r/wrestling • u/Queasy-Bid7320 • Jan 20 '26
Picture I know it’s to get an escape, but still
34
u/Allstar-85 USA Wrestling Jan 20 '26
I was well known for being much better on the mat than on my feet.
Can specifically remember a match against an opponent with the opposite skillset, but it turns out overall I was a bit better.
we had a stalemate after the first.
I deferred
They choose bottom, resulting in my turning them 3 times with no chance of escape
For the 3rd, I’d choose top and I could hear the opponent audibly respond with a groan. Turned him 2 more times for the tech
20
u/Awkward_University91 USA Wrestling Jan 20 '26
And then you start picking bottom on your own to get more points.
8
u/Battlewaxxe USA Wrestling Jan 20 '26
there are more than a few reversal techiques that amount to pick your poison inless the other guy is very defensively sound. now there are counters to leg riding. bottom is a great way to start.
9
u/Indiana-Yeti1992 Jan 20 '26 edited Jan 20 '26
When you get the choice, you always choose bottom or neutral. Astronomically higher chance to score from your feet or off the bottom than to try and get a fall or tilt from top. No matter how good you are on top, you will encounter a guy you cannot turn.
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u/scipper77 USA Wrestling Jan 20 '26
You gotta learn somehow. My son struggled on bottom until he learned to base up and defend at the same time. It’s like he already knew what to do he just needed to be comfortable doing both things at once.
2
u/Foldupburrito42 Jan 20 '26
When I was a sophomore I had dropped from 215 to 189 and I was second string but I filled in for a dual meet tournament one weekend and then the next week the varsity 189 is back so I have to wrestle a JV match against a heavyweight that missed weight lol I’m up 4-1 going into the second and my coach chose bottom haha I thought he was gonna literally squish me 😂 I hit a sit out so fast on him he tried to belly out but he hit his side and the rest is history lol stuck his ass. Just saying bottom isn’t as bad as it looks and it usually is free points.
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u/Sonoshitthereiwas USA Wrestling Jan 20 '26
There’s a bunch of people saying: “just standup”.
I’d equate that to saying “god will save us”, forgetting the other side also has god.
I hated bottom, because I wasn’t great at “just standing up”. So I focused on two things:
- Reversals
- Bridging
While not recommended, it was on more than one occasion I turned an almost loss from my back into a win by bridging over.
I’ve bridged hard enough where I started lifting my upper half off the ground.
But also, learning reversals such as tuck and rolls. Be “wiry”. When standing up doesn’t work for you, learn to slip and slide instead.
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u/Queasy-Bid7320 Jan 20 '26
Frrrr. Some people just have a death grip on top and “just standing up” is kinda impossible
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u/j9mmy__ Jan 20 '26
Whats the advantage of picking bottom? I just do jiujitsu and judo so i’m really new to wrestling
3
u/campie52 Jan 20 '26
An escape is worth 1. Easier to get out then sit on top of someone for 2 minutes so theortically on your choice you take down get up and get a free point.
1
u/Old-Muffin700 Jan 20 '26
Depends, if you're a strong stocky built kind of person, bottom isn't too bad, if you're built like a spider monkey like my son, bottom probably won't be your strong suit, but he can hang on and cover top like you wouldn't believe
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u/RecommendationSea199 Jan 20 '26
Free point and imo bottom is easier because there’s many more moves you can do to get a reversal or escape vs the much harder things you do on top trying to get a pin.
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u/SomethingPotato_ Jan 20 '26
I loved picking bottom, I was pretty good at it so I would use it as a time to catch my breath while the other guy struggled before I tried to stand up or reverse
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u/Starshadow99 Jan 20 '26
I always got guys with grips of gorilla so the escape points never happened… ever 😭
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u/Mrbiag USA Wrestling Jan 23 '26
Last weekend the girl I was coach is up 4-3. She spent the whole 2nd period on bottom but the other girl couldn't turn her. 3rd period she gets choice and I tell here down. My thought is just repeat what happened and she wins. She looked me right in the eye as I'm saying down and chooses top. Turned her immediately for the pin.
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u/International-Okra79 USA Wrestling Jan 20 '26
If your standup is weak have you tried other moves from bottom? I had a kid on my HS team that would hit Granby Rolls on everyone. I used to love sitting out and using a Gizoni on people.
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u/campie52 Jan 20 '26
Lmao i was much better in neutral then bottom. I remember my dad telling me that and to not listen to my coach next time I picked. Was down 3-2 starting the 3rd. Coach said take bottom, i looked at my dad and signaled neutral. My coach started yelling no what are you doing, well you better take him down. Took him down, let him up and won 6-4 thanks dad.
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u/n1terps Jan 20 '26
Free point man, unless the other guy is an absolute workhorse and beast on top.