MMV #023: 3 Causes of a Poor Lead Leg Block

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Read time: 3 minutes

The lead leg block is an essential piece to transferring energy up the chain.

But most don't know how to use it properly.

The lead knee should start extending immediately after the front foot lands.

A lead knee that excessively continues to flex after foot plant would be considered a collapsed front knee.

A huge velocity killer.

So what’s causing it?

There are 3 potential causes:

1. Closed hips

2. Not enough flexion at foot plant

3. Not enough force straight into the mound

1. Closed hips

It is very difficult to extend the lead knee with the hips closed. 

Knee extension happens as a by product of good rotation.

If your hips rotate later, it is going to delay how quickly the knee can extend.

Often times this will lead to the knee continuing to flex after foot plant.

The only way you can still block out of closed off hips is if you have incredible hip IR.

Players that don’t will need their hips to open more before blocking.

2. Not enough flexion at foot plant

Ideally you are landing with roughly 45 degrees of lead leg flexion.

Player that land with much less than this will usually have to collapse the front knee to absorb the force before extending out of it.

Imagine you are doing a depth jump off a box.

You don’t land with your legs straight.

You need knee flexion to absorb the force.

Players that are able to block with minimal flexion at foot plant aren’t able to generate as much force in the front leg.

3. Not enough force into the mound

Some players that collapse the front knee don’t have enough force landing straight into the mound.

They are landing with force going more in the direction of home plate.

While you need some of that, too much will likely cause a collapsed knee.

If this is you, work on landing from above, straight down into the ground.

3 possible causes of a collapsed front knee RECAP

1. Closed Hips

2. Not enough flexion at FP

3. Not enough force straight into the mound

That's all for this week.

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