Dominant foot forward or back??

[PropofolDreams]

So, it seems as though there are conflicting reports as to whether you should put your dominant foot forward or back. As far as I can tell, there are a wide variety of people skiing in all different configurations of RFF/LFF and hand dominance (which palm faces up/down). I’ve scrolled through dozens of forums/webpages but have still not reached any meaningful conclusion. Should your dominant foot (i.e- kicking foot and traditional back foot for wake/snow/skateboarding) be in the front or the back of the ski?

 

I have skied off/on over the last 20+ years but never consistently or competitively. Fortunately, I’ll have the opportunity to ski 2-3 times/week this season and am hoping to really improve my skills. Initially, I want to focus my efforts on proper technique, starting with feet placement (yup, getting super basic here). Currently, I can ski both LFF and RFF... and both are doable (hence my issue). I have noticed that putting my R foot forward (being the stronger/more dominant foot) is much easier to get up on, and currently more comfortable turning.. but because I also tend to place most of my weight on that foot, if I cross the wake even slightly out of position, I cartwheel over the front (it’s ugly). Conversely, starting with my dominant foot back requires more effort to get up, but my weight is shift further back on the ski and I can attack the wake with a little more confidence.

 

What should I be doing??? I appreciate any advice you have.

 

(I am R handed, kick a ball on my R foot, swing a golf club / bat with my R foot back, wakeboard and snowboard with R foot back, and throw a ball with my R foot back. Also, although I shoot with my R hand/shoulder, I am L eye dominant).

[fu_man]

I always ask people how they skateboard or ride a scooter. Whichever foot stays on the "vehicle" goes in front, whichever you push with goes in the back.

 

@PropofolDreams are you an anesthesiologist? Micheal Jackson fan? I got a kick out of the name....I used to be a pharmacist.

 

 

[Horton]

all the years I taught ski school we always taught dominate foot forward. Still makes sense to me but if you learn the other way around there is not sense in changing.

[BraceMaker]

The hands aren't up for debate. Whatever foot goes forwards is palm down.

 

Sounds like you are RFF but are also putting weight forwards by bending rather than being upright. You should video both versions so you can actually see what you look like.

[RazorRoss3]

Whichever foot feels better forward, put that one forward. Personally I think it should be your dominant/stronger leg. Hands are like said above, not up for debate. RFF=Left Palm up, LFF=right Palm up, no discussion.

[fu_man]

Even though I hold the rope as stated above, "Hands are not up for debate" is not gospel. Lucky Lowe and Jeff Rogers (both in the hall of fame) gripped the handle opposite of this.

 

Lucky actually gave me a really good explanation for his grip. If you are shooting a rifle left foot forward, you would be gripping the gun with your left palm facing up. Also, if you were having a tug-of-war and you were pulling on a rope (like in skiing) with your left foot forward your left palm would be up.

[BraceMaker]

Surely not gospel but are you aware of any other and particular current pros rocking flipped grip?

 

I don't think I see much correlary both examples are a person grasping an object that's inline with their body... imagine trying to grab either object with your hand flipped over.

I would also point out that as a RFF skier I shoot with my left foot forwards but would skateboard right foot on the board but would be right foot back wakeboarding or snowboarding.

 

Anyone get coached to flip the palms and do so?

[fu_man]

So whatever works......

[Chef23]

My d9minant foot is back but I am not as good as many here. My kids are probably split one dominant forward and one dominant back.

 

Based on what you said would probably focus on RFF and work on body position.

[mwetskier]

in my day you got a beginner skier up on two skis first. then when the day came they wanted to progress to one ski you taught them how to shift their weight to one ski and ski for as long as possible on that ski while lifting the other ski off the water. finally, you had them switch and ski on the other ski while holding the first ski up for as along as possible.

 

whichever ski they were more stable on -and the difference would be quite apparent every time -was the foot we had them ski on while they dropped the other ski. obviously that would also be the foot they put in front.

[pregom]

About your tendency of cartwheeling with RFF, it’s possible your boot position on the ski might need to be adjusted.

