# Increase or decrease in stance width and how it affected your riding



## Phedder (Sep 13, 2014)

I used to fairly religiously try to keep mine around the 23" mark, but now I think I'm really not that perceptive to it. Reference at 22.4" on my Huck Knife felt a little narrow to me for freestyle, so I went out 1 to max which puts it at 24" which is a touch wide but actually felt better on jumps and stability wise, forced me to squat a bit more in general while riding, but it wasn't exactly night and day, which for a 1.6" difference I thought I'd notice it more. I can happily ride everything with either width. Also injured my lead knee so next time I went out I spent about 80% of the day riding switch. Didn't even realise until I got home and went to swap the bindings to another board I had them at 18, -12 rather than 15,-15, so my lead (switch) leg was on -12 the entire day, rear foot at 18.

In general the more evenly ducked I am the wider I think I like it, but really how much of a difference that makes I'm not sure anymore. 

Freestyle 15,-15 - 24"
All Mountain 18, -12, 23"
Powder 21, -9 - 22.3" (ref for that board)


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## 16gkid (Dec 5, 2012)

I picked up a custom Donek with no reference points, and since I dont know what my stance was on my old board, I played around the 1st week of riding it and used most of the binding holes. It seems the wider the stance, the easier it is to carve,since squatting is almost natural in a wide stance, but harder to pop, while making the stance shorter made it easier to make the board fly over rollers and hits, but makes it harder to carve and turn. So gotta find a nice balance.


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## Snow Hound (Jul 21, 2012)

Some dudes are serious about getting their stance width exact and as a result don't like certain board/binding combinations. I think they're in theirs heads way too much - I get it as close to what I know is comfortable for me - I couldn't even tell you what that is, I just know which holes on each board - with it being a touch wider on freestyle boards. I think wider and ducked gives stability and narrower and more forward gives power. Look at other people's stances thinking that can't possibly be comfortably but horses for courses.


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

I'm 5'8" with 32.3" inseam.
Had a 20" stance back in the day with +/+ angles. Changed to duck stance some years back and step by step increased the stance width, now to 23". Fwd vs duck seems to make a difference. SO still uses fwd angles and rides "only" with 23,5" even though he's much taller and rides much bigger boards.

The boards I use usually have reference stance of 21,5" which would be ok for me on groomers, but as soon as I'm in BC, I much prefer my wider stance, gives me more power and quicker reaction. If narrower, I feel as if the hind leg is blocked.


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## dave785 (Jan 21, 2016)

i think most smart people will increase or decrease their stance width based on the type of riding they do. I believe a wider stance width more evenly distributes your weight across the board and is better for edge hold and pow, but a narrower stance width gives your legs much more flexibility and you have more height potential on pops and ollies (as well as more board to load up for the pop).

But i am not a smart person and I determine my stance width 100% based on the comfort level of my ankles, regardless of which type of riding I'm doing or which board I'm on. And I have no idea what that measures out to lol. The only exception would be when I go true forward stance, but i've only done that once all season...


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

5'6", inseam 30", +12, -9 duck 23.5" on all boards...except for canted and its 24.5. I like wider for more squat and thus more power, stability with carves and nimbleness/agility in bumps and chop.


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## ridinbend (Aug 2, 2012)

dave785 said:


> i think most smart people will increase or decrease their stance width based on the type of riding they do.


I would have to respectfully disagree with you on this. I ride with a solid group of dudes and know not a single one ever deviates from their stance. 

If I accidentally set up my stance inside of 22.5, I clearly notice it. I feel like I don't have as much control when my stance is narrowed. I can ride most stances, but the stance that feels most natural for me is 18,-18 at 23in. If I go wider it's not as big of an issue if I get narrower. If I ride a buddies board that has less duck in the back foot, it actually feels like me knee us turning in. I have a significant duck footed stance naturally. I used to surf daily and have a natural wide stance from that. I always tell people in question to get on a skateboard and ride around without thinking about. Check your feet every so often. My wife trips out on her stance if it's too wide and she prefers 19in and almost neutral angles (9,16). Shes not a petite chick either. I will change up her stance on purpose just to see if it helps and every time she notices and gets annoyed with me. "I'm just trying to help."


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

ridinbend said:


> If I accidentally set up my stance inside of 22.5, I clearly notice it. I feel like I don't have as much control when my stance is narrowed. I can ride most stances, but the stance that feels most natural for me is 18,-18 at 23in. If I go wider it's not as big of an issue if I get narrower.


Agree. I feel each cm of going narrower. Not so much an issue if just cruising, but the more power and control the terrain requires, the more obvious it gets that I don't have the _right_ width.




ridinbend said:


> My wife trips out on her stance if it's too wide and she prefers 19in and almost neutral angles (9,16). Shes not a petite chick either. I will change up her stance on purpose just to see if it helps and every time she notices and *gets annoyed with me*. "I'm just trying to help."



LOL! If SO ever would dare to fiddle around with my set-up? Oh boy... 

Your wife's stance sounds _very_ narrow, I agree, but if she gets the response she needs and can bend _her_ legs decently? Why change it?

I've even more "neutral" angles: +12/-6. Angles n stance widths are a huge personal preference thing. Two persons won't have the same inseam, hip and leg anatomy (I'm convinced that it plays a role if one has bow legs or knock knees, if feet are aturally pointing inwards or outwards, ...), riding style a.s.o. SO tried the "duck thing", and sure, he could ride, but hated it for the loss of carving performance _he_ experienced and is back to his tried and trusted steep fwd angles. OTOH, I went from fwd to duck and only _gained_ performance.


