Every grappling match starts on the feet, and the fastest way to get on top is a well-drilled takedown. Wrestling shots — the single leg and the double leg — are the two attacks that decide most matches, from high school wrestling rooms in Plano to MMA gyms across Houston. The problem is that most beginners learn them backwards: they copy the motion, skip the setup, and spend months getting sprawled on.
This guide breaks down both shots step by step. You’ll learn the stance, the level change, and the penetration step that make a shot land, plus the finishing details coaches repeat in every wrestling room in Texas. Master these two techniques and you’ll have a takedown game that works in wrestling, BJJ, and MMA — and when you’re ready to drill them live, you can find a training home in our wrestling gym directory.
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Why Wrestling Shots Are the Foundation of Takedown Offense
A wrestling shot is nothing more than a controlled level change and a deep penetration step — but those two movements are the hardest thing to execute under pressure. Done right, a shot covers distance in a fraction of a second and puts you behind your opponent’s hips before they can react. Done wrong, it hands them your neck or your back.
That’s why coaches across Texas drill shots every single practice. Takedowns score in folkstyle and freestyle wrestling, they win the standing phase in BJJ before grips settle, and in MMA they decide where the fight happens. If you’re building a training plan, shots belong at the top of the list — our guide on where to train wrestling in Texas covers gyms that teach them properly, and grapplers in North Texas can browse Dallas combat sports listings to find a room nearby.
The Double Leg Takedown: Step-by-Step Technique
The double leg is the highest-percentage takedown in grappling. You attack both of your opponent’s legs at once, which removes their ability to hop and defend. Here’s the sequence as it’s taught in most wrestling rooms:
- Set your entry up. Snap the head or circle to get your opponent heavy on their lead leg. Never shoot from straight-on without a setup — that’s how you get sprawled on.
- Change levels, not posture. Bend your knees and drop your hips with your chest tall. Bending at the waist telegraphs the shot.
- Take a deep penetration step. Your lead foot steps between their feet, knee landing softly under your chest, back leg trailing and loaded to drive.
- Lock your hands behind their knees and pull both legs into your chest, keeping your head tight against their ribs and your eyes up.
- Drive and finish. Push off the back leg, run your feet, and finish with a trip or by dumping them to the mat as you cut the corner.
The cue you’ll hear in every gym: head up, hips in. The moment your head drops or your hips stay back, the double leg dies. Drill the motion slowly against air until the penetration step feels automatic, then add a partner’s resistance.
The Single Leg Takedown: Step-by-Step Technique
The single leg attacks one leg instead of two. It’s faster than the double, works from more ties and clinch positions, and it’s forgiving — if the first attempt stalls, you can adjust to a double or a sweep. Grapplers love it because it stays low-risk when the head is in the right position.
- Force the weight onto one leg. Circle and pull — an opponent standing heavy on their lead leg cannot defend it.
- Penetrate to the outside. Step your lead foot outside their lead foot and slide your knee behind that leg.
- Capture the leg. Wrap behind the knee and pull it tight to your chest, head on the outside, chin tucked.
- Stand up with the leg. Rise with your hips under you, holding their foot off the mat so they can’t pivot away.
- Finish. Run the pipe by swinging their leg across your body, trip the free leg, or reconnect your hands and turn it into a double leg.
Where does the head go? Inside head position opens you to guillotines and front headlocks under grappling rules — outside head position is safer for BJJ and MMA. Ask your coach which finish fits your ruleset, then drill that one finish hundreds of times.
Wrestling Shot Drills and the Mistakes That Get You Sprawled On
Shots are learned through repetition, not explanation. Build them with a simple progression: shadow shots for the motor pattern, resisted partner shots for penetration depth, then live shots from ties for timing. Three sets of fifty shadow shots a week will transform your entry faster than any amount of video watching. When your shot keeps failing in live rolling, it’s almost always one of these:
- Shooting from too far away, so you’re reaching instead of stepping through.
- No setup, which lets your opponent read the level change and sprawl.
- Head down and hips back, killing your drive at the moment of contact.
- Pausing once you grab the leg instead of finishing immediately.
Start Drilling Your Shots at a Texas Gym
The single leg and double leg are the two takedowns that carry over into every combat sport. Master the level change, the penetration step, and one solid finish for each, and you’ll win more standing exchanges than most beginners ever do. Don’t try to collect ten takedowns — make two of them sharp.
Ready to put in the reps? Browse the wrestling gyms on CombatTX, compare training options on your city’s combat sports page, or — if you run a wrestling room — list your gym and reach Texas grapplers searching for a place to train. You’ll find more technique breakdowns on the CombatTX blog.
Frequently Asked Questions About Wrestling Shots
Q: What’s the difference between a single leg and a double leg takedown?
A: The double leg attacks both of your opponent’s legs at once and relies on driving through them, while the single leg captures one leg and finishes by running the pipe or tripping. The double is the higher-percentage wrestling score; the single is faster and easier to chain into other attacks.
Q: Why do I keep getting sprawled on when I shoot?
A: It’s almost always distance or setup. If you shoot from outside arm’s reach, you have to reach instead of step, and any decent opponent will sprawl every time. Close the gap with a collar tie or snap first, change levels late, and make your penetration step deep enough to land behind their hips.
Q: Do I need wrestling shoes to practice takedowns?
A: For wrestling practice and competition, yes — wrestling shoes protect your feet and grip the mat. For BJJ and MMA, most grapplers shoot barefoot. Knee pads matter as much as shoes for shot drills, because your penetration-step knee touches the mat hundreds of times per practice.
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