The Athletic Position

I like to call the athletic position the ready position as it is more indicative of what the athlete is preparing himself to do. Athletic position by itself does not mean very much nor does it give the athlete an idea of what he is using it for.

In the ready position you are preparing yourself for some action; exactly which action is as yet, unknown. Thus, this position should prepare the athlete for movement in any direction.

In this position, the weight should be in the middle of the body or more specifically in the middle of the base of support with the weight distributed equally on both feet. Base of support in this case includes both feet and the area in between.

If the weight is more forward on the balls of feet, this indicates that the athlete is ready to move forward because his weight is now shifted onto the front part of the feet. This is a more favorable position for moving forward but it will take more time when having to move backward or backward and to side.

It should be a square stance which means that both feet are in line with one another and the stance is relatively narrow. If you have a wide stance as is often recommended, you become more stable in side to side movement’s and it will take longer to put the body into motion.

Keep in mind that when you put the body into motion you must shift weight or displace your center of gravity. This is most quickly done when you have a narrow stance. The wider the stance, the longer it will take to shift your weight.

Understand that weight shift must take place before there can be any movement of the legs. If not, your body will remain in place when you step out with the leg. This takes time and as a result, the movement will take longer than if you shifted weight first.

In addition, the knees should only be slightly bent so that you maintain your center of gravity (center of mass) as high as possible. You need some bend to get the muscles slightly tensed and to be in a more overall comfortable position when preparing yourself for movement.

If you instead go into a half squat or deeper it will take longer before you can get your center of gravity raised in order to move out in any direction. The half or deep squat is great when you must remain in place by now when you must be a mobile.

For more information on the ready position and making quick movements see Build a Better Athlete