When learning to ride any board, the first step is identifying your stance. Although there is no specific way to determine which foot should be in front, there are a few tricks to differentiate between goofy vs regular.
When participating in an activity or sport involving boards, your board stance is the typical way of standing on the deck. Many individuals find it easy to understand these board stances right away. Others find it difficult, which I think is understandable, especially if you are a beginner.
Table of Contents
The Difference Between Goofy and Regular
1. Regular vs goofy – Footedness
The difference between a regular and a goofy stance has to do with footedness.
Footedness refers to the foot you like to use in the frontal position of your board. You pop and push with your leading foot, while the other is your pop and push foot.
Still a bit curious as to what distinguishes them from one another? It isn’t just merely a method to stand on your skateboards. They are significant enough to define your skating journey.
Regular and goofy stances are the two most common skateboarding poses.
- Regular means your left foot is forward and supports most of your body weight, while your right foot is for pushing.
- On the other hand, when your right foot is in front, and your left foot is used for pushing, that’s goofy.
2. Regular Stance
Most people use the regular board stance. If you lead with your left leg, pointing it toward the nose of your board, and your right leg, pointing toward the tail, you have a regular stance.
A regular stance is a riding position in which you face your right side, with your toes pointing right. Your right foot is on the board’s tail, while your left foot is on the truck bolts towards the top of the board.
3. Goofy Stance
Goofy refers to putting your right foot forward and your left foot back. Although the goofy stance isn’t as popular as the regular stance, this technique is still used by many skateboard professionals.
Goofy is the complete opposite of this regular stance. If you are the type of skater that rides goofy, you face left, and you hang your toes off the left side of the board. Your left foot will be on the board’s tail, and your right foot will be on the truck bolts nearest to the top of the board.
How to Choose Between Regular Vs Goofy Skateboarding
You will fall several times while figuring out which stance is perfect for you. Most individuals will get it right away, while others may find it more challenging to determine the ideal skateboard stance for them.
- Determine your dominant foot, the one that should be in front, to see if you have a regular or goofy stance. Your body has a preference, whether you have to use your regular foot or not, and you must discover it on your own.
- The best advice I can give is to practice with a regular and goofy foot skateboard to determine which one feels the most comfortable. You will learn things faster and feel more secure using the board stance that is most natural for your body.
- Try riding in both directions and experiment with twisting and jumping off and on the board to determine what feels most natural. Just hop back on the board and practice which foot feels better on the board vs. which foot feels better as you gather speed pushing off the pavement.
Skateboard Goofy Vs. Regular: Which One Is More Common
Suppose you are talking about being right-handed or left-handed, yes. In that case, it has something to do with why regular riders outnumber goofy riders. If you’re right-handed, you’re more likely to ride regularly, but if you’re left-handed, you’re more likely to ride goofy.
We all know that more people are right-hand. As a result, you will be more likely to see more regular riders, surfers, and skaters than goofy riders, right? But this isn’t always the case. This is just one idea.
Some people are right-handed but more comfortable riding goofy and vice versa.
I am just trying to point out that your stance should not be determined solely by your right-handedness or left-handedness. You will ride a skateboard in the stance you are most comfortable with.
How to Determine Your Skateboard Stance
Identifying whether you are a regular or a goofy rider is not as hard as you think, especially if you have prior experience in skating activities. There are many ways to determine your perfect stance, but these are the best ways so far that can help you with this matter.
1. How do you push?
When determining the perfect stance for you, pushing is probably the most widely used method.
As I mentioned earlier in this article, your stance preference is determined by which foot you put forward to balance yourself.
You are a regular rider if you can keep your balance with your left foot. On the other hand, you are a goofy rider if you use your right foot for balancing.
2. Do you have prior skating experience?
Suppose you have prior skating experience, maybe from snowboarding or wakeboarding. In that case, it might be a lot easier for you to determine the right stance for you.
If you do these things regularly, most probably, the direction you use from your previous activities should be the same for skateboarding.
Although, this isn’t the case all of the time because there are people who snowboard regularly and become goofy riders. I am telling you that this is already a good sign and an advantage for you if you have prior experience. Determining your stance is easier.
3. Try sliding with socks on
If the first two ways cannot determine the perfect stance for you, maybe this last one can do the trick.
You will need a pair of socks on hand to do this one. Put on your socks, and then try to run and take a long slide. You are regular if you lead with your left foot and goofy if you lead with your right foot.
I hoped these three ways that I’ve provided you with would give you a good insight to determine which of these two stances, goofy vs. regular, perfectly fits you the most.
Other Skating Stances
Fakie riding involves riding backward with your back foot towards your tail, facing forward, and pushing with your front foot. It’s frequently confused with riding a switch, but there’s a distinction to be made.
Mongo riding is when you push your skateboard with your front foot and then hop or slide your rear foot near the kicktail and your other foot in the front as soon as you put your foot back on the board.
Important Reminder: Regardless of your riding stance, place one foot in front and the other in the back for stability.
What Is “Switch Stance” and How Does It Work
The “switch stance” is a term used in skateboarding to describe riding in the opposite stance and making it appear normal.
- A regular-foot skater riding goofy is riding switch,
- A goofy-foot skaters are riding regularly.
This is the word for riding in the least comfortable stance for you.
About 56% of skateboarders ride traditionally, with their left foot in front and their right foot behind. Surprisingly, 70% of snowboarders ride in a regular stance. These factors demonstrate that your sports can influence your stance.
Aside from a nollie version of a trick that is almost, if not quite, as difficult, this stance is the most difficult to pull off a trick in.
Conclusion
Goofy Vs Regular? It doesn’t mean it’s better just because more people ride it regularly than goofy. It does not affect your style or speed; there is no difference at all. Your riding aptitude, style, or speed are not affected by whether you have a regular or goofy board stance.
The thing is that you will have trouble maintaining balance and performing well on your board if you’re riding switch or in a position opposite your natural stance. I hope this article was able to help you determine the perfect stance for you.
Good luck!
Hi, I am Charles Harris. I opened this site to write as much as I can about my biggest passion – skateboarding!
I started as a clumsy yet passionate rookie 10 years ago to now a still passionate yet much better skateboarder! But I have to tell you, the whole journey has always been fun and rewarding, indeed not without hardship.