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## ridinbend (Aug 2, 2012)

neni said:


> LOL! If SO ever would dare to fiddle around with my set-up? Oh boy...
> 
> Your wife's stance sounds _very_ narrow, I agree, but if she gets the response she needs and can bend _her_ legs decently? Why change it?


I just did it to see if it changes he riding style for the better. I haven't messed with it in a few years after we finally locked in where she was comfortable. She gets a fraction of the days I do on the hill, mostly because I work nights and make it happen sleep or not. I'm just grateful to have a wife that can shred with a smile and finish a run in a relatively fast fashion.


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## sabatoa (Jan 18, 2011)

I'm 6'1" with 34" inseam. When I was heavier I was at 26" width, 9/-9. My riding style was mainly free riding.

In the off season I lost a lot of weight and this season began adding freestyle. I started having wicked pain behind my knee, the tendons in the back. I reduced my width to 24" and increased my duck to 15/-15 and it looks like that was the trick to fixing the knee issues.


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## pointblank (Feb 26, 2015)

I ride 15,-9 23" 50% park 50% groomers. 

I am going to try 22" this weekend to see if i can get pop/ollie in the park.


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## Varza (Jan 6, 2013)

I've been told to try for "feet about shoulder-width apart, maybe a touch more". But I forget who told me that (or if it even was for snowboarding, cause I've definitely been told it for archery), so don't quote me on this. I just find it comfortable and can get into a nice quad-killing squat with it.


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## Fire Rose (Feb 15, 2016)

I'm 5' with pretty short legs and I just widened my stance to 20" with 18, -6 angles. I was riding at the narrowest stance which I think was about 19" but decided to try a wider stance to see if it would help. At first it felt super wide but I gave it a full day and I started to feel more stable. I doubt I could make my stance any wider (which would be the reference stance) without making my knees hurt.


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## WasabiCanuck (Apr 29, 2015)

sabatoa said:


> I'm 6'1" with 34" inseam. When I was heavier I was at 26" width, 9/-9. My riding style was mainly free riding.
> 
> In the off season I lost a lot of weight and this season began adding freestyle. I started having wicked pain behind my knee, the tendons in the back. I reduced my width to 24" and increased my duck to 15/-15 and it looks like that was the trick to fixing the knee issues.


Yup this. If your stance is wrong, your knees will hurt bad. It's personal preference, just look at how people squat at the gym. Some people squat no prob, others look like they are trying to shit a watermelon. WTF?










People have very different hip and ankle mobility. Don't just copy Jerry's stance, do what feels comfortable.


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## virtu (Jan 22, 2016)

6'1" maybe 2" and I set the widest stance possible, normally around 24" or 26", not sure, with angles of +18/-15 to force my knees to bend outwards.

Last season I was using a centered stance and it was being really hard to do anything , then on my last season day, at Sunshine, I changed my stance to the widest setting and then I started to think that one day I could learn how to snowboard.


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## widehelpro (Feb 18, 2017)

Great question. Look forward to reviewing all the input, as I just now am getting some well fitting wide boots and in some ways it feels like I'm starting over. Never gave this too much attention, but probably at my own peril.


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## pointblank (Feb 26, 2015)

pointblank said:


> I ride 15,-9 23" 50% park 50% groomers.
> 
> I am going to try 22" this weekend to see if i can get pop/ollie in the park.


Just quickly updating my own post.. at 22" stance width, I felt like my ollies were higher and i was able to load more of the tail, 180/360 were cleaner, turn initiations was quicker especially when riding switch in the steeper parts of the run. 

Overall, decreasing my stance width was a win for me.


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## robotfood99 (Mar 19, 2016)

I like a little narrow (22) for ground tricks & messing about, 23-23.5 for bombing sorties where I appreciate the easier squat and more pressure at contact points, and more room to shift weight back and forth. 

But some like it the other way round like Phedder so whatever works for you is golden.


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## psklt (Jan 5, 2016)

6', 160lbs, mostly ride freeride/pow boards in a 156. 
Stance is 23.5", 21º/0º. I pretty much never deviate from that on any of my boards. I notice immediately if my bindings are off by a couple cm. If they're under 23.5" apart I feel like I have a lot less control at higher speeds and I can't bend my knees enough.


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## Phedder (Sep 13, 2014)

robotfood99 said:


> I like a little narrow (22) for ground tricks & messing about, 23-23.5 for bombing sorties where I appreciate the easier squat and more pressure at contact points, and more room to shift weight back and forth.
> 
> But some like it the other way round like Phedder so whatever works for you is golden.


Even on my Huck Knife I'd say I still do more bombing/sidehits/jump line than ground tricks or jibs. Landing flat off side hits I definitely prefer a wider stance to squat into and absorb the landing. Though the 24" does feel wide, I've just brought the front binding back one, so now I'm at 23.2" wide with a 2cm longer nose than tail. I doubt I'll actually notice the nose at all, I still ride switch and spin my custom plenty and that's got 6cm more nose. Really I think I just enjoying fiddling/tweaking things a lot more than I actually notice the differences haha.


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## virtu (Jan 22, 2016)

Well.. I am going totry a narrow stance just to check how it will feel 
Probably just one adjustment narrow


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