Posture

I had a few moments during Regionals to check out a few games, so I hung out with a coaching friend of mine and strolled around Devens. At one point, my friend said, "That team (one of the one's we were watching) is too upright when playing D. They need to get lower, bend at the waist, and give themselves some more opportunities". I thought it was quite a specific comment, and most likely, from a team point of view, just a random occurrence that most of the players on the field had an upright posture when running.

A few weeks later, at one of the last 6TM practices, I spent a few points working on what my friend suggested. I have always been very upright when running, and I am not that comfortable with quick stop and starts. I was guarding Seth Mann at practice, and he is short, very fast, and can change direction on a dime. Pretty much the wrong guy for me to guard. I concentrated on keeping low and forward. I found I was more comfortable with Seth's quick start and stops, and while I was certainly not able to stop him, I had a bit more success in containing him that I would normally.

I think Teddy from Slow White does this very well. He is one of their big men, and yet, while running, keeps himself low, almost to the point of hunched over. He is very quick and has great footwork.

It is hard to think about one's posture as it seems so ingrained. I think this is one area in which we could benefit from a video camera.