Ask Cael: Can you explain why college wrestlers defense is so different?

Story Published Tuesday, November 30th, 2010

name:                  Curt

question:              I notice the style of defense in high school and college is different meaning in high school they teach you to sprawl your hips out when the guy gets in on a shot but in college I see a lot of guys on the backs of the offensive wrestler for instance when you wrestled in 1999 for your first NCAA title I noticed when you shot in your opponent’s head was posted on the mat his legs were in your face can you explain why college wrestlers defense is so different? 

———————————————————————————

Curt, this is a good question.  Shot defense has changed over time.  College wrestlers aren’t consistently defending shots with basic, fundamental defense.  Instead of sprawling they are jumping up over their opponent and trying to grab ankles, roll around and score in an orthodox fashion. I can’t say that it’s a terrible thing because I did it myself and so did my brothers in college wrestling.  We were actually pretty good at scoring off our opponent’s shots.  It is just positioning, technique and a few tricks.   A few key points to creating and winning scrambles would be to keep your hips up, capture and keep the far ankle of your opponent, keep your knees wide and attack. 

To get good at scrambling you have to spend a lot of time playing and experimenting in those positions.  I would discourage stalemates in practice unless the wrestlers are in bad position and risk injury.  You want wrestlers to find ways to score points.  Just because you don’t score off your initial shot doesn’t mean you can’t find another way to score from the position.  The best wrestlers keep moving and find a way to score when others hope for a stalemate.  The only way to learn something is to try it and play with it.

If I were you I would keep teaching fundamental defense.  We work on fundamental shot defense almost every day.  It is very important. Two days probably don’t go by in a row that we don’t have our guys rehearse baseline D (legs back, hips low, hips in, stuff the head down or away, fight hands etc .  We make sure our guys know how to win scrambles but we want them to sprawl first.  The best wrestlers will finish their shots on a wrestler with bad fundamental defense.  It is very difficult to defend a shot with a good set up and quick finish. 

These habits and tactics aren’t helping our post-college international wrestling.  Baseline defense is very important in freestyle wrestling.  The solution to wrestlers who don’t sprawl correctly is to get your head up, get and keep weight on your feet and drive through them.  You have to get your head up quickly and keep your hips under you.  

Unorthadox defense, scrambling, diving under to catch ankles should only be used as a last resort.  Baseline defense should always be the initial focus of the defensive wrestler.

Latest Questions in the Ask Cael Archive

- question: Do you think starting wrestling at a young age is helpful/important?
- I have been a head coach for only 2 years, so I cannot expect overnight success but This school has so much potential. Please help me with pointers on this problem.
- A kid that I wrestle in practice won’t let me tie up with him. I beat him but how do i get a hold on him when he always circles out when I try to tie up with him.
- Everyone around here almost automatically defers when they win the choice to start the second period. I believe that is counter-productive and want my boys to take bottom every time.
- I have two boys who love to wrestle, what do you think is the best way to bring them up the ranks, without “burning them out?” And what would be some good motivational ideas?
- I have watched videos of you in college where you put your head to the mat. Are you gaining an advantage by using your head on the mat?
- Can you explain why college wrestlers defense is so different?
- What is your philosophy regarding Team v. Individual in the sport of wrestling and how do you communicate this philosophy?
- What causes passivity? How can we overcome it?
- I graduated 2 years ago and recently got a coaching job coaching my old middle school team. What is some advice you could give me to help me get moves across to my team without skipping important details?

View Complete Ask Cael Archive by Date