Slick Ankle Pick From Dan Vallimont
Penn State Alumni Dan Vallimont has some insider tips on hitting the ankle pick. His coach at PSU, Cael Sanderson made a career hitting ankle picks from all angles. With the right set up you don’t have to be a super athlete shooting for an ankle pick from across the mat. Instead forcing a reaction from your opponent is a great way to increase your ankle pick’s effectiveness!
Let’s take a look at one of Dan’s favorite Ankle Pick set ups!
To properly put himself in position to snag the ankle pick, Dan covers three key components that need to take place prior to shooting in for the leg. He uses a heavy club on his partner’s head to force him to react, he circles to switch his stance, and changes his level.
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If you can consistently achieve these three things you will have success with Dan’s ankle pick. This segment of the ankle pick is great to drill continuously so you become more in tune with how your opponent will react in a match to the heavy club that forces their head to drop. Now let's take a look at how he secures his points.
From this advantageous position, Dan performs a quick switch with his hands. The hand that performed the club will now reach to the ankle as the other hand performs another club to drive the partner’s wait over the trapped foot. By circling into a switched stance Dan now can drive forward onto his left knee to help further trap the ankle and drive his partner’s weight over it!
One key factor that determines the success of the ankle pick is how high your opponent’s head is. If their head is able to lift despite your heavy club, there is a good chance that you will be over extended and unable to finish the ankle pick. Stay tuned for more great takedown tips from Dan Vallimont!
Dan has been keeping super busy in the wrestling room where he has been pumping out a steady stream of instructional content. Check out all of Dan’s instructionals available at FanaticWrestling.com!