# Mixed messages with toe side turns



## redbeard (12 mo ago)

Hi all,
I've started snowboarding and I've taken about 4 hours of lessons from 2 different instructors. I've managed to do heel turns and a heel stop pretty consistently.. I'm not sure if I'm doing it right, as I usually put a lot of pressure on my back foot when stopping. It burns my calf out quickly. But at least I'm doing it. What my biggest problem is, like the majority of noobs, are the toe turns. It seems like there are a lot of different ways to do it and I keep reading and watching different ways and I'm a bit confused. I went through as many previous topics on this forum as well, and some of it helped. But I would still like to ask a question. 

After watching a ton of YouTube videos, it seems that when doing a toe turn you are supposed to bring your front foot in and use that to steer? Whenever I do that, my back foot keeps sliding and I end up turning around. I had a two hour lesson and the instructor told me that for a toe side turn I am supposed to apply pressure on my back foot (another instructor told me the back foot is like a rudder also) What that did was swing the front of the board out (instead of the back) and it worked as I could control it better, but it doesn't feel natural. And I don't want to develop bad habits. So my question is: When doing a toe turn, do you apply more pressure in the front foot or back? Or both feet equally somehow? Also, when apply pressure, are you leaning into your bindings to lift the edge, lifting your toes, or a combination of both (if that question even makes sense)? The instructor said to use the body and not the bindings....

Thanks! 

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## lbs123 (Jan 24, 2017)

I recommend pressing with your shins to the front of the boots on toe side turns and with calves to the back of the boots on the heel side, rather than lifting toes/heels. As for the weight distribution, the basics turns should start with more weight on the front-end leg, then moving backward as you progress through the turn.


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## Maya (Mar 9, 2021)

Usually it is better to stick to one instructor only. Each suggestion that was given to you may have a meaning in the context it was given. It is difficult to do a reverse engineering of what it was said to you and why.


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

The most common problem with toe-side turns is body stance. People often keep their legs straight and lean forward from the waist. That's exactly ass-backwards. What you should be doing is pressing your knees forward while keeping your upper body as close to vertical as possible. As a mnemonic, try to keep your visual horizon level, i.e. try to keep your head vertical while pushing with the knees. This gives you maximum edge without having to drag your face in the snow.

Second common problem is not having your weight forward to start the turn.


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## redbeard (12 mo ago)

lbs123 said:


> I recommend pressing with your shins to the front of the boots on toe side turns and with calves to the back of the boots on the heel side, rather than lifting toes/heels. As for the weight distribution, the basics turns should start with more weight on the front-end leg, then moving backward as you progress through the turn.


So, when your board is pointed straight down the hill and you want to start to do a toe side turn, you start by distributing your weight on your front foot first (to initiate the turn) then eventually (after the board has turned a bit) you start applying your weight to the rear foot as well to stop it from sliding out? I get that it's probably hard to explain...sorry.


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

redbeard said:


> So, when your board is pointed straight down the hill and you want to start to do a toe side turn, you start by distributing your weight on your front foot first (to initiate the turn) then eventually (after the board has turned a bit) you start applying your weight to the rear foot as well to stop it from sliding out? I get that it's probably hard to explain...sorry.


That's basically right. There are lots of variations depending on what you're trying to do, but that's the basic move. You can either initiate a wide turn by letting the sidecut direct you into the turn, or you can let your back end slide a bit to go into a scarve. But either way, you start the turn at the front. Although the faster you're going, the less separation there is between initiating the turn with your front foot and fully committing with your weight.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

The third common problem: the newb, continues to look downhill...thus twisted open. Close your body, align it parallel with the board...and turn your head and shoulders to look back up the hill.


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## garikgarik (Dec 15, 2011)

On the slopes stick with the drills, traverse, j-turns, c-turns. Drills are quite effective to figure out how fore aft, up down, inclination, rotation, angulation moves affect the ride


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## lab49232 (Sep 13, 2011)

Former instructor here who specialized in beginners, you were basically already given the answer but I'll try and add a bit more by putting it in to a 4 step process, this will be fine tuned later but this will get you started with transitioning from edge to edge.

Quick note before starting: When riding forward your weight generally should be heavily favored to your front foot. 

So now think of your feet kind of like gas pedals, especially your front foot. Let's start at a stand still on our Heel edge looking down the hill. Your weight is even across the board is you're standing still.

1: From this position if you start to push your front toes down like you're pushing a gas pedal the front of the board will start to point down hill and you'll accelerate. *We are setting just are front toes down in this step! if you set both down at this point you catch an edge and those falls hurt.*

2: As the board points down hill and accelerates you can start to set your set your back foot down fully pushing in both gas pedals. You'll now be pointing directly down hill and your weight will be on your front foot.

3: Time to put on the brakes a bit with your toe edge! With your weight favored on your front leg, start to lift up on your FRONT FOOT heel/push your shin in to the front of the boot/ weight on your toes/whatever method helps you apply pressure best to your toe side edge. Youll notice the front of the board start to grab and turn you toward your toe side.

4: As you're board starts to turn you will then start lifting up your back heels and transitioning your weight to the center of your board evenly distributed across both feet and you can come to a complete stop 

You should now be standing exactly like you started only facing uphill instead of downhill. You can then repeat the process in the opposite direction. 

1: Front heel/gas pedal pushes down, front of board starts turning and accelerate
2: Back heels press down, board is pointed straight, weight is on front foot
3: Lift up front toes letting off the gas, board starts to turn
4: Liftup on back toes fully releasing gas pedal, weight progresses from front foot back to the middle. 

That's about it, finding the sweet spot in transitioning the weight is something that only comes with experience. Other than that is general rules, keep knees bent, keep shoulders in line with the board, DO NOT LEAN BACK when going forward because of speed. You need to lean forward to keep your front foot engaged and able to control the board.


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## redbeard (12 mo ago)

This is all great advice! I'm stoked to try it next time I'm out at the hill. Loving the step by step as well....I'm kind of logic driven. 

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