The "Headlock" Greatest Move Ever!

Clark:

as I mentioned above, for guys like Smith (and Springer??), the headlock will work on plenty of kids in college.  But using it as your lead move will not work against the guys you really want to beat.
Your choices: be a headhunter and score a lot of dual meet points, but fizzle out when you get on the big stage -or- keep the headlock as one of many moves and become a complete wrestler that can go to the next level.

I really think it is as cut and dried as that.

Tim Riley has as nasty of a headlock as anyone and he's found a good deal of success with it. I agree that there needs to be more to your repitoire than just a headlock, but it can get you a long way.

headlock is a great move because its what i like to call an equalizer... it can come out of nowhere and ended a match immediately regardless of the score... a wrestler with a nice headlock is always a threat ti win.. people hate it cuz they dont know the fact that a kid who is losing by 10 points can beat someone out of nowhere...

The main thing a headlock can teach is the importance and use of hips. If your are a good headlocker then it can help you in top and bottom as well. When on bottom you may get a Peppleman or anyone from CD that loves to tilt. A headlocker that knows how to use his hips is less likely to get caught in a tilt because tilts are about controlling hips. Same thing with legs. One thing everyone should agree on is that hips is key to wrestling. And a headlock teaches how to use and master your hips.

SixStringer (I've got a TwelveStringer myself) -
   My old coach used to tell us that if we had three moves we could be state champs - as long as we threw those three moves better than anyone else.  In fact I knew a guy who won states with only two moves, really: An unstoppable snap-down takedown and a brutal tight waist.  He was a lousy pinner but he was a state champ.

This, discussion, is about the headlock.  I just don't think a move that can mostly be blocked by a competent opponent should be the move you hang your hat on. 

It's as simple as that.


Edited by oldcougar - Feb 07 2012 at 8:54pm

3lb3lb3 wrote: i went to high school with a kid that only got pinned once in his entire career in HS and College.  It was by headlock.  He got hornswoggled by smith from Upper Perk.  His name now hangs with the rest of the victums at the UP gym.Â

What was the victim's name? There are several state champs and all Americans on that board. My favorite Mark Smith pin was against Fryling. Was it him? He bumped up from 140 to 152 for that one.

Cliff Clavon little known fact - When Shane pinned Wright, that gave all 3 Smith's (2 brothers, 1 cousin) a win over a future NCAA champ. Mark pinned Jake Herbert, Devon beat Jarrod King by head locking him over and over to squeak out a one point win, and Shane pinned Wright.

SixStringer wrote: oldcougar wrote: SixStringer (I've got a TwelveStringer myself) -    My old coach used to tell us that if we had three moves we could be state champs - as long as we threw those three moves better than anyone else.  In fact I knew a guy who won states with only two moves, really: An unstoppable snap-down takedown and a brutal tight waist.  He was a lousy pinner but he was a state champ. This, discussion, is about the headlock.  I just don't think a move that can mostly be blocked by a competent opponent should be the move you hang your hat on.  It's as simple as that. I need to pick up a 12 string for some songs.. lol   Again I would agree with you for MOST wrestlers.. But there are a few (like Springer) that make it work for them. I personally taught other techniques myself.. and my son was certainly not a headlocker.. lol   I had an assistant coach in college that was just a crazy defensive wrestler from his feet.. That was his thing. He would quite literally give you his leg... and he would always say. "You may have my leg.. But I have both your arms.."..lol Pretty much just as he launched you to your back.. Was it high percentage for the majority of wrestlers? um.. no. Did he pummel most everyone.. um.. yeah.. lol

I saw two of his headlocks on Friday night.  Both of them were pretty darn chancy, imo.  He really gets into a mano-a-mano confrontation with it and dares his opponent to out-muscle him.  Now he is a beast and way stronger than the kids he was wrestling.  But one of them (I forget which so don't ask) almost came out on top in one of those head-to-head struggles.  Yes, Shane ended up on top, and the other kid was pinned.  But there was a moment when the other kid could have ended up on top.  Had he been stronger or with better balance, he may well have done it.

My point:  That kind of 'forced' takedown - walking right up to the opponent, grabbing the head and trying to force him to his back - won't work well at the college level, imo.  Points are scored in transition, with movement and speed.  That overpowering stuff won't work nearly as well because guess what:  the other guys are beasts, too.

 

oc springer didnt hit 2 headlocks on friday his fist pin was an inside trip for the fall, which is what i think your talking about, the other was a beautiful headlock one of the best i have ever seen. I have watched shane most of this year and he has really backed down from his headlock. If it is there he hits it but usually he works other things on his feet. I agree that the headlock cannot be a primary move in college but it still does work so just drop the subject. Everyone knows now that you think it doesnt work against higher level competition and do not recommend it for constant use

this past summer my son went to Penn States wrestling camp for a week.  He worked with Dylan and Andrew Alton, and his famous headlock is called the super Duck!!  Just a simple duck under leading up to a monster headlock.  My son has more than doubled his wins this year from last year, and also his pins.  Im a believer!!