3 Common Beginner Snowboard Mistakes – And How to Fix Them
Are You Making These Snowboard Mistakes?
Every beginner makes these mistakes. Most people don’t even know they’re doing it. The good news is they’re all fixable…and fixing them early changes everything about how fast you progress.
Here are the three most common beginner snowboard mistakes, broken down straight from the slope.
Mistake #1: Poor Posture
The most common mistake beginners make is letting their posture collapse. Too far back, too far forward, chest down – any of these and you’ve lost control before you’ve even started.
Good snowboard posture means bending at the knees, not the waist, and keeping your chest up high. When you find that position, gravity does most of the work – all you have to focus on from there is how much you tilt the board.
More tilt equals a quicker stop. Flatter board equals more slide. But none of that matters if your chest is down and your weight is off. Get your posture right first. Everything else follows.
The fix: Keep your chest up high. Maintain your center of gravity right over the top of the board. That’s the sweet spot.
Mistake #2: Too Much Time on One Edge – Not S-Turning Down the Mountain
The second mistake is spending too much time on either your heel edge or your toe edge instead of using a healthy combination of both.
Beginners tend to find one edge that feels comfortable and camp there – either plowing down on their heel edge or their toe edge the whole way down. The problem is that relying on one edge means you’re either braking constantly or losing control of your line.
S-turns are the fix. Using your toe edge to bring you one direction and your heel edge to bring you the other keeps you moving forward while applying speed checks along the way. You’re never really coming to a complete stop – you’re always moving forward and just slowing yourself down on the way.
Heel edge only and you’ll wear yourself out. Toe edge only and you’ll lose your line. Both together and you’re actually snowboarding.
The fix: Practice S-turns. Toe edge one direction, heel edge the other. Keep moving forward and use both edges to control your speed on the way down.
Mistake #3: Too Much Weight on the Front Foot
The third mistake is putting too much weight on the front foot during turns. When that happens, the back of the board pivots out – you lose contact with the snow and the turn gets sloppy and out of control.
The goal is to maintain complete contact with the board on the ground at all times. Instead of lifting from one edge to the other, think about gliding across – a smooth, continuous transition from heel to toe, using the edge to pull you from one side all the way to the other.
The fix: Keep complete contact with the board on the ground. Glide from heel to toe – never lift from one side to the other. Let the edge do the work.
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The fastest way to fix these? Consistent reps with a coach who can see exactly what you’re doing and correct it in real time. That’s what SNÖBAHN’s sessions are built for!