Hitting Position
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The Hitting Position
Introduction
The Hitting position is the most powerful position from which to begin contact. What makes rugby so difficult is that you can't set in this position and then move towards the target. You have to get to the target and then take up the position.
What takes so much practice to get right, is that any movement off the correct alignment will be exploited by an astute opponent. Without the alignment of the hitting position, the player can easily be pulled or pushed off balance.
Best at achieving the hitting position in rugby are McCaw and Hayman - however they "lunge" - bring E and A ahead of B - before contact. This makes them vulnerable to a sidestep and pull (Judo, Grappling,) or a simple Gridiron Club. If this was implemented against them they would yield turnovers.
Rugby Players are all over the place with this E-A-B alignment, which is why so few of them strike a solid blow in a match. Granted McCaw and Hayman are a long way ahead of the South Africans like Burger or De Villiers who look more like Tuna on a Gaff than fighters in the hitting position.
- A Centre of Gravity of the Body
- B Midpoint on the ground between feet
- C Centre of the Head
- D Butt
- E Midpoint between Head and Butt
Now ideally E,A and B form line with a slight forward tilt. This is balanced by the toes. It can lean forward, but must never align backwards, as you get rocked off your heels.
Linebacker Stance
- Feet are almost, but never completely level, because you have the opportunity to make a step before contact
- Weight is on the toes, Allowing A an E to be marginally in front of
- As you lean forward, you must stick out your butt to keep E as close to above A an B
as possible
Recipe for a pancake
The worst error you can make is to allow A to be behind B. From this position you get murdered. See "England are Flat footed" - the results are plain to see.
3 Point Stance
Even in the 3 point stance where we are really telling the opposition that we are coming forward, note that the alignment of E, A and B is still maintained.
Here is the key thing about the player in the picture. There is very little pressure on his forward hand. We have a drill whereby once the players take up the 3 point stand the coach walks in front of them and:
- kicks away the froward hand
- pulls them forward
- Punches them back or sideways
If the stance is correct, the player can take any of these assaults without losing balance.
