Snowboard stance guide:
goofy vs regular, stance width and binding angles

Your snowboard stance defines how stable, agile and powerful you feel on snow. The right stance blends three essentials: your stance type (goofy or regular), your binding angles and your stance width. Start by identifying whether you ride goofy or regular, choose a stance width close to your board’s reference stance, then set angles that match your riding style. This guide breaks down every stance style from duck stance to freeride angles with data from 5000+ riders plus insights from our engineers and Jones team riders.

Finding the right balance that matches your riding style reduces knee strain and improves long-term comfort.

Last updated: December 2025

Step-by-step snowboard stance guide

Snowboard stance basics (quick definitions)

Understanding a few core stance terms helps you dial your snowboard setup fast. These quick definitions cover the fundamentals every rider should know.

Snowboard stance: The position of your feet on your snowboard, defined by your stance type, stance width and binding angles. Your stance determines how stable, agile and powerful you feel on snow.

Goofy vs regular: Goofy riders stand with the right foot forward. Regular riders stand with the left foot forward. Your dominant foot almost always belongs in the back.

Stance width: The distance between your bindings. Width affects balance, control and how quickly you can move edge to edge.

Binding angles: The degree your bindings point toward the nose or tail. Angles shape how your hips and knees align and how naturally you can turn, carve and ride switch.

Duck stance: A stance with a positive front angle and a negative back angle. It opens the hips symmetrically and is ideal for switch riding, jumps and park laps.

Best snowboard stance quick chart

Use this quick chart to compare the most common snowboard stances: all-mountain, freeride, park and beginner setups. Each row shows the typical front and back binding angles plus the stance width most riders use for stability, power and control. These recommendations are refined from 5000+ rider data points and feedback from our shapers, engineers and team riders.

Riding style / Skill level Front angle Back angle Stance width Best for

All-mountain

+18

0

Recommended

Versatile control in mixed terrain

Beginner

+18

0

Recommended

Comfortable, all-around learning

Surf-style

+24 / +27

+6

Slightly narrower

Flowy turns, deep carves, surf-inspired riding

Park / Switch

+18

-9

Slightly wider

Stability for landings + switch riding

Freeride

+21

0 / +6

Recommended

Powerful carving and directional flow

Goofy vs regular:
how to find your stance type

If you're new to snowboarding, your first job is figuring out whether you ride goofy (right foot forward) or regular (left foot forward). A few quick checks make it easy:

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    Your dominant foot is usually your back foot. The back foot drives power and steering.

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    Your front foot handles balance and direction. It’s typically your less dominant foot.

Think about everyday movements:

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    Which foot do you step up a stair with first?

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    Which foot do you kick a soccer ball with?

That foot is almost always your back foot.
Once you know your back foot, the opposite foot goes forward on your snowboard.

Snowboard diagram showing foot placement for regular stance.
Snowboard stance diagram showing goofy foot positioning.

Finding the right snowboard binding angles

The angles of your front and back binding play a huge role in how you can move your body over your snowboard. Your hips and knees align and move in different ways depending on which direction your feet are pointing.

Understanding angle markings

Your bindings or splitboard hardware show 0–30° in each direction:

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    0° = foot perpendicular to the edge

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    Positive = angled toward the nose

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    Negative = angled toward the tail

Front binding angle

It’s safe to say every rider will want their front foot angled toward the nose of the board. Angling your binding toward the nose is referred to as a positive angle relative to setting your binding at zero.

Benefits of a front-foot binding angle opened wider: It opens your hips toward the fall line and lets you rock deeper into your toe-side turns, delivering a more powerful and natural carving feel. Angling your front foot toward the nose also helps you keep consistent front-foot pressure as you drive into the turn.

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    Typical front angle range: +15° to +21°

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    Aggressive, surf-style or race riders: +21° or more

Back binding angle

While all riders benefit from angling their front binding toward the nose, there are several different schools of thought on the best direction to angle your back binding. Your personal riding style and anatomy will determine what back binding angle club you belong to. The three back binding angle styles are:

Binding angles: positive / zero (+/0)

If you angle your front binding toward the nose and keep your back binding set perpendicular to your edge at zero degrees you are riding positive/zero (+/0). Setting your back binding at zero is a very common back binding stance angle. By keeping your foot straight across the board you can lean into front side carves and ride switch without cross loading your knee.

