# forward lean



## rrrtx (Aug 18, 2007)

Just wondering how much forward lean you guys put in your highbacks and do you change them up to what your doing?


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## PaoloSmythe (Aug 19, 2007)

i have a lot of lean

good for maintaining bent leg dynamism, also gives better heel side control

other people like it less

do what works for you!

i can see how less is best for riding rails etc tho


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## alaric (Aug 28, 2007)

Didn't we just have a thread like this? haha
Deja Vu?


I have a bit of forward lean, but nothing too major.


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## lisevolution (Sep 20, 2007)

yeah, I use a bit myself to keep the stance proper. I find it also reduces the amount of fatigue in my legs versus having it set neutral


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## Guest (Oct 24, 2007)

I never realized how much of a difference this could make. This season will be my 8th on a snowboard and it wasn't until just last season my friend made the suggestion. I was riding my 2000 Burton FL project which was seeing its last season. Dialed in the forward lean and voila, board was given an injection of heel side hold out of nowhere. I'm switching up for some new tech this year, but I'm sure it'll apply just the same.


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## Slaughterhouse (Aug 17, 2007)

I use some forward lean on my front binding but none on my rear binding.


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## Guest (Oct 24, 2007)

Slaughterhouse said:


> I use some forward lean on my front binding but none on my rear binding.


How does that work out as opposed to doing both forward and back the same? Do you really notice it; rather, wouldn't both legs tend to bend the same naturally?


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## boarderaholic (Aug 13, 2007)

It forces the weight onto the lead leg, which gives you enough momentum go rail through those heelside turns. And I think it was actually Craig Kelly who started the whole thing with more lean in front, not so much in the back. And it WORKS.


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## Slaughterhouse (Aug 17, 2007)

boarderaholic said:


> It forces the weight onto the lead leg, which gives you enough momentum go rail through those heelside turns. And I think it was actually Craig Kelly who started the whole thing with more lean in front, not so much in the back. And it WORKS.


Wow, I didn't know that about Craig Kelly! I just kept on adjusting, riding, adjusting, riding until I came up with a system that works for me.


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## Slaughterhouse (Aug 17, 2007)

unit11 said:


> How does that work out as opposed to doing both forward and back the same? Do you really notice it; rather, wouldn't both legs tend to bend the same naturally?


I don't really rely on the forward lean adjusters to bend my knees. Instead, adjusting the forward lean on my front binding allows my to "narrow down" my turns as the binding has now become more responsive for "twitching" out my turns. This is really effective for high speed riding and technical turns. 

This is how it works: When you normally turn toeside you apply pressure on the balls and toes of your feet; heelside turns when you rock back on your heels. When you adjust your forward lean you can now use the high back to transfer this "motion" to the heelcup which can give you a heelside turn. Instead of using your heels to get this "motion", you can now do a very subtle twitch of the knee or even your calf muscle. Because you are already bent, your toeside turns can be made with a very subtle dip of the knee. This all works best with very stiff boots. 

The back binding has no forward lean allowing you an "even spread" to slide the tail of the board. I found that if I had forward lean on the rear binding I would sometimes hook an edge which can be dangerous at high speed (been there, done that, wonderful concussions, wear a helmet  ). So now with no rear adjustment, think of the tail of your board like a butter knife...spreading butter on toast with a smooth back and forward motion.


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## rrrtx (Aug 18, 2007)

i feel enlightened, i'm going to try that forward lean in front, none in back. Do you go very far switch that way?


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## Guest (Oct 25, 2007)

I'm definitely going to try that out. Makes a lot of sense - but I do echo the other guy's question on switch! How goes it? Obviously it wouldn't be as good, but is it still comfortably ridable?


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## Mr. Right (Sep 27, 2007)

I free ride and I keep my SPI's leaned forward to I think 8 degrees. It seems to help a lot hitting the the choppy chattering stuff where it's ice snow ice snow. It seems to keep my more centered over my board. At 0 degrees I was having a harder time initiating turns from toe side to heel side. Seems like a good balance. Also seems to help in deep powder as I can throw my board around a little more with a forward lean. I dont think I would lean any further forward then that though because I think it would start to hurt my knees at that point, but I'm getting old :cheeky4:


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## Slaughterhouse (Aug 17, 2007)

rrrtx said:


> i feel enlightened, i'm going to try that forward lean in front, none in back. Do you go very far switch that way?


And there-in lies the catch! I stick to racing and carving hills and mountains. I rarely if ever ride switch, so I ride directional boards with the above binding setup. If you are into ground tricks, aerials and park where you may require riding switch, that adjustment can be really weird to ride. So keep that in mind!