[ScottScott]

Dominant foot forward. You said it yourself "dominant foot back requires more effort to get up, but my weight is shift further back on the ski." The last thing you want is more weight on the back foot. You'll spend many years trying to get more weight forward if you get any real training. Being more confident with weight on the rear is a natural thing, but actually counter to what will stop the over the fronts. If you are taking over the fronts with more weight forward, there are probably some alignment issues, make sure you aren't letting your hips open up to the boat, push your trailing hip forward to be square to the ski and that will likely help with the over the fronts crossing the wake. You'll eventually notice less impact of the wake with more weight forward. If I'm feeling the wake more, I know I'm falling back on the back of the ski too much.

 

I think a lot of people (like me) end up with different feet forward because when they 1st learned they really didn't have someone that knew what they were doing instructing them at the very beginning.

[bigskieridaho]

One will feel uncomfortable as crap, one won’t. That is what works for me as a kid..... I am all “Right” but ski with LFF.

[Jordan]

I am a proponent of dominant foot forward. It sounds like you are really having a different issue than that.

You should be roughly even in terms of front foot/back foot pressure when you are crossing the wakes. If you are going out the front when crossing the wakes you are most likely getting bent at the waist.

Work on your stack and that problem will go away.

[Killer]

I can't imagine how a RH guy who does every other sport LFF, with his RF back would slalom RFF. makes no sense to me.... If you rode a wakeboard, you are regular - why would he be goofy on a slalom ski???

 

 

[BraceMaker]

@Killer - I think what you would find is that most sports your stance is determined by many factors not just the dominance of a hand or foot. For instance a right handed person is typically also a right eye dominant individual and will therefore shoot right handed so they can use the right eye. That means that they will be right foot back instead of forwards.

 

Similarly in baseball most right hand persons will grip the bat left hand on the bottom and turn their right foot back instead of forwards. Same with golf. Hockey becomes weird because in the US right handers use right hand curved sticks but most of the rest of the world that doesn't play baseball those people use left hand curves with right hand on top of stick for control.

 

Now onto slalom - if you were to ride down the lake on a pair of combos and drop... which ski would you drop? That is going to be your rear foot. Regardless of handedness, this is a dominant leg feature but also a balance and flexibility and coordination type issue so I'm not surprised that people would do LFF for baseball and RFF on slalom. I'd be surprised in fact that so many right handed people go LFF!

 

In my family 8 right handers are split 5/3 RFF to LFF.

[Than_Bogan]

Assuming you are eventually planning to attack a slalom course, I have no doubt you should be RFF, as weighting toward your front foot is extremely important to long-term slalom success. However, the OTFs suggest your body position for crossings is waaay off, and my strongest suggestion would be to get some high end coaching to straighten you out (probably literally...)

[swc5150]

Go with what's most comfortable. I'm left foot forward on everything but a slalom ski.

[skihacker]

I guess I do everything wrong, I'm right handed, writing, shooting, golf, baseball etc. Right footed when kicking anything, soccer, football, garbage can etc. Left foot forward on my ski and left hand up on the handle, tried to switch my grip once and that was a hard no. Guess I'll just keep hacking away :)

[Killer]

Some sports are going to have different balance and power attributes, agreed. I think the biggest crossover, which seems rather obvious to me is other water or board sports.

 

the OP was clear they are regular footed, which makes zero sense to me why they wouldn't be on a waterski as well.

 

Giant Slalom Racing snowboarders, who are VERY similar to slalom waterski, aren't going to goofy footed when they jump on a pipe board... Why would a regular wakeboarder go goofy on a slalom???

 

We're also not a talking about a kid here so most likely there is much learned muscle memory already.

 

These are some of the other ways I am thinking about it:

- if you are kicking a ball with your RF then your balance leg is actually your Left.

- if you skateboard regular, you push with your RF and your balance leg is your left.

 

If you came and skied with me, never to slalom and you tell me you ride a wake or skateboard regular, you're going out regular on a slalom ski, and I can't imagine why anyone would go the other way, at least to start.

 

the fact you're taking diggers RFF, and the fact you are regular footed to me is rather obvious you should get out there LFF and focus on getting your Right Hip as forward as you can, standing tall on the ski.

 

take some video if you can

[Than_Bogan]

I almost 100% disagree, except that getting some video could be very helpful! I don't think it is relevant to relate the choice of foot to any other sport.

[Killer]

@Than_Bogan why is it so different?

 

you're telling us that this VVVV person should ride a waterski with a different foot forward? why?

