Adjusting snowboard bindings can be done in various ways. It depends on your personal preference, what type of snowboarder you are, and what you intend to do. We'll guide you through the adjustment process and provide tips on how to adjust your snowboard bindings to suit your needs.

Are you 'regular' or 'goofy'?

To determine how to place the snowboard bindings on the snowboard, it's important to know whether you ride regular or goofy. Anyone who has been on a snowboard is familiar with these terms. If you ride regular, your left foot is forward. Do you ride goofy, your right foot is forward.

If you're unsure which foot is your lead foot, a simple test can help. Have someone give you a gentle push from behind, and the foot you step forward with is your lead foot. Left, and you ride regular. Right, and you ride goofy.

Fun fact: the term 'goofy' comes from the Disney character Goofy, who rides a skateboard with his right foot forward.

Where to place your bindings on the snowboard?

Your snowboard is equipped with inserts (holes) or a channel where you attach the bindings. The different insert holes or the length of the channel give you the flexibility to place the bindings in a way that suits you. This includes considering the distance between the bindings and the precise position of the bindings.

Wide stance or narrow stance

The inserts or channel provide the option to set your bindings closer together or further apart. With a wide stance, your bindings are set far apart, and with a narrow stance, your bindings are close together. The inserts or channel make it easy to experiment with this distance.

If you're unsure about your preference, many snowboards have a reference stance, the position the snowboard was designed around. The reference stance is usually indicated on the topsheet of your snowboard and serves as a good starting point for placing your bindings. You can then experiment with the distance to discover what feels comfortable.

Why go more wide or narrow?

But why choose a wider or narrower position? Ultimately, it depends on your body type, what you plan to do, and your personal preference. 

A wider stance provides more stability and control over your snowboard, ideal for an aggressive riding style suitable for carving and freeriding. Snowboarders who enjoy the halfpipe or large kickers also often prefer a wider stance.

A narrower stance is more playful and less intended for high speeds. This is suitable for activities like 'jibbing' and 'buttering'. Buttering involves tricks balancing on the nose or tail of your snowboard.

Aside from your intended activities, the width of your stance is also influenced by the length of your legs. If you have relatively short legs, a slightly narrower stance is often more comfortable, and vice versa.

Neutral stance, forward stance, duck stance

In addition to the distance between the bindings, you can also play with the position of the bindings by rotating them. Rotating the bindings adjusts the angle of your toes and heels.

There are three basic positions:

  • Duck stance
  • Forward stance
  • Neutral stance

In a duck stance, your toes point outward. Forward stance means your toes point in the direction you're heading. And in a neutral stance, the toes of your lead foot point forward while your rear foot is straight.

You rotate the bindings by adjusting the number of degrees. Positive degrees mean your toes point toward the nose of the snowboard, while negative degrees mean your toes point toward the tail. The number of degrees can be set independently for each foot, usually in increments of three degrees. The recommended degree settings depend on your riding style and personal preference.

Duck stance

Currently, the duck stance is by far the most common. In this stance, your toes point outward, with your lead foot having positive degrees and your rear foot having negative degrees. The degree settings do not have to be equal. For those who ride switch frequently, a symmetrical stance (equal degrees) is usually comfortable. However, if you primarily ride with your dominant foot forward, you might prefer to turn the lead foot further than the rear foot. To get you started, here are two suggestions:

  • Symmetrical stance: +15 / -15
  • Directional stance: +18 / -6

Forward stance

The forward stance is becoming less common. You'll mainly find this stance in alpine snowboards and among carvers and freeriders. Riding switch in this position is challenging, but if you always ride with the same foot forward, it's not an issue. Here are some starting degree settings:

  • Forward stance carve and freeride: +21 / +6
  • For alpine boards, the degree settings also depend on the width of your stance and the hard boots. This usually falls somewhere between 40 and 60 degrees.

Neutral stance

A neutral stance is also popular. In this stance, your lead foot has positive degrees, and your rear foot is set to 0 degrees. This is often seen in freeride and carve boards but is also suitable for an all-mountain riding style where riding switch is not essential. A recommended starting point for a neutral stance is:

  • Neutral stance: +21 / 0

Placing bindings in the center of your snowboard

Regardless of how you set up your snowboard bindings, it's crucial to place them in the center of the snowboard. This prevents toe drag and heel drag while riding. By this we mean your toes or heels touch the snow during turns. This not only slows you down but can also lead to falls.

Your bindings are centered when the overhang of your boot is equal at the front and rear. Once you've set your bindings in the right stance, align them to ensure they are centered on the snowboard. This can be done using the disc on the bindings. And by other bindings you can adjust the baseplate. The baseplate refers to the frame of the bindings. As a guideline, it's usually helpful to position the front of your binding level with the edge of your snowboard. 

Note: If you have a small shoe size, you may need to position your bindings a bit farther back to center them on the board. If you have a large shoe size, it's advisable to check if you need a wide snowboard before purchasing. When mounting your snowboard bindings, ensure you have a left and right binding. You can easily identify this by the shape of the footplate.

Highback canting

The highback is the vertical part of the binding at the back of your boot. In this case, we're referring to the tilting of the highback. By tilting the highback forward or backward, you create a different angle in your ankles and legs, enhancing control and comfort while snowboarding. Tilting the highback forward, adding forward lean, results in a more aggressive riding position. The binding responds more quickly to the rider's input, and edge-to-edge transitions are much faster. This is commonly seen in carving.

A highback without forward lean is often seen in freestyle-oriented riding styles and among beginners because it provides more freedom of movement and forgiveness. However, beginners should be cautious not to stand too upright, limiting the board's responsiveness. Therefore, always add some forward lean to your highback, even as a beginner.

Ankle strap height

Also known as ankle strap height, referring to the buckle over the ankle of your snowboard boot. Some bindings allow you to change the position and/or height of this strap. The ankle strap influences comfort, support, and overall performance while snowboarding.

Tips for correctly adjusting snowboard bindings

You can easily adjust snowboard bindings yourself. So, go ahead and experiment with different settings to find what works best for you!

All snowboard bindings