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## PaoloSmythe (Aug 19, 2007)

_there lies the catch_ indeed! what works for one doesn't necessarily work for all! 
there is no wrong or right way, *just your way*! so experiement and stick to what you like the best!

the imbalanced lean between one binder and the other, creates a situation of assymetrical pressure from your body to the board's heel edge. it therefore affects a greater effect on a board's _torsional flex_. with greater lean being on the front than the rear, the forward edge _'bites' _more than the rear and so there is a greater tendency for the forward half of the board to lead the turn / carve, than the rear.

i can appreciate how this gives the sense of a more solid turn, *especially if you tend to bias body weight thru your leading foot*. and once again, _there lies the catch_! if you equally weight you feet, then you might find such a difference in forward lean effects easier wash out of your rear foot, which compromises the efficicay of the front foot's extra edging!


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## Slaughterhouse (Aug 17, 2007)

PaoloSmythe said:


> _there lies the catch_
> 
> 
> i can appreciate how this gives the sense of a more solid turn, *especially if you tend to bias body weight thru your leading foot*. and once again, _there lies the catch_! if you equally weight you feet, then you might find such a difference in forward lean effects easier wash out of your rear foot, which compromises the efficicay of the front foot's extra edging!


That's very true. I ride with much more weight on my lead foot. Crouching down low and leaning towards the nose of the board. Not switch conducive at all, lol. The only times I don't do this obviously is when I'm riding pow. But I've got that covered too! I have my bindings set-back to a powder stance at all times, lol. Oh the weird looks I get if I do a box...


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## Snowjoe (Jul 3, 2007)

Yeah I ride with alot of forward lean. Also with everything equal, it really bugs me if everything on my board isn't the same for both feet.


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## lisevolution (Sep 20, 2007)

I actually do a variation of this myself...I don't ride 0 in the rear but it's less than on the front. I'm not 100% sure of the actual degrees since I just adjust by notches and feel a little bit at a time until it feels right to me. I actually have a tendency to adjust this setting a lot during the season depending on how my legs are feeling and what type of riding i'm doing. I also do very little switch riding at this point as I'm more about free-riding.


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## Slaughterhouse (Aug 17, 2007)

Oh, yeah...to make things even weirder if I DO ride park, I undo my toestraps on both bindings.


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## PaoloSmythe (Aug 19, 2007)

mr. *slaughter*, you are clearly an exponent of the_ free spirit _of this sideways malarky, of there being no wrong or right way of doing anything! but consequently, you ought not have the authority to inform absolute beginners on 'best practice'.

having thought about it, i forward bias my weight only when hammering piste and what not with proper anger. rearward weight bias comes when moving at a slower rate thru soft / frsh stuff, just to keep the nose planing. ordinarily i have a neutral stance of equal weighting.

and the no toes straps in the park simply underscores your 'freak' status!


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## Slaughterhouse (Aug 17, 2007)

PaoloSmythe said:


> mr. *slaughter*, you ought not have the authority to inform absolute beginners on 'best practice'.


You know....you are absolutely right :laugh: . I remember a few seasons ago, a cute young thing came up to me and asked me if I could show her how to "carve". So I did, but left her even more confused than before. While I showed her how to do a nice deep serpentine carve, she actually just wanted me to show her how to do elementary heelside and toeside turns. Oh JOY!! I would not have minded showing her but the lack of proper communication was a bit of a deal breaker, lol, and I just wanted to continue riding. I don't know HOW instructors do it!


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## boarderaholic (Aug 13, 2007)

Slaughterhouse said:


> You know....you are absolutely right :laugh: . I remember a few seasons ago, a cute young thing came up to me and asked me if I could show her how to "carve". So I did, but left her even more confused than before. While I showed her how to do a nice deep serpentine carve, she actually just wanted me to show her how to do elementary heelside and toeside turns. Oh JOY!! I would not have minded showing her but the lack of proper communication was a bit of a deal breaker, lol, and I just wanted to continue riding. I don't know HOW instructors do it!


Hehehe. Much patience and practice good sir!


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## Snowjoe (Jul 3, 2007)

Slaughterhouse said:


> You know....you are absolutely right :laugh: . I remember a few seasons ago, a cute young thing came up to me and asked me if I could show her how to "carve". So I did, but left her even more confused than before. While I showed her how to do a nice deep serpentine carve, she actually just wanted me to show her how to do elementary heelside and toeside turns. Oh JOY!! I would not have minded showing her but the lack of proper communication was a bit of a deal breaker, lol, and I just wanted to continue riding. I don't know HOW instructors do it!


That winds me up actually, not when people ask to learn obviously but if your talking about carving or whatever and people are like "yeah dude I carve all the time I can carve double blacks", but what they really mean is they can slide turn. God damnit a carve is not ever a sliding turn.

/Rant


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## Slaughterhouse (Aug 17, 2007)

Snowjoe said:


> That winds me up actually, not when people ask to learn obviously but if your talking about carving or whatever and people are like "yeah dude I carve all the time I can carve double blacks", but what they really mean is they can slide turn. God damnit a carve is not ever a sliding turn.
> 
> /Rant


No, no it's not lol! :laugh:


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