Setting your back foot at zero is a great place to start as you experiment with the angle of your front binding and stance width.

Positive/positive binding angles

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    Front binding: +15 to +21

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    Back binding: 0

Key benefits and best use

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    Great all-around choice

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    Stable for carving + comfortable for riding switch

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    Beginner and intermediate riders

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    A starting point for experimentation

Snowboard design layout with specifications from Jones Team rider Elena Hight

Binding angles: positive / positive (+/+)

If you angle your front and back bindings toward the nose you are riding positive/positive (+/+).

Riders who run +/+ typically run only a few degrees of positive angle in the back binding (+3-6 degrees). By slightly turning your back binding toward the nose it aligns both your knees into the same plane and makes it easier for you to dive into toe-side turns more aggressively.

Running positive angle on your back foot does make riding switch more challenging but the “crossed-up” feeling can be overcome with experience.

Most riders will find a front binding angle of +15-21 degrees is ideal. Racers and more surf style, turn focused riders often run a more aggressive front foot angle (+21 degree or more) as it opens up your hips toward the fall line and allows you to rock deeper into toe-side turns.

Positive/zero binding angles

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    Front binding: +15 to +21 or more

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    Back binding: +3 to +6

Key benefits and best use

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    Aligns both knees in the same plane

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    Easier to dive deep into toe-side turns

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    Freeride directional boards (Frontier, Flagship, Stratos)

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    Surf-style riders

Binding angles: positive / negative (+/-) Duck stance

If you angle your front binding toward the nose and angle your back binding toward the tail you are riding positive/negative, otherwise known as a “duck” stance.

Terrain park rippers who ride switch a lot and freeriders who like to run a wide stance for added balance often prefer a duck stance. These riders typically run only a few degrees of negative angle in the back binding (-3 to -12 degrees). That little bit of negative angle can drastically improve your stability landing switch and will help your body look less “crossed-up” when riding switch.

Positive/negative binding angles (Duck stance)

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    Front binding: +15 to +21

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    Back binding: -3 to -12

Key benefits and best use

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    Opens the hips symmetrically

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    Stable for landings

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    Anyone who rides switch often

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    Park riders

Snowboard design for Ryland Bell with stance width specifications.

Choosing the right snowboard stance width

Your snowboard stance width plays a huge role in your balance, power and turning ability on snow. There are several theories on what works best, but the right width ultimately depends on your riding style and how your body naturally moves.

Until you settle into a clear riding style, most riders find that a slightly-wider-than-shoulder-width stance offers a great mix of stability, balance and a strong jumping position.

Reference stance is your best starting point:

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    Your ideal stance width is usually within 1 inch (2 cm) of your board’s reference stance

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    The reference stance and width are printed on the topsheet inside the insert packs

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    Riding at reference stance places you in the board’s intended setback position, which varies from 0–3 cm depending on the model

Wider stance:

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    Preferred by longboard or surf-style riders

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    Keeps your hips in and lets you pivot quicker edge to edge

Narrower stance:

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    Favored by technical freeriders and park riders

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    Adds stability for landings and control in rough terrain

Important setup tip: If you want a narrower or wider stance, move both bindings the same number of holes. Moving one binding in and our out keeps the same width but shifts you off-center from the sidecut, which changes how the board turns.

Snowboard stance width chart

Use this stance width chart to find a recommended snowboard stance width based on your height. These recommendations are built from data from over 5000 real riders and refined by our shapers and team riders.

Rider height Recommended stance

< 5'1" / 155 cm

17-19 in / 43-48 cm

5'2" - 5'4" / 156-163 cm

19-21 in / 48-54 cm

5'5" - 5'8" / 164-172 cm

20-22 in / 48-56 cm

5'9" - 6' / 173-184 cm

21-23 in / 53-58 cm

6'1" - 6'4" / 185-193 cm

22-24 in / 56-61 cm

> 6'4" / 193 cm

23-25 in / 58-63.5 cm

Jones Team stance width and binding angles

These stance widths and binding angles come from the Jones Team and Ambassadors. Each rider fine-tunes their setup to match their height, riding style and board choice. Use these numbers as inspiration to see how small stance changes can improve balance, power and control.

