As a former high school coach, I don't think I spent much time with the head lock in the practice room. I know that we had to show it from time to time for defensive reasons. I never taught it as a primary move. We did work on the bulldog/snake quite a bit because it was a great backup to our front headlock shucks and drags. It also fit nicely with our favorite pinning combination. If we lost the combo the opponent usually faced us and fell right into it. Our teams always enjoyed a fair amount of success.
With all that said, I wrestled in a program that spent 15 - 20 minutes a day on the headlock. As a coach, wrestling in the room, I will pull a headlock from just about anywhere on the mat. I have coached some great wrestlers that should be able to beat me at will and I can usually catch the kid in a headlock to finish the match or turn it into my favor. I may throw one from my feet once in a great while.
The head lock is not a bad move. In fact I love head locks, side head locks, lateral drops, sweet rolls, and front head locks. If you have a knack for them, I say perfect them. You don't have to drill and practice them regulary. Drill your high crotches, singles, doubles, and sweeps. They are great. Drill your setups because they are so essential. But if you have the opportunity to end a match in a seconds notice, why miss the opportunity.
I've coached kids who lived and died by the headlock. It was their primary and in most cases it was their only move. I set rules on when and where they could throw them. If I ever saw them reach for one, they would owe me pushups immediately after the match, win or lose. However, if I saw a great setup a few attempts at a shot and the kid worked into a perfect headlock situation, I encouraged him with a "HIT IT, IT'S there. What are you waiting for."
The funny thing about this entire post is the dislike for junk moves. But it really comes down to coaching. What are you coaching in the room. If you are teaching your kids a reliable set of setups, takedowns, etc. and you are making the kids use them in practice, they should develope a good foundation. The finish move is just another tool in the chest. You have to stress the whens and wheres to use it. If you celebrate the victory with your young wrestler with high fives and great jobs, then they are rewarded twice, with the victory and your approval. If one of my kids won a match after they reached on a "junk move," I would shake their hand pat them on the back and say nice job. I would also include a "man you got lucky on that one! or that would never work on a great wrestler. I think you owe me twenty push ups, because your going to need the extra strength to make that work against _____________ (insert your #1 ranked wrestler here)." However, if he hit it on a great set up or pulled one out of his butt to win a match that he probably should have lost; then, I might end it with a "great job! Holy crap, I can't believe that just worked! or great finish."
While watching the 321 A semifinals yesterday, I saw a few bulldogs/snakes, 1 sweet roll, 1 side headlock and a headlock. I also saw one kid continually reach for a headlock time and time again. It failed and he lost his chance at a state championship because he couldn't get the right situation or setup. I know this young kid will become better with his "move" and he has a great coach that will add some tools to his chest. I'm certain that I will see him hit a headlock in the state finals sometime in the next three years.
On a final note, my 6-year old has wrestled for a year now and he doesn't know what a headlock or a bulldog is. He has been working on a great low single. His stance is low and his shot is quick and deep. For a guy who didn't shoot much, I love seeing him work on it. The problem: he's finished it only a couple of times in the room and in competition. I know that some day he'll get it. I know that someday he'll win more than one match during the past two seasons. But it's been really hard to live with the tears of disappointment when his technique doesn't work. Maybe it's time to teach my kid the headlock and the bulldog, because I think he needs a few extra tools in his chest.
