Beginner Tips for Handfighing
Understanding the Game
Hand fighting is a “meta game” in wrestling—a game within the game. Success means achieving the tie that lets you score while preventing your opponent from doing the same.
As a beginner, you can simplify this approach by focusing on winning inside position at all costs. Attacking from outside ties is uncommon at the lower levels, so as long as you’re inside, you have the advantage. If you find yourself in a position where you’re not inside, clearing that tie immediately is critical. This is the essence of “my tie or no tie.”
As you progress, you’ll discover that in some contexts, an outside tie can be more advantageous. However, for now, prioritize winning inside position and securing your preferred control tie.
Principles
Strong, low stance
Our stance is the foundation of the hand fight. Without a solid, low stance, your opponent can use their head to get underneath you, move you out of position, and gain inside control which will win them the handfight.
Winning the Headfight
The first part of the hand fight is the head fight. Even the strongest tie is useless without good head position. In fact, it can be counterproductive— an underhook with poor head position can easily be your opponent’s overhook. Whenever you’re handfighting, make sure your head leads the way, driving your opponent’s head off its axis. Avoid sacrificing your head position for grips you want.
Have a Plan: Chase the Tie, Not the Move
Too often, wrestlers focus on specific shots or attacks instead of securing the ties that set them up for success. Know which ties you hit your best moves from and prioritize those. If you’re best moves are from an underhook, spending most of the match in that underhook gives you a high chance of scoring and winning the match
Control -> PUSH!
Once you win the hand fight by attaining head position and inside control, the fight isn’t won. Keep your grips, drive forward, and force your opponent to react. If they push back from an outside position, you can snap, attack, or fake to create more opportunities. If they try to clear, that’s usually your cue to attack the legs. Pushing in your control ties ensures your opponent stays on their heels
Important skills.
Downblocking Shots from the Open Tie
In order to engage in the handfight, you must first defend the outside shot. This means a solid downblock. Without it, they’re constantly peppering your legs and preventing you from getting to your ties. Each downblock, get your head low and in the way, connect your hands to the mat creating strong barriers preventing your opponent from touching your legs
Strong grip in your control tie
It’s not enough to have a tie if it is week and easily cleared. Each tie can be done well or poorly. For instance, Austin Desanto has an amazing inside tie. He has to because it’s where he gets to 90% of his attacks. That’s why he’s learned to have the most maniacal grip on it possible. Example 1, example 2.
Well-Practiced Tie Clears:
Hand fighting is dynamic, you rarely get to your tie immediately and your opponent is always working to get to theirs. Knowing the proper techniques to clear each of your opponent’s control ties (e.g., collar tie, inside tie, Russian tie, underhook) and how to chain them back into your preferred ties is crucial.
Collar Tie: Elbow pass or Extend and cuff snap
Inside tie: Roll inside
Underhook: Over the top and clear
Russian Tie: Clear high hand or re-Russian
Good fakes
Faking forces your opponent to react to you, distracting them from their own hand fight. A well-timed fake can create openings and is key to controlling the your opponent. When you have inside position and head position, use fakes to force even bigger reactions to set up better leg attacks and strong snap downs.
General Tips
Practice Handfighting on Every Rep
When drilling, never lazily reach without purpose. Whenever you connect with your partner to drill an attack, play a brief and light hadnfighting game first to setup your shot. This routine gets you mental and physical reps in the handfight. But don’t be a prick when you do it.
Recognize the patterns:
Handfighting doesn’t have countless variations, so certain patterns frequently repeat. Use your brain when you handfight, recognize the sequences that occur regularly, and look for opportunities to attack or push further advantages within the handfight.
Drills to Develop Handfighting
Simple Drills to Instill good habits
Sumo Drill - Pushout only scores points, no touching legs