Rider Goofy/Regular Height Stance width Front angles Back angles

Jeremy Jones
Freeride stance

Goofy

5'8" (173cm)

22in (56cm)

+27°

+0° to +6°

Jeremy Jones
Surf stance

Goofy

5'8" (173cm)

17.5-20in (44.5-60cm)

+27° to +30°

+6° to +12°

Elena Hight

Regular

5'1" (155cm)

19.5in (49.5cm)

+18°

0°

Victor De Le Rue

Regular

5'8" (175cm)

22in (56cm)

+15°

+3°

Antti Autti

Regular

5'8" (177cm)

22in (56.5cm)

+19°

0°

Jimmy Goodman

Regular

5'10" (178cm)

21.5in (53.4cm)

+23° to +29°

0° to +3°

Forrest Shearer

Goofy

5'10" (178cm)

21in (53.4cm)

+26°

0°

Harry Kearney

Regular

5'11" (180cm)

22in (55.8cm)

+18°

0°

Taylor Carlton

Regular

5'10" (178cm)

21in (53.4cm)

+12°

-3°

Ryland Bell

Regular

6'0" (183cm)

24in (61cm)

+21°

-15°

Learn how to set up your snowboard stance like the Jones team

Setting back stance for powder days

On deep powder days keeping your nose afloat is critical. Setting your stance back so that your board is set up with more nose than tail can definitely help on the deep days and especially if you are riding a twin or directional twin shape. Start by setting your stance back 1-2 in (2-5cm) and try to setback each binding the same amount relative to the reference stance.

Snowboard diagram showing the powder stance in comparison to the reference stance

One stance or change stances?

Some riders find that they benefit from changing their stance depending on what board they are riding. Jeremy Jones is one of those riders. He rides with a positive/positive stance on most boards (including all the directional, surf series boards), but switches to a slightly duck stance if he is riding a twin board. He also varies his stance width and stance angles depending on board size. The smaller the board, the narrower his stance.

Other riders find that they benefit from keeping the same stance regardless of the board shape or size. The theory here is that it allows you to maintain the stability and positioning over your feet that you are most used to regardless of how the board is different.

Experiment and pay attention

Don’t worry if you don’t find your natural stance the first time you set up a new board. The best strategy is to start with a stance at the reference stance width and choose stance angles that traditionally enhance the style of riding you prefer, +/+ for surf style, +/0 for all-mountain, duck for park. Then the next time you go out, switch up your angles to a different style and see how that changes your riding abilities/style. With just a couple shred sessions you should be close to dialing in what stance feels best for you on that board.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best snowboard stance for beginners?

Most beginners do well with a +15 front angle, a 0 back angle and a stance width close to the board’s reference stance. This setup is stable, comfortable and makes turning easier in every condition.

How do I know if I ride goofy or regular?

Your dominant foot usually goes in the back. If you kick a soccer ball with your right foot, you are likely a regular rider. If you kick with your left, you are likely goofy.

What are common snowboard binding angles?

Many riders use +15 to +21 degrees in the front and 0 to +6 or 0 to -9 degrees in the back. Your angles change how your hips and knees align, which affects comfort, carving power and how well you ride switch.

What is a duck stance in snowboarding?

A duck stance uses a positive front angle and a negative back angle. It opens your hips symmetrically and is popular for switch riding, jumps and park laps.

How wide should my snowboard stance be?

A good starting point is the board’s reference stance. Your ideal width is usually within 1 inch (2 cm) of that number. Wider stances add stability for landings. Narrower stances improve quick edge-to-edge moves.

Should my stance change for freeriding or surf-style riding?

Yes. Many freeriders and surf-style riders prefer a more positive front angle, a slight positive angle in the back and sometimes a narrower stance for powerful toe-side engagement and smooth, flowing turns.

Do I need a different stance for riding switch?

If you ride switch often, a duck stance helps. A slightly negative back angle improves balance, stability and comfort when your non-dominant foot leads.

Is it OK to adjust my stance for powder days?

Yes. On deep days, moving both bindings back 1 to 2 inches gives you more nose and helps keep the board floating in soft snow.

Should I use the same stance on every board?

Some riders keep one stance for every board. Others adjust width and angles based on the board shape and size. Starting with the reference stance and experimenting is the best way to find what feels right.

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