 

 

 

[ScottScott]

What is "comfortable" to beginners learning to waterski is to put weight on back foot, its a defensive position, therefore they often put dominant foot in the back, then spend years learning to put weight forward on their non dominant foot. Sometimes what's comfortable to a beginner hurts in the long run.

[PurdueSkier]

@killer I am only one example but I am right handed and right foot dominant. I slalom and trick RFF and I wakeboard and snowboard LFF. most coaches I have heard recommend your dominant foot forward for skiing. I have heard the opposite for board sports with your dominant foot back.

[Than_Bogan]

Each activity has its own demands. One of my top (track) jumpers this season jumped from her left in the high jump and from her right for the triple jump. I've even seen jumpers who go off of a different foot for long jump vs. triple jump. It's hard for me to imagine two things that look more similar up to that point.

 

One simply has to evaluate what works for you for each activity.

[swc5150]

@ScottScott That most definitely wasn't the case for me. LFF felt so awkward to me when learning. Very comfy at RFF from the start and never looked back. LFF on literally everything else though. Seems odd?

[OldboyII]

IMO it is more related to activity of hemispheres of the brain, than to stronger or dominant leg.

That is why there is no obvious correlations to other body parts.

 

[dlradar18]

Generally it's LFF = Right palm up and vice versa but I've also seen guys run into 41' off who were RFF and Right palm up. To me, it's all about what feels comfortable for you. Not many of us are going to make a living at this sport so it's all about what feels best and not what's 'the norm'.

I ski LFF but I snowboard and used to skateboard RFF. That being said, I can snowboard LFF too but it's not my primary stance.

[ryno65]

I am RH & kick R foot, LFF on any board, skate, wake, snow, & can ride switch quite well. When I started trying to run the slalom course (LFF), I was constantly told to get more weight on my front foot. So one day I thought maybe I'll try just putting the foot with more weight to the front.

Better results straight up !

After a few years I tried swapping my grip & that felt better too, so now I'm RFF and Right palm up.

 

[JackQ]

I agree with dlradar18.

Which palm up is not an unambiguous answer as many are lead to believe.

 

I switched my grip for an entire season, at the end of year I tried “my old way” and immediately felt more comfortable, and I never looked back.

 

The theory is I should have my left palm up to even out and not have my stongest pull on my onside turn. In my case my off side pull is as strong or stronger than on side.

 

 

 

[dnewton]

My hands are backwards I guess and I don’t think I’ve ever been so stressed out thinking about something. I never knew that was a thing. My gear will be for sale tomorrow cause I can’t handle the stress.

 

I bet its because the carpet in my boat gets wet. That seems to be a direction correlation of how well you do things correctly or not.

[thager]

Thank God tomorrow never gets here!

[dvskier]

@dnewton Just make up your mind that you're going to do it and practice pulling out on both sides for a few passes. Proper hand placement will really even out the pull. I was in the same situation as you. Any habit can be broken with determination, don't be discouraged. It feels completely natural after about a dozen passes. You can do it.

[TEL]

I have a new excuse for skiing like crap. Right handed Kick a ball with my left foot. Ski LFF with right palm down. Use to be a sprinter in school Left foot was in the forward staring block.

[floridagm]

Gosh TEL, will this excuse get used before or after the tequila excuse you rely so heavily on???

[UWSkier]

When I was first learning to ski I could get up and ski both ways. Was on an old wooden POS that was far more stable with my dominant (right) foot back. I surf, skate, board, etc everything else LFF but have always been comfortable riding switch. Maybe I'll swap my boots around. Only been skiing this way for 25 years...

[sunvalleylaw]

By all current measures and tests, I should be right foot forward. I kick right, right rear on a skateboard, snowboard, surfboard, Use my left to push on a skateboard, etc. Just when I learned slalom on an old Connelly wood Hook in the 70's, it felt weird to have right forward, and I could somehow get up better behind the old little outboards we skied behind dragging my right and standing on my left. Not sure why it felt weird, or better to have left forward. It just did. If I remember correctly, I had more successful deep water starts on my left forward, so that is how the decision was made. Too late to change now I guess.

[ScottScott]

If you were dragging a foot, and were more comfortable with left forward, I'm thinking that's the way you should be, obviously that method puts all the weight forward . I think the problem is when people 1st learning have the misconseption that more weight should be on the rear, or they steer with the rear, so they put dominant foot back.

