# Help needed with front leg pain



## Phedder (Sep 13, 2014)

What's your actual stance width and angles? How's your technique? Do you bend at the waist and lean into a heelside turn, or do you properly lift the toes up, bend the knees and hips (squat), and keep your chest up/shoulders back?


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## Rip154 (Sep 23, 2017)

Could be too wide, not enough highback support, or riding too much in the backseat. Could also be some muscle issues, but those 3 should ease the pain anyways.


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## tanscrazydaisy (Mar 11, 2013)

How stiff is your board?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk


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## OU812 (Feb 2, 2013)

Phedder said:


> What's your actual stance width and angles? How's your technique? Do you bend at the waist and lean into a heelside turn, or do you properly lift the toes up, bend the knees and hips (squat), and keep your chest up/shoulders back?


I lift my toes, that’s what makes it hurt. Angles are 18/-9, 25in stance. I’m gonna try to push in the bindings by one position and see if that makes a difference. Maybe ease up on angles too, by a few degrees.


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## OU812 (Feb 2, 2013)

Rip154 said:


> Could be too wide, not enough highback support, or riding too much in the backseat. Could also be some muscle issues, but those 3 should ease the pain anyways.


I dunno if I rode back seat my back leg should hurt. I’m centered or leaning forward, I’m positive on that and high back does have forward lean on it set up. I think it’s too wide and I’m working extra hard to initiate turns with front foot and leaning forwards and bring centered. That’s my hunch


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## OU812 (Feb 2, 2013)

tanscrazydaisy said:


> How stiff is your board?
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk


It’s a Never Summer SL, so not a stiff board.


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## Phedder (Sep 13, 2014)

OU812 said:


> I lift my toes, that’s what makes it hurt.


Lifting your toes hurts your quads? Nothing in your shins? Or lifting your toes as you squat down into a heelside turn hurts your quads?


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## speedjason (May 2, 2013)

Is your upper body rotated?
Need a video to tell what's happening.


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## OU812 (Feb 2, 2013)

speedjason said:


> Is your upper body rotated?
> Need a video to tell what's happening.


I was thinking of that but I don’t think so. At least I don’t feel like it is, because I was focusing on that. I feel like I have to use more force to engage that front leg, be forward at the start of the turn, and because the stance is so wide it just fatigues/kills my legs.
Would this make sense?


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

When you go in a hole on the bindings, change your angles a bit too. 18/-6 or 15/-9.... 

I would bet you just aren't very flexible and the position hurts. 

Do some yoga.


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## Rip154 (Sep 23, 2017)

OU812 said:


> I dunno if I rode back seat my back leg should hurt. I’m centered or leaning forward, I’m positive on that and high back does have forward lean on it set up. I think it’s too wide and I’m working extra hard to initiate turns with front foot and leaning forwards and bring centered. That’s my hunch


Ye I just mixed up the front leg and front quad thing, it's usually on the back leg you feel it first. Agree that it's probably the too wide part that's causing a problem. If there's no real pain on the front foot or the knees, angles should be fine, but they can vary some on stance width aswell.


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## Jonny C (Mar 16, 2017)

Usually i feel pain on the front leg when I use a stiffer board with a lower angle than +15 but i use a normal stance. if you ride on a very wide stance, you can also feel pain on the front leg no matter the board or the angle.


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## OU812 (Feb 2, 2013)

Argo said:


> When you go in a hole on the bindings, change your angles a bit too. 18/-6 or 15/-9....
> 
> I would bet you just aren't very flexible and the position hurts.
> 
> Do some yoga.


Maybe you’re right. I did a measurement, from heel to knee cap and it’s about 22.5in. My old stance was 25, I brought both bindings inwards one notch to 23.5in. Will see how it goes. 
I’ve had 25in stance for a few seasons now and it feels stable, my legs would hurt at the end of the day but not like yesterday. I was in huge pain. First time out this season and the front quad was so painful. I did ride a lot and I’ve had pain before there, just thought I needed to get my boarding legs back but this was too much.


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## freshy (Nov 18, 2009)

OU812 said:


> Maybe you’re right. I did a measurement, from heel to knee cap and it’s about 22.5in. My old stance was 25, I brought both bindings inwards one notch to 23.5in. Will see how it goes.
> I’ve had 25in stance for a few seasons now and it feels stable, my legs would hurt at the end of the day but not like yesterday. I was in huge pain. First time out this season and the front quad was so painful. I did ride a lot and I’ve had pain before there, just thought I needed to get my boarding legs back but this was too much.


I was thinking you simply need to make some adjustments as well. Try to consciously think of where your foot wants to be or change things one at a time like stance width first and then angle next time so you can keep track of the changes and isolate certain variables.


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## virtu (Jan 22, 2016)

Narrow your stance and adjust your bindings angles to +15/-9, but narrow the stance around 21", sorry, how tall are you?


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

How much fwd lean have your high backs? How much trainig have your legs? 
Being forced into a fwd position in early season when myscles aint used to riding yet can make your muscles fatigue.


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## OU812 (Feb 2, 2013)

virtu said:


> Narrow your stance and adjust your bindings angles to +15/-9, but narrow the stance around 21", sorry, how tall are you?


I’m around 6’3 or 192cm


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## OU812 (Feb 2, 2013)

neni said:


> How much fwd lean have your high backs? How much trainig have your legs?
> Being forced into a fwd position in early season when myscles aint used to riding yet can make your muscles fatigue.


I thought about the highback fwd lean today and went back 1 notch but still think main culprit is too wide a stance. Just standing on my board strapped in with a narrower stance felt more comfortable, but hope it’ll be the same riding it.


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## virtu (Jan 22, 2016)

OU812 said:


> I’m around 6’3 or 192cm


Try to narrow your stance just a little, but actually what will solve is do some yoga or fitness exercise.


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## OU812 (Feb 2, 2013)

virtu said:


> Try to narrow your stance just a little, but actually what will solve is do some yoga or fitness exercise.


I will, and see how it goes. I’m not an unfit guy, I’ve played tennis since I was 5, played competitively, prize money tournaments etc and now coach for a living, still active. I have slightly pidgin toed feet, so a wide stance and +18 in the front maybe isn’t for me. I narrowed it up and changed to 15 in the front and -3 in the back. I’ll head out soon and report back. 

Thanks everyone for the help, really appreciate it.


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## OU812 (Feb 2, 2013)

So a quick update. I narrowed my stance to 23.5 from 25in and that felt way more comfortable. I also laid off the forward lean on my highbacks and that also felt much more comfortable as well. I felt like I was faster and I didn't experience the front leg quad fatigue like I did when I started this thread. 
As a side note, I also noticed my heel side turns improved a lot with the forward lean on the highback being not as aggressive. I noticed in the past I'd overturn on heelside or the turn wasn't as smooth as on toeside. It might be a combination of both narrower stance and less forward lean, I dunno but works and feels tons better now.


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