The foot you choose to put in front affects which direction you’ll be facing on the board. For example, if a regular skater and a goofy skater were riding side by side, they’d be facing opposite directions. [5] X Research source
Some people who are right foot dominant prefer riding goofy (right foot forward). Some people who are left foot dominant prefer riding regular (left foot forward). It’s uncommon, but it does happen. In snowboarding, you’ll primarily balance your weight more on your front foot. [7] X Expert Source Kent BryCertified Ski & Snowboarding Instructor Expert Interview. 24 July 2020. Try a few simple tests to determine or confirm your dominant foot.
Usually, the foot that lands in the front will be your dominant foot on the board. [9] X Research source Make sure you are in a room with enough open space to perform this test properly.
If you don’t have a friend around, you can perform the “lean” test by yourself. Stand with your feet together. Slowly lean forward. Keep leaning until you feel like you’re going to fall. The foot you use to catch yourself is probably your dominant foot. [11] X Research source Be sure to perform this safely. Your partner should push you gently. Wear knee pads, just in case you aren’t able to catch your fall.
You can also try this by approaching a flight of stairs at a normal walking pace. The foot you instinctively use on the first step is your dominant foot. Try it both ways to see which foot is more comfortable.
Repeat the exercise a few times to see if you get the same results.
Then switch feet and try out your other foot as the lead. Do this several times until you’re sure which stance is the most comfortable for you.
How does it feel? Are you comfortable? Does it feel natural or awkward? Now switch the position of your feet and try it the other way. Does that feel more or less comfortable?
Your stance for one board sport will most likely be your dominant stance for all other board sports, such as windsurfing, snowboarding, wakeboarding and so on. [16] X Research source If you already know your stance, it makes learning another board sport that much easier!
At first, try pushing off and lifting your back (dominant) foot into position at the back of the board. Stay there and ride out the skateboard until it stops on its own. How does your stance feel now? When you first start out, being on the board feels a little awkward no matter how you’re standing on it. Once your stance is stable, you’ll start feeling more comfortable.
When you feel you’ve mastered that, add a few longer pushes to gain a little speed. Make sure you are pushing smoothly and with confidence. You should now feel absolutely sure about whether you are a regular or goofy foot.
If you catch yourself being a mongo foot, try to break yourself of it before it becomes too habitual. Improper form aside, pushing mongo foot can hinder you in setting up tricks and make you less stable on your board.
