The Importance of a Strong Stance in Wrestling

Andrew “Drew” Horun is a graduate of Phillipsburg High School, where he stood out as a wrestler. Andrew Horun has also served as an assistant wrestling coach for younger athletes, who benefited from his help in developing winning techniques.

Proper stance plays a key role in enabling a wrestler to remain stable on the mat. Every moment spent in an unstable position makes the wrestler vulnerable to a score or even a pin by his or her opponent. The wrestler must be able to defend against such moves by developing a strong defensive position and also to assume a solid offensive position. A good stance is critical to both defensive and offensive positioning.

There are two basic types of wrestling stance. The standard square stance, often called the defensive stance, is generally the sturdier, but it is also more difficult to move from quickly. It requires the wrestler to stand with the feet slightly more than shoulder-width apart. The knees and elbows should be bent and the back held straight, so that the head is up, while the hands remain in front.

Once the wrestler has developed a solid square stance, he or she can work on a staggered stance, also known as an offensive stance. It is similar to the square stance in that the knees should be bent and the feet positioned shoulder-width apart, but in the staggered stance one leg is brought forward as the lead.

In both stances, the wrestler’s weight should stay on the balls of the feet for maximum mobility. In the staggered stance, however, the weight should rest primarily on the front foot, which the wrestler uses to step into and penetrate the opponent’s stance. The weight should always stay forward, lest a backward shift destabilize the wrestler and leave him or her open to attack.