Confidence and snowboarding

Censorsh!t

Ok, I've been going snowboarding for like..the last 4 years now.
I have the technique, I know what to do, but I often mess up because of confidence. When i'm at a kind of steep slope I panic a little, and of course shift my weight, and plonk on the ground.
This year I'm going with a friend, and I do feel a lot more at ease when boarding with a friend, but sometimes, my confidence goes and I end up on the ground. I'm a lot worse for front turns (on my toes), I always feel I'm gonna go flying down the slope with no cotrol
How do you deal with confidence?

buckasssailor

get an instructer i had the same problem with front turning

Overflow

I find the best thing to do and what helped me progress to carving from heel edge to toe was to visualize what i had to do, just watch some other snowboards for their technique, visualize it and try replicate it.

You just have to commit, look where your going (never at the ground!!) keep your turns tight on the steep parts and just persist and it will just click in your head one day and feel natural.

As said already getting some lessons would greatly speed up things. I'd say if your competent enough i would go with 2/3 days with a private instructor, after that you should be flying.

rahtkennades

I'm kinda in the same boat. What I find helps me is to find somewhere a bit quieter (maybe during lunchtime?) and hopefully with softer snow (though there's little you can do about that). Then practice on my own until I get it right. I find that having other people that you are 'keeping waiting' is very discouraging when you want to try to improve.

But definitely, practice practice practice. Enjoy!

Censorsh!t

Thanks for the replies

I might get an instructor for the first one or two days for a confidence boost alright. At least my friend is coming along, I find it a lot easier when i have someone there to just have a laugh with and relax, so I'm pretty sure that will help.

robinph

I had private lessons for a couple of hours on the something like the second day of a trip a few times before. I'd have already got my head back into sliding mode, had a chance to look about the mountain and see the lie of the land, then get the instructor and tell them what you want to improve on whatever that might be if it's just doing some specific move or getting them to give you some specific tips on getting down some run that is currently scaring the crap out of you. They should be able to quickly spot what you need to change to improve, tell you what you need to do, then you can go back to getting about the mountain on your own and practice, practice, practice.

evil_seed

i was the same this year. if you don't commit to the turn you're never gonna do it. i wasnt able to turn on red runs until this year. went down a few on my own and forced myself to turn. had my eureka moment and was never happier.
once you commit to the turn, keep the turn tight and relax. i found the best way to stay relaxed was singing to myself lol. whatever works right. best of luck