# Calf strain - is it my setup?



## arsenic0 (Nov 11, 2008)

Doesnt sound like you were postured correctly crouched down slightly with your knee's bent...

I'd increase the forward lean on your bindings a bit to force you down lower and give you easier heel control, that front binding angle also seems very high, but i suppose if its comfortable...


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## Guest (Jan 21, 2010)

Hey Arsenic, thanks for the tips! I reduced my angles and adjusted my forward lean 3 clicks. That helped a lot. Second time out was a blast!


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## MunkySpunk (Jan 7, 2009)

Stretch BEFORE hitting the hill, not the next morning when you're sore. 

And that's a MAJOR binding angle setup. Have you tried something more neutral like -6/+12 or even 0/+12.... Some people like -15/+15 (not for me). Just a starting point for you to dial in your setup.


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## Guest (Jan 22, 2010)

MunkySpunk,

The "instructions" that came with the bindings suggested different ranges of angles based on the riding style. I wasn't sure if I should go with the alpine/carving stance or the all-mountain/freestyle stance. Alpine was saying the angles should be around +35/+20, and the freestyle said it should be around +15/+5 So the +24/+12 was my way of compromising between the two styles. 

Now I've got it at +15/+6, which definitely feels better. I think I also need to move my heelcup back a little - like I've got too much bodyweight over the toe edge, making me have to work harder to pull my toes up.


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## MunkySpunk (Jan 7, 2009)

+15/+6 sounds much better. Many many folks ride duck stance, which is -rear +front. I use 0/+12 myself. I tried -6/+12 early this season and I started getting pain on the inferior medial aspect of my rear knee. So I moved it back to 0/+12 and haven't had the pain since. 

All I can say right now is that you want minor angles and, save for pain, you want to keep them where they are while you learn. When you first start, consistency is more important than fine-tune dialing (pain nonwithstanding), mostly because you're so preoccupied with not killing yourself that you really don't pay attention to what your legs are telling you about your angle. 

If you've got big feet, you might benefit from moving the heelcup back, or even screwing the baseplate in slightly back towards your heelside to make room for the extra length. 

I have size 13 in XL Flow NXT-AT's, and I rotated my binding disc to mount the bindings about one centimeter off center, towards the heel of my board. I actually have yet to try and mount them perfectly centered down the midline, as I'm getting the response I need the way it is.

Once you're confident up there and you're not so worried about biting it, bring a screw driver to the hill and play with your angles. Give each setup a good 3-5 runs before making a call.

And don't forget to stretch those leg muscles. It'll really help cut down on the muscle soreness. It's the first thing I do after I get out of my car at the hill.


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## bbissell (Mar 8, 2009)

MunkySpunk said:


> +15/+6 sounds much better. Many many folks ride duck stance, which is -rear +front. I use 0/+12 myself. I tried -6/+12 early this season and I started getting pain on the inferior medial aspect of my rear knee. So I moved it back to 0/+12 and haven't had the pain since.
> 
> All I can say right now is that you want minor angles and, save for pain, you want to keep them where they are while you learn. When you first start, consistency is more important than fine-tune dialing (pain nonwithstanding), mostly because you're so preoccupied with not killing yourself that you really don't pay attention to what your legs are telling you about your angle.
> 
> ...


Good info! I am always so excited to ride i forget to stretch!


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## saudade101 (Nov 5, 2009)

even with that original alpine setting that you had, you shouldn't be getting pain in just one leg. I had that problem when I first started, then I got a couple of lessons to get the fundamentals sorted out. My instructor told me to distribute my weight evenly through each leg, and the only time I should be putting a lot of weight on my back foot is when im riding powder


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