with Steve Costanzo,
St. Cloud State University Head Coach;
2018 NCAA DII National Champions - third title in four years, including back-to-back National Championships (2016-17);
2018 NWCA DII National Duals Champions;
2016 NCAA DII Coach of the Year;
2018 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Champions - winners of seven straight conference titles (2012-18) and 11 overall; 5x NSIC Coach of the Year; former Dana College Head Coach - 2016 NAIA National Champions
Steve Costanzo has turned St. Cloud State into a NCAA D-II wrestling powerhouse. Under Coach Costanzo, the Huskies have won back-to-back NCAA Division II titles (2016-17). Through the 2017 season, St. Cloud has won six straight Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Championships (and 10 overall under Costanzo) and have not lost a conference dual meet since 2011. Coach Costanzo, two-time National D-II Coach of the Year, has coached seven National Champions and 76 All-Americans. He also served as head coach at Dana College, where he led his squad to the 2006 NAIA National Title and was awarded the NAIA Coach of the Year.
Many wrestlers at all levels are successful at getting to the legs, but struggle with finishing, either wasting energy being stalemated, or being scored on with counter offense. Frequently, these wrestlers have a finish or two they feel comfortable with, but don't have a systematic approach to dealing with the variety of defenses that opponents can use against them.
Two-time National Coach of the Year Steve Constanzo shows a complete system for finishing the single leg attack. Along with his assistant, Division II All-American Jay Hildreth, Costanzo demonstrates the fundamental positioning to finish the single leg and high crotch off your opponent's reaction on your feet and on the mat. They also demonstrate how to finish from various problem positions that wrestlers may encounter from their takedown attempts.
Single Leg Finishes (Head on the Inside)
Learn the "nuts and bolts" of the single leg by understanding the proper positioning. Costanzo demonstrates four main finishes from your feet:
Train your wrestlers to use their defensive position as an advantage to finish their takedown. You'll learn different single leg finishes from the mat. Coach Costanzo breaks down each technique, emphasizing key points so that the techniques are easy to learn.
- Tug of War Position: Great way to defeat an opponent's whizzer attempt and to finish a takedown.
- Knee Slide: Beat an opponent with heavy hips by getting underneath them into a better position.
You'll also learn a variety of ways to look for falls after finishing the takedowns, such as a turk.
Beating the Key Lock or Shin Whizzer
One position that frustrates even the most experience athletes is the key lock, shin whizzer or hip lock position, as it isolates the leg and prevents the other wrestler from getting an angle to finish the single leg. Constanzo shows two distinct finishes to finish the single leg on the mat. These techniques are a must for wrestlers who are getting stuck in this position!
High Crotch Finishes (Head on the Outside)
Coach Jay Hildreth shows a variety of adjustment to improve your finishing percentage with the two most common high crotch finishes: the switch-off to a double leg and the dump, which is a great way to finish a high crotch if your opponent blocks your elbow to prevent you from switching off to a double leg finish.
Beating the Crackdown Position
Once wrestlers have established themselves as a threat in these positions, opponents will look to immediately enter the crackdown against them. From here, Hildreth shows five finishes, depending on the exact position the wrestlers land in, including two that will end in back points.
- Create Space to a Body Turk: Great way to pick up a fall when wrestlers get stuck between opponent's legs.
- Create Space to a Backside Double: Another way to score from between the opponent's legs.
- Circle into Him: Ideal finish for when wrestlers are outside the opponent's legs in a crackdown situation.
- Swim and Catch His Head: Allows for a transition from a crackdown to a cradle.
- Elbow Roll: Score big points when the opponent locks around your body by finishing in a Peterson Roll or Turk.
By learning a complete system of finishing leg attacks, wrestlers will always be in a position to score and control the match. Learn some great moves from Coach Constanzo today!
68 minutes. 2017.