Learn and understand the basics of leading with your more natural leading stance before learning switch. Once you're comfortable, then go for switch. I saw the results of someone trying to mix it up too soon this past season. They ended up very confused, frustrated, and their riding regressed. They went from making hesitant C turns to just doing falling leaf.
We try to steer away from the pushing someone from behind routine. It tends to scare the guests. One of the New Zealand guys had a great one that seemed fairly accurate. Unfortunately when he demo'd it in the bar after work I had already spent a bit of my tip money.
He had people stand in a loose stacked stance and close their eyes. He then pushed on their shoulders from the side, depending on how they reacted to the shoulder pushing, he could determine their stance. His verdict was that my natural stance was goofy not regular even though I've ridden regular for twenty years. I had just switched up my binding setup a few weeks before which allowed me to ride switch alot easier. Sometimes this past season I couldn't even remember if was riding regular or switch and had to look down.
I think his test picked up on that. I'll have to ask again in November how he diagnosed the shoulder pushing. If you see a bald guy named Stu driving a rubbish truck around Wanaka right now, ask him about his stance test.
REGULAR VS 'GOOFY'....what's the current convention
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