Drilling and Practice

What is Drilling?

According to The Free Dictionary one definition of the word drill is "disciplined, repetitious exercise as a means of teaching and perfecting a skill or procedure."

The Role of Drilling in Wrestling

"Essential movements in wrestling need to be drilled correctly and repeatedly in order for the wrestler to have success during competition.  Thus the structure of drills must be such that the essential skills develop the ability to execute moves naturally." - from The Wrestling Drill Book by William Welker

When I was in high school we usually spent some time during each practice doing "passive" takedowns.  Basically, each wrestler took turns practicing various takedowns with little resistance from his partner.  This probably wasn't the best way to practice takedowns because it hardly resembled a live match at all and didn't involve repetition of proper technique.  Sometimes we were mindlessly going through the motions.

According to wrestling champion Michael Bonora, "Drilling is the number one way to improve your wrestling ability. Hands down, there is no other activity close to it. In order to be able to successfully hit any move, you must drill it over and over again until your muscles remember how to do it. You should be drilling for wrestling so much that you don’t have to think about the moves, you just do them. That is when you can go into a match with no plan and simply react to the situations that present themselves."

Drilling should help you perfect your technique in all wrestling positions.  A drill may not necessarily be a move per se but may help develop a more basic skill such as your ability to penetrate on a takedown attempt.  A drill may simply help you to move better on your feet while in the neutral (standing) position.  In addition, some drills may teach you how to maintain a good base while in the bottom or top position. 





Conditioning Drills

Drills can be used for conditioning purposes as well.

"The purpose of conditioning skills is to supplement (not replace) wrestling. All conditioning drills should be developed with the objective of having maximum carryover to the sport itself. This is called specificity of exercise. Your goal is to make each conditioning drill as specific to wrestling as possible." - William Welker

An example of a conditioning drill for wrestling would be two wrestlers taking turns carrying their partner piggyback style around the mat once or twice for a certain number of repetitions.  This will help develop leg, arm, and back strength that is needed in wrestling.



Practice

According to the online source Oxford Dictionaries one definition of practice is "repeated exercise in or performance of an activity or skill so as to acquire or maintain proficiency in it." 

So, the definition of practice and drill are similar.  You are repeatedly performing a skill to perfect it and maintain your mastery of that skill.  For example, you may drill a sweep single leg takedown until you are perfect at it and continue to practice sweep singles in order to maintain your proficiency in that move.

You may have heard the expression "practice makes perfect."

Football coaching legend Vince Lombardi said, "Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect."

So, drilling and practicing in a deliberate and focused manner are necessary to become a proficient wrestler.