A 4-way Exit Lesson I Must Learn and Re-learn
Thursday, August 15, 2019
The three key ingredients to a great exit are presentation, timing, and placement.
Simple enough, right? Yet somehow I find myself forgetting the simplest trick to keep the timing great on my exits.
Mirror The Count
The easiest way to keep timing great is to focus on mirroring the count as a 4way. This can be a subtle rocking or a tiny synchronized downward movement. Physically showing the count together does miracles for the actual exit.
Why does it work?
- Jumpers aren’t caught flat footed
- It smooths out abrupt cadences
- Everyone can see someone who is moving
- Focuses flyers on each teammates timing
What Happened?!?
Complacency creeps in through a season as the exits generally stronger and better. But the next thing you know you are pulling your hair wondering what happened to the exits you were rocking just a couple weeks ago. The team pulls apart the little details and digs in to find the magic sauce.
I run through the obvious problems. Tail left too early. The outside center was overrun. The inside center needs to get lower in the door. All of these things are true, but trying to fix each one feels a bit like trying to stop the dam from bursting with your fingers.
Oh Duh… Fix the Count Again!
Eventually, I hit on the concept of just mirroring the count together. It fixes a ton of mystery problems instantly. All the symptoms were stemming from simple mistiming. And the worst part is I know the fix!
The bright side is that mirroring the count is easy to implement, but someday I hope I won’t fall for the problem in the first place. Or at least realize what is happening a few jumps sooner!
