Forward Marching Tips

[u/Miner_Splash99]

I feel and look like I bend my knees whenever I forward march via roll step. Anyone have any tips on how I can minimize that?

[u/Puzzled_Employment50]

As you’re picking your back foot up, unless your front leg is longer, you will geometrically have to bend your knee as you bring your back leg forward. The trick is to have it straight as soon as it hits. The only way to do that is to do it, unfortunately.

[u/Miner_Splash99 → u/Puzzled_Employment50]

Yeah i think i have a tendency to lift the back heel which results on this, I’m the one wearing black sweatpants and green hoodie in the video if that helps.

[u/Puzzled_Employment50 → u/Miner_Splash99]

The one coming up the 35 and turning left? Knees look fine to me. Lifting the heel is exactly how you’re supposed to do it, your band’s marching style looks like ours (in a tiny video and me remembering 19 years ago fwiw).

[u/Miner_Splash99 → u/Puzzled_Employment50]

Ya i come up on the 35, then hit the 30

[u/Miner_Splash99 → u/Puzzled_Employment50]

I’m comparing how i march to how some of the top drum corps march and mine doesn’t look as clean

[u/Puzzled_Employment50 → u/Miner_Splash99]

That’s fair, I considered myself a pretty clean marcher but always strove for better. From what I see here, though, I still say yours is sharp.

[u/Lingchen8012]

Which one in the video is you?

[u/Miner_Splash99 → u/Lingchen8012]

Black sweatpants and dark green hoodie

[u/Franican]

The problems I'm seeing are more weight distribution throughout the stride than anything else. If the weight is too far forwards on each beat like with almost everyone in the frame, your foot will hit the ground flat as opposed to the back edge of the heel where your toes are up. I had this problem in corps, it looks like you guys are having the same situation where your backwards marching is better than your forwards. For the forwards stride to work you need to be 50/50 weight distribution on the beat between front and back foot of each stride. Of course weight transfers smoothly throughout each stride, but if you were to completely freeze directly on any beat it should be 50% weight on the back foot platform pushing forwards and 50% of your weight landing on the edge of the heel.

[u/Miner_Splash99 → u/Franican]

Yeah i was taught with the 60/40 distribution so that cd be why

[u/Franican → u/Miner_Splash99]

The 60/40 is halted weight distribution. On the move it's 50/50 or else you look like you're stomping around.

[u/Thomas_Martin74]

does it happen more when youre marching faster or do you notice it even at a slower tempo?

[u/Miner_Splash99 → u/Thomas_Martin74]

Slower

[u/Raisedonrice27]

If you focus on having pushing your heel down as you step forward, that helps a lot with keeping it sad straight as possible.

[u/DubbleTheFall]

Keep heel along the ground without dragging. Keep it simple.

[u/Amber610]

Heyyyy my band is doing that same song for our closer this year! The whole show is RAYE

[u/Miner_Splash99 → u/Amber610]

Niceee, yeah were doing joy as our closer

[u/IronVow]

Two things:
1. Your upper body looks good! That's a thing a lot of people struggle with, so nice job.
2. Everyone teaches things differently, so listen to your instructors first and foremost, but if you are looking for a straighter leg, think about flexing your back foot (bringing your ball of the foot upwards) as soon as it leaves the ground, and keep it flexed until your heel lands. I'd recommend going super stiff with it just to take a few steps around at home, and then immediately relax it to where it feels comfortable and natural. You don't want to go overboard with it and hurt yourself.

Recording yourself from the side, and watching it slowed down is a great way to analyze your technique.

[u/papker79]

Get your toes up purposefully and roll to the outside of your feet. You’re not far off.

[u/CallMeSaxMan]

drive with your heel, and flex your feet as soon as you roll off of the step. this’ll help keep your legs straight

[u/Sythin]

You should have a slight bend as you bring your trailing leg through. But your legs will be straight when they are apart (I.e. when your back leg is pushing forward or when your front leg is landing on the ground). If you try to lock out all the time you’ll look like the tin man.

This trick is that your instrument and head don’t change height as you march.