[eleeski]

It doesn't matter. If it mattered, the best skiers would all be that way. They aren't.

 

Use what your dad, wife, kid, or coach uses. Don't over think it. Adapt to it.

 

Eric

[Jmoski]

My two cents are there is a correlation between which foot forward you are and how you were taught.

 

I learned at a young age at camp by first skiing on two, then lifting a leg while on two to see which foot felt more comfortable, which then led to dropping a ski, then finally dragging up on a deep water start.

 

For me as a pure lefty, I naturally felt more balanced when lifting my right ski, and hence my path was set as a LFF skier at age 10.

 

I even tried to get up on one ski RFF, and it was such an alien experience, it was if I had never done it before...

[pregom]

@JackQ I’m confused. Are you LFF?

[JackQ]

No, I am RFF forward but my off side turn is more consistent and the pull on my offside is better than my on side. My informal observation is that it is not unusual for RFF skiers that ski 38&39 to have a better offside turn than on side. Not sure if that is they have more experience and practice to hone their off side or they are skiing in or through 39, because they have a good offside turn. Would be a interesting poll.

[BraceMaker]

@JackQ that's why the hand thing isn't so ambiguous. You can try both but the offside vs onside asymmetry will always exist. You could obviously ski both palms down. But we obviously believe there is some additional power to be gained with the one palm upwards so do we keep that paired to onside or paired to offside.

[dnewton]

Update: just drove an hour to my ski club. Was thinking about my hands too much and forgot my life jacket.

[Than_Bogan]

@BraceMaker I think the fundamental advantage of the combination grip is that you can slap your off hand back on without awkwardly over rotating you wrist.

[TravisNW]

I have a theory that right handed skiers that are left foot forward should use a toe piece and right handed right foot forwards should use double boots and vice versa. If you notice people in general the majority by far will jump skip hop kick etc with their dominant foot and always post up or land on the non dominant one. This makes the non dominant one really great for standing on and therefore more favorable to have in front. If your non dominant foot is up front then you can stand on it confidently and your rear is happy in a kicker. If your non dominant is in the rear then it needs to be held in place because it’s gonna wanna move to find stability if necessary and it will be difficult to have the confidence needed to always stand on the less stable foot. There is more evidence to support the roles of dominant/ non dominant feet id be happy to share and this is just a fun theory I’ve come up with.

[ShaunT]

Im right handed but right foot forward (goofy) for skate/wake/snowboard and left foot forward for water skiing.

Been skiing since age 5 and cant even tell you why left foot forward was the one for me originally except that my dad used to do this thing with people (probably totally bogus and unproven) where on land he would push them form behind without telling them why and whatever foot they would use to put out first that would be the front foot. lol.

Anyone else heard of this????

 

Dont know if thats a real thing but strangely I put out my left foot.

I'd say just go with what is comfortable and natural.

[Killer]

I did some more reseqrch onto dominant leg theories.

 

Turns out most people are right leg "dominant", regardless of handedness. If you look at baseball players, most are LFF with the right leg being where the power comes from, left leg planting and balancing. There is actually minimal correlation to handedness in any research.

 

Left leg is more often the balance leg, while the right leg is more often better for fine motor skills (like kicking a soccer ball), again regardless of handedness.

 

Repetition is a stronger influence than anything else, so if you teach a kid to ski 1 way, outside those who are much less balanced from side to side, it won't matter which foot you teach them to be in front - their career will end up in the same spot, regardless.

 

The OP isn't a kid though...

 

@ShaunT that was definitely the old school way. Same here. I coached skiing and took the Canadian instructors course (week long back then), where they still coach the stand on 2 skis and lift method. Based on the fact repetition is the most important factor, this to me seems like the best way.

 

However if you're an adult, who's done things a certain way their entire life, go with what feels most normal.

[pregom]

@ShaunT - I heard the same thing at our ski club.

[mwetskier]

@JackQ -you mentioned that many rff skiers have developed an off side turn thats better than their on side. personally i think thats because they practice their off side turns at least 30% more often than their on side turns. this theory is based on the fact that neither the gate turn in nor the 6 ball are ' real ' turns. not saying they aren't important to get right, just saying they're technically very different from the rest of the course.

 

also, the first ' real ' turn any skier makes at any line length is the 1 ball so even in a failed pass a rff skier is typically getting more practice on his off side turn. as always, imo.