Binding Angles

Heya guys and gals,

I discussed this in a post a very long time ago but with less then a month before I am on the snow, I would like to clarify binding angles because I am still a little unsure what exactly I should be learning and advancing on. Currently I remember people saying +9/-9 for a beginner then I remember someone saying +16/-9 and even people saying +16/0 so I am unsure what I should be riding and what I actually want to go with.

Currently both my bindings are set to +9/-9 but want to make sure that is the right way to go or should I be doing something different. I remember when I was there last I was taking lessons on a hire board and was set at what I believe was +16/0. I am still learning and taking lessons when I get there for the first 4 days, however I now have all my own gear and now my own board and bindings so I can fiddle more.

I am 6"5’, weigh apox 80kgs, ride normal and have a 159W board.

I do apologize if this is a repost but I cant seem to find my other post. As always I appreciate everyones help and input.

The best way to learn is to generally have the same angles on both feet. This helps you ride switch later as you’re not pushing yourself to go one way instead of the other.

The angles you have generally relate to how flexible you are. So if you can bend down and put your hands flat on the ground when standing, stick to 9/-9. If you can’t touch your toes, you may need more like a 15/-15 stance..

The best way to decide is to put your boots on and strap in and see if you’re trying to push your feet / toes into the edges of the boot or not. I currently ride with 21/-21 cause i’m so inflexible.

Depends how you want to ride. Everyone has a different opinion on this but pretty standard for mainly regular riding and a little switch here and there +14/-9 or something around that would be pretty safe i’d say.

I also have different angles on different boards for different types of riding.

My park and all mountain freestyle boards are set at +15/-15, my charging/powder board is set at +21/-9. I like to keep a 30 degree total difference between set ups, that’s what feels comfortable. Rotating myself more forward helps with carving and dynamic performance, being centered with the +15/-15 makes switch much easier. If you’re not riding much switch yet, I’d actually suggest advancing your front binding 3 degrees more than your rear, it’ll help a bit in the beginning but switch will still feel pretty similar. Once you’re wanting to focus on learning switch more, then an even angle is best.

I noticed in another thread you’re in NZ from the 13th of June, where will you be riding? I’m riding at Mt Hutt until the 16th, then Coronet and Remarks from the 16th-23rd. If our paths cross I’d be happy to catch up for a few runs and a beer.

Start 15/0, once you’re good on your regular side you’re going to naturally start to play with binding angles.

Don’t over think it. Just start walking first, you’ll know when you’re looking at shoes for sprinting. 

Yep! I started with 0/15. I’m now on -15/18 and ride a bit of everything. But favour flat land tricks (which means riding a bit if switch) a little park, and tree runs on fresh snow days its personal preference really..  Set it up, try it out, if after a few runs you don’t feel comfortable/ feel like your struggling… Change it!

Urgh, I hate the idea of anything and 0. at minimum put -6 on a binding. Why increase toe drag when you’re barely using that foot anyway.

It’s such a rental tech guide to beginners. (And a terrible attitude to have in my opinion)

Since your back foot does sweet F*** all anyway, at least set it to an angle that will help you get better in the future (i.e. same as your front foot)

It’s all preference. I started my journey with +15/-15, +18/-9, +21/-9, +21/-6, +18/-12 and now +18/-15.

I’m with TJ here I don’t like the back foot at 0 because from my experience with my beginner friends they all don’t like having the back foot pointed straight. I always start with somewhere between +15 to +18 for front foot and -9 to -12 for back foot.

Or you can always try the +15/0 then just change the back foot as you see fit to make it simple.

See what works best for you.

https://www.boardworld.com.au/forums/viewthread/2597

This will answer your questions as well.

also the video in this:
https://www.boardworld.com.au/forums/viewthread/18139

^ Also:
http://006fd3a.netsolhost.com/snowboard_stance.html

Article is old but proven.

I’m not going to get into the nitty gritty, at the end of day it’s ALL opinion, but you gotta walk before you run.

My main piece of advice here is to have at least 15 degrees on your front binding. It opens your hips to the direction of travel and makes turn initiation easier. Anything less than 15 degrees on your front binding will likely make turn initiation more difficult than it needs to be, even if only slightly. I would say this is the case for most snowboarders.

Definitely play around with your stance as much as possible. Try 18 degrees on the front bindings, maybe even try 21 degrees if you want to. The real experimentation comes with the back binding. These days nearly everyone rides with a “duck stance” — that is, a negative angle on your back binding (toes pointing towards the tail of the board). They key here is to start gradually, try -3 or -6 degrees and see how it feels, then try -9 or -12 degrees and see how it feels and how it affects your riding. Eventually, try the same angles on both your front and back binding. I think 15, -15 is a really good starting point for this and it might even be where you end up. 15, -15 is my ideal stance after years of experimentation. It feels “right”, it suits my riding style, and it’s actually a fairly common stance.

Experimentation during these early stages is key. Don’t get too caught up on one stance or another. Have a think about how it works, make note of how it feels and rides when you try something new. Keep at it, keep tweaking, and eventually you will find your sweet spot. The same goes for stance width. Start on the narrow side of things and gradually try wider stances until you find your perfect stance.

Any specific questions, let me know!

^ THIS IS THE BEST AND MOST CONCISE POST ON BINDING ANGLES FOR N00BS EVER.

#nobull

Thanks Jez. You put into words what I couldn’t. (Prolly didn’t help that I just woke up and haven’t had my coffee yet…)

#nojez, #nobull

Take a stubbie screwdriver with you and spend a couple of runs trying different angles. You should have your angles sorted in about an hour.

Cheers grunge!

@K2 :lol:

Best I could do while at work lol