# Need help with form



## fletcherhead (Dec 4, 2008)

My friend taght me how to snowboard and he taught me to use the rudder/using front foot as pivot method of turning. I really want to break this habit, so does anybody have tips of how to break it and the correct way to turn? please help.


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## Guest (Dec 8, 2008)

what's the rutter method of turning?

alasdair


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## alf (Mar 14, 2008)

Snowolf wrote some great (as usual) tips on turning for beginners: http://www.snowboardingforum.com/tips-tricks-instructors/778-just-some-basic-how-tos.html#post4986

Using the board as a "rudder" is a reference to the rudder on a boat or airplane. A rudder is a vertical fin/flap/whateveryouwannacallit at the rear of the vehicle (underwater in the case of a boat, obviously) -- Turning the rudder to the left pushes water/air to the left, which pushes the rear of the vehicle to the right in reaction. The vehicle pivots around its center of mass, causing a left turn. That is, the rear swings to the right while the front points to the left. Vice versa for right turns.

Using the board as a rudder means that you're shoving the rear of the board to the left or right, causing it to pivot around (roughly) your front foot. It's lousy form because you're skidding instead of carving and you don't get much control unless you are on easy groomed snow.

To turn correctly, you want to first read everything Snowolf says  and in particular, remember to bend your knees a lot to get low -- that will help you get the board up on edge so that the sidecut does the turning for you.


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## Guest (Dec 8, 2008)

ah - it makes much more sense now...

alf - the link you provided to snowolf's info is excellent.

fletcherhead, i suggest you get back to basics. here's something to try. find an easy grade and practice gliding in a straight line and making one turn (a so-called 'J' turn) with only your front foot strapped in. it's very hard to use your back foot to throw the tail of the board round with your back foot out of the binding.

after you've got a glide and turn down, practice a toe turn followed by a traverse across the hill followed by a heel turn - again, all with one foot in. when you're comfortable with that, try linking turns down a gentle slope - again with one foot in.

then strap in the back foot and try to make the same turns.

alasdair


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## max_tm (Dec 7, 2008)

One thing that I find people don't have when trying to break out of the "rudder turning" habit is *patience*; you have to trust that even though at some point in the turn your board is pointing down the fall line and picking up speed, if you have a nice centered stance and are steering the board confidently you will complete the turn without having to counter-rotate and jam your back leg out from under you.


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