Become A Double Leg King With These Five Shots
There are a lot of different takedowns you can hit out on the mat, but one of the most effective is a double leg. By attacking both legs, it is more difficult for your opponent to defend your shot which means you have a great chance of finishing it and scoring points.
Most wrestlers should know how to do a standard double leg: taking a center penetration step, snaking both of the legs low, and driving up an in. Once you know this foundational shot, you can use it to branch out to hitting many other types of double legs. Here are five different double legs you can add to your offense.
Post and Shoot
This first double leg comes from two time NCAA champion and Olympian Ben Askren. In this video, he uses head posts, shot fakes, and reaching to set up a double leg. This is a great shot for guys who like to wrestle out in space and don’t like to tie up.
As you can see, this is a simple yet effective way to shoot a double leg. When you watch the video, you will notice that Askren isn’t standing still; he is constantly moving and circling. Another key point with this double leg is the fakes. Everytime you fake a shot, you get your opponent to react. When they do, it gives you an opening to shoot your double leg. Lastly, when you fake, make sure you are really changing levels and using your hand to sell the fake. The more they buy into the fake shot the easier your actual shot will be.
Misdirection Double Leg
Much like the post and fake double, a misdirection double leg is set up with a fake shot. In this video, three time NCAA champion Ed Ruth shows how he likes to hit his misdirection double leg.
When you set this shot up, it is very important for you to get inside control on the side you are faking to. Also, you will notice in the video that Ruth is using an outside step for both of his shots. This works well because he is already in nice and close and unlike in the previous video with Ben Askren, Ruth is not shooting from space. Another key point with this double leg is you must get your opponent to react and move their leg to your first shot. If they aren’t reacting, it means you are not committing to your fake. Lastly, do not fake then wait for the reaction then shoot to the opposite side. You need to anticipate their reaction and should already be shooting to the opposite side as they begin their reaction. This move is all about staying one step ahead of your opponent.
FANATICS Has you Covered! Click Learn More!
This is a terrific set up to a double leg and if you practice it, you can make guys look silly out on the mat and score a lot of takedowns.
Post Counter Double Leg
One thing you can count on during a wrestling match is that your opponent will reach up for your head. If you are ready for it, you can use it to set up a double leg. In this video, Olympic wrestler Bekzod Abdurahkminov demonstrates how he likes to hit a post counter double leg.
As you can see in the video, when Bekzod hits this shot, he is already in nice and close which allows him to use an outside step for his double leg. Another important part when hitting this double leg is you have to anticipate the reach. If you wait until your opponent locks on to the tie it is too late. If they do lock on, just clear it off and reset. It is likely they will reach up again. Lastly, when you post the arm up, you really don’t need to post up very high. In the video, you can see that Bekzod only evalvates the are a couple of inches.
This is a great double leg to add to your offense because the opportunity to hit it will be there multiple times in almost every match you wrestle. This also serves as a good reminder why your coaches are always telling you to keep your elbows in and not to reach.
Overtie to a Low Double Leg
In a match, another thing you can pretty much always count on is for your opponent to collar tie you. One way you can use their collar tie to your advantage is to hit an overtie double leg. An overtie is basically when you collar tie over top of your opponent’s collar tie. In this next video, four time NCAA champion Logan Stieber shows how he likes to use an overtie to hit a low double leg.
When you get an overtie, you must collapse your opponent’s head into their biceps. If you don’t, then it gives them an opportunity to hit a shot on you which obviously you don’t want to happen. In the video, you can see that when Stieber gets the overtie, he doesn’t just stand in front of his opponent and hang on them; he has heavy hand and pushes and circles to get the feet in the correct position to hit the double leg.
Learning how to hit a double leg from an overtie will really help you earn a lot of takedowns. This is a great takedown to hit when it is in the third period and your opponent is tired and just trying to stall out by hanging on to you with a collar tie.
Double Leg To A Turk
This last double leg is more about what you do when you finish it as opposed to setting it up. One great option after you hit a double leg is to go right into a turk and start scoring back points. In this video, Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo teaches his version of a double leg to a turk.
For this double leg, you can use pretty much any setup you want. After you are in on the shot, most of the time your opponent will be trying to push your head down. When they do, watch how Cejudo does a windshield wiper motion with his ankles to cut the corner and finish the double leg.
After you have your opponent down on the mat, lift the leg and run your turk. Watch how Cejudo drives his leg forward to lock deep onto his opponent’s leg. It is small details like this that helped him win his gold medal.
THE TAKEDOWN PASSPORT BY BEKZOD ABDURAKHMINOV is what you NEED if you are struggling to secure the takedown. Bekzod is one of the best wrestlers on the planet. The Takedown Passport is a 4-part series of Bezod’s BEST techniques. So pack your bags and get your Takedown Passport, because it’s time to score some TAKEDOWNS!