness: Goofy vs. Regular

Snowboards have a front (nose) and a back (tail) when pointed down the mountain and which foot is closest to the nose determines your stance. There are two types of stance: regular and goofy. Regular footed means your left foot is in front and your right foot is in back; goofy footed means that your right foot is in front and your left foot is in back.

Note: Regular does not mean correct and goofy does not mean incorrect.

Generally, your more dominant foot will be in the back to power the board and control steering while the front foot provides the balance. Interestingly, there is a strong correlation between handedness and footedness, resulting in more people riding regular (right foot back, left foot forward) than goofy, but there are no rules that say this is required.

Note: Snowboarding “switch” means riding the opposite of your normal stance. For example, if you normally ride goofy (right foot forward, left foot back) and you spin around to ride with your left foot in front, you are riding switch.

Establish your snowboard stance footedness:

1. The slide test: Wearing thick socks, run and slide on a smooth hardwood or tile floor. Whichever foot is in front during your slide is most likely the foot that should be in front for your snowboard stance.
2. The push test: Stand up straight with your heels together and look straight ahead; have a trusted friend surprise you with a gentle shove from behind. Whichever foot naturally reacts to brace you from falling is most likely the foot that should be in front for your snowboard stance.
3. The stair test: Approach a set of stairs. Whichever foot starts the climb and touches the first bottom stair is most likely the foot that should be in back for your snowboard stance.

Stance Width

Until you have developed a comfortable riding style, the general recommendation for stance width is to place your feet (and bindings) slightly wider than shoulder width to start; this offers the ideal balance of stability and responsiveness. To make this simpler, most manufacturers include a reference stance that is optimized for the specific snowboard model.

Pro tip: As you ride more and better understand how your board feels under your feet, adjust the width to align with your preferences.

Establish your snowboard stance width:

1. Mount your bindings slightly wider than shoulder width, using the board’s reference stance as a starting point.
2. Ride the snowboard.
3. Adjust accordingly: Widen the stance if you are struggling with balance and shrink the stance if you have a difficult time initiating turns.

Binding Angle

Once you have determined footedness and width, it’s time to set the angles of your snowboard bindings. The angles of the front and rear bindings are important because this geometry directly impacts how power is transferred to the snowboard from your hips and knees. And as with the previous stance factors, binding angle is also very dependent on personal preference.

Stance angle settings are typically described using pairs of numbers that are either zero, positive, or negative, where the first number applies to the front binding and the second number applies to the rear binding. In this case, these numbers refer to the angle of the bindings, where zero indicates that the binding is perfectly perpendicular to the snowboard edges, a positive number indicates that the binding is angled towards the nose, and a negative number indicates that the binding is angled towards the tail. Note: Most bindings or binding baseplates include degree markers to simplify this process.

Example: (+15 / -5)

In this example, the front binding is angled 15 degrees towards the nose and the rear binding is angled 5 degrees towards the tail.

With that in mind, there are three common combinations of stance angles.

Positive / Zero (+ / 0) means that the front binding is angled towards the nose of the snowboard and the rear binding is mounted perpendicular to the edges. This is the recommended stance angle setting for beginners who are just getting started and will allow them to apply maximum force across the width of the board while figuring out how to turn and stop.

Positive / Positive (+ / +) means that both bindings are angled towards the nose of the snowboard. This is a common binding stance angle for all mountain snowboarders because it aligns both knees on the same plane and allows the rider to apply maximum force on the toe edge for more aggressive carves.

Positive / Negative (+ / -) means that the front binding is angled towards the nose and the rear binding is angled towards the tail. This is commonly referred to as the “duck” stance and is most often used by freestyle riders who regularly ride switch.

Establish your snowboard binding angle:

1. Start with Positive / 0.
2. Ride the snowboard.
3. Adjust accordingly: If you find yourself riding switch often, consider a (+ / -) stance; if you are out ripping groomers and laying down serious turns, consider a higher (+ / +).

Setback

Most snowboards are designed with a recommended stance location and this location will either be perfectly centered or set slightly closer to the tail (setback). In either case, you may want to shift the bindings further back towards the tail to increase the area in front of the front bindings, which provides additional flotation in powder and a different flex for carving.

For example, park riders rarely setback their stances because having the same length nose and tail is important for riding switch. Alternatively, many all mountain riders setback their stances to open up the nose of the board and allow for more flex in front of the front binding and heavier turns.

Establish your snowboard stance setback:

1. Mount your bindings using the board’s reference stance as a starting point.
2. Ride the snowboard.
3. Adjust accordingly based on personal preference, terrain, and conditions.

Goofy vs. Regular FAQs

We know you've probably still probably got some unanswered questions about goofy vs. regular snowboard stances. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions answered.

Q: What is goofy vs. regular?
A: Goofy vs. regular refers to having either your left foot or right foot forward when snowboarding. While there is some correlation between a rider's dominant hand and their snowboarding stance, being goofy vs. regular mostly depends on personal preference and what "feels" best.

Q: What is the percentage of snowboarders who ride goofy vs. regular?
A: There is currently no comprehensive data regarding the percentage of snowboarders who ride goofy vs. regular. However, because there is a small correlation between being right-handed and riding regular, it is assumed that there are more regular stance snowboarders.

Q: Why are people goofy vs. regular?
A: The general idea of people riding goofy vs. regular is thought to be connected to brain hemisphere lateralization. Essentially, there is a strong correlation between which side of the brain controls arms/legs and spatial awareness. For example, in right-hand/right-foot dominant snowboarders, the left half of the brain is statistically more active in controlling these functions.

Final Thoughts on Snowboard Stances

As you’ve probably figured out, stance is more than just goofy vs. regular. And it can take some time to figure out exactly what works best for you. In fact, fiddling with your bindings, testing different widths, and tweaking the angles is something that riders of all experience levels do. Some people find a stance they like and stick with it. Others are constantly making minor adjustments. Either way, it’s a process of trial and error. There’s no such thing as the ultimate stance, or a secret formula that works for everyone on every day. But if you stick with this guide you’re guaranteed to put your best foot forward. Right? (See what we did there?)