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Heelside Pendulum

Author: Jeremy Sheridan - Snowboard Instructor (CASI 2)


You should now be familiar with using your heel edge for controlling speed and stopping (heelside sideslipping). Now we are going to introduce direction control while on your heel edge - this exercise is called heelside pendulum. Heelside pendulum will enable you to move across the slope in either direction while on your heel edge.


Key points

  • Keep your head up and your eyes looking in the direction of desired travel.

  • Point with your leading arm in the direction of desired travel.

  • Keep your knees bent.

  • Keep your upper body upright. Don’t bend forward at the waist.

  • Maintain a relaxed upper body.


How to

  • Choose a gentle slope (green run) or use a designated beginner’s area. This is the easiest and safest place to learn the basic skills of snowboarding.

  • Using the knowledge obtained from heelside sideslipping, start sideslipping on your heel edge.

  • Increase pressure on one foot. Slowly reduce edge angle on the same foot by slightly relaxing your ankle joint. Increasing pressure and reducing edge angle on one foot will cause your snowboard to slide in that direction.

  • With your leading arm, point across the slope (and slightly downhill). Keep your head up and looking in the direction of desired travel. By aligning your upper body with the direction of desired travel, your lower body and snowboard will want to follow the same path. Continue travelling across the slope.

  • Before you can change direction, you need to stop travelling in the current direction and bring yourself back into a controlled heelside sideslip. Slowly transfer pressure to your back foot and bring your upper body perpendicular to the fall line. As your snowboard becomes perpendicular to the fall line, maintain even pressure on both feet and look directly downhill (as in heelside sideslipping). Increase the edge angle by bending your ankles and knees, and lifting your toes; this will reduce your speed.

  • You should now be comfortably sideslipping on your heel edge. Now you can change direction and travel back across the slope. Increase pressure on your other foot (opposite foot to the first time). Slowly reduce edge angle on the same foot by slightly relaxing your ankle joint. Increasing pressure and reducing edge angle on one foot will cause your snowboard to slide in that direction.

  • With your leading arm, point across the slope (and slightly downhill). Keep your head up and looking in the direction of desired travel. By aligning your upper body with the direction of desired travel, your lower body and snowboard will want to follow the same path. Continue travelling across the slope.

  • When you want to stop, bring yourself back into a heelside sideslip as described above. Increase the edge angle as described in heelside sideslipping; this will bring you to a controlled stop.


Common problems

  • The board points downhill and gains too much speed. Make sure you maintain sufficient edge angle on your leading foot. You need to decrease edge angle to get the board to slide in that direction - but not too much! Reduce the angle slowly and gradually. Also, don’t point too far downhill with your upper body; look and point across the slope - only slightly downhill.


If you have any questions, ask one of our qualified snowboard instructors on the Boardworld Forums.