The tail press is your first real freestyle move and the foundation of every butter. Riding straight down a gentle slope, shift your weight onto your back foot and lift the nose of the board off the snow. The tail flexes, the nose rises, and you glide along on just the back of the board. Hold it, recenter, and you're done.
Presses feel awkward at first because you have to commit. Half a press is a caught edge. Lean all the way back over the tail and trust the board to flex.
Here is a tutorial covering tail and nose presses:
Source: Snowboard Butters · How to Tail Press & Nose Press
Key tips
- Start on a flat, not moving. Once you can hold/stand in the press, move to a wide green slope with no one around.
- Shift your hips back over the tail, not just your shoulders. The majority of your body mass is in your hips and torso. Not your shoulders and head.
- Keep your front leg soft so the nose lifts easily
- Start with a brief press and build up to holding it longer
- Once tail presses feel easy, mirror the move for a nose press
- Presses lead directly into butters and 180s, so this is the real freestyle starting point