Hip shift during squat

[Nadroj]

Good morning. JN squat - YouTube

Question:

I have one kid that I am struggling with. He's decently strong for being 14 (I think he was around 205 for 3x5), but he has developed a very pronounced shift in his hips from left to right as he moves in and out of the hole. He did not do this when he started, and has only recently developed it.

I observe that he is driving heavily from the right side of his body.

He does not have this shift while performing an unweighted squat, but as soon as I put him under load it begins. The heavier the weight, the more pronounced the shift.

He had our athletic trainer measure his legs, and they are the same length to within 1cm.

I have brought him back down and am working to reprogram the motor patterns in the descent and ascent. (I am also working on getting him to drive his knees out harder and get his wrists in a better position.)

Is my approach here valid? Do you suggest anything in specific? Thank you.

Background:

I coach high schoolers in weight training at the local high school. I started doing this because there was no actual strength training at the school, and our athletes were getting crushed. I volunteered for a couple of years, and then someone decided to pay me this last year. Good times...if anyone needs extra money, you know where to go. /s

I have no formal coaching in weight training. I taught myself the main lifts by reading Starting Strength and watching Rip's videos over and over. I know that I am not a substitute for a starting strength coach, but I can generally get any of the kids to perform solid low bar squats, deadlifts, presses and bench, and I'll run them through a novice linear progression around their sports seasons. Most will gain 12-15lbs and a lot of strength.

And I'm really all they have in the way of strength exposure, so I guess that's better than nothing. I'm happy to report that one kid just squatted 340 3x5 at 140 lbs! It's very rewarding to have them start as generally weak kids, and have them leave months later with much more strength and self-confidence.

[Steve Hill]

You're doing it right. Movement pattern has to be performed correctly, at a weight that it can be controlled easily, then progression is reestablished from that point.