The double leg looks simple and hides a lot of detail. It is a level change, a penetration step, and a drive — three actions that must overlap rather than happen in sequence. Most failed doubles are distance problems: the shot starts a foot too far away, the hips never arrive under the shoulders, and what should be a drive becomes a dive. Head position decides the rest, because a head that drops gives away a front headlock.
Key points
- Change levels with the knees and hips before you step, so the shot travels forward rather than downward into the mat.
- The lead foot penetrates between the opponent's feet, close enough that your hips finish under your shoulders instead of behind them.
- Keep your head up and outside one hip with your chest against the thighs, which denies the front headlock entirely.
- Lock your hands behind the knees with the elbows squeezed in, pulling the legs together as your shoulder drives through the hips.
- Finish by cutting the corner toward the side your head is on, stepping your outside foot past their hip as they go down.
Common mistakes
- Shooting from too far away, which turns the penetration step into a dive and leaves your hips trailing behind your shoulders.
- Dropping the head as you enter, which offers a front headlock and turns a stalled attack into a defensive emergency.
- Stopping the drive at first contact, giving the opponent time to sprawl their hips back and flatten you onto the mat.
Put it into practice
Penetration step ladder
- Take twenty penetration steps down the mat alone, confirming the trail knee slides and the hips arrive under the shoulders.
- Repeat with a stationary partner, stopping at contact with your head up and your hands locked behind the knees.
- Add the drive for ten finishes, cutting the corner toward your head side and alternating sides each repetition.
- Finish with ten shots taken from live motion, where your partner moves and you choose your own moment.
double legpenetration steplevel changefinishes