Forward hip drive is important for maintaining forward momentum and maximising rotation. It requires strength and control of the muscles on all sides of the hips along with good hip mobility.  A lack of good forward hip drive can manifest itself in many ways, the two most common being;

  • The athlete pushes the leg on the pull side back strongly but lets the hip ‘go empty’. The power gets sent backwards and doesn’t transfer forward onto the opposite side for the new catch (more common with elite athletes).
  • The athlete doesn’t rotate from the hips at all. Instead they move the legs up and down on the spot (or they don’t move the legs at all), and they rotate from the waist (more common with young and developing athletes).

These drills can be used to help the athlete gain control of the hips and be able to create forward momentum without the use of the upper body. 

1 – WEIGHTED FLOOR PUSH

The Weighted Floor Push is a very simple exercise designed to help the athlete develop the sensation of moving the hip forward. 

The forward movement should be initiated from the hip  – not from the foot!

Think ‘use the hip to push the weight forward’.

2 – CLEAN THE FLOOR BUTTWALK – Rear Chain

In the Clean the Floor Buttwalk the rear chain; glutes (med & max) and hamstrings are used to move the hips and legs forward. 

In this drill the legs need to stay glued to the floor during the entire exercise. The chest should stay open and the body upright. 

Typically male athletes will tend to be more rear chain dominant than female athletes and find this exercise easier.

3 – LIFTED BUTTWALK – Front chain

In the Lifted Buttwalk the front chain; hip flexors & quads are used to lift the hip up off the floor and move it forward. 

The chest should stay open and the body upright (making sure not to use the upper body to move the leg 

Typically female athletes will tend to be more front chain dominant and find this exercise easier.

4 – SLIDER DRIVE

Done well, the Slider Drive is a great drill for solidifying many good patterns and helping the athlete understand forward momentum. 

Before trying to move the slider, the front foot should be loaded and the front glutes tight. Then I always think & cue ‘throw the (back) hip forward’ and not ‘push with the leg’. 

The movement in this exercise should be generated from the lower body (not by throwing the shoulders around). The block should stay strong and tight during this drill, with an upright core and the head remaining looking forward.