Head position on squat

[Brodie Butland]

This may be borderline sacrilege, but here goes...

I know that textbook SS:BBT form says that the head is down, looking at a spot about 6-10 feet in front.

However, I've recently found that it's much easier to keep the weight over my mid-foot, and that I have a much more powerful hip drive out of the hole, when I'm looking basically straight ahead. (A little downwards, but most would consider it straight ahead.) Also has made it easier to keep my chest up, which has helped a lot on preventing a good-morning-ish drive up.

Just seeing if anyone else who uses the low-bar Rip-style squat has found it easier to deviate from the textbook squat form on the head position. Or has anyone else find it easier to look straight ahead at first, but then "saw the light" after a seminar or some other coaching session?

I know, I know, this is probably hyperchondriac worrying about nothing, if it ain't broke don't fix it, etc. etc. But I'm nearing the three-plate squat and don't want to sabotage my long-term progress with something that could be reasonably easily corrected.

Thanks all.

[MikeC1]

This is pretty close to what I found, personally. My head is more or less facing forward, but my eyeballs are looking down at the ground, that seems to work better than anything else for me.

[blowdpanis]

This may be borderline sacrilege, but here goes...

I know that textbook SS:BBT form says that the head is down, looking at a spot about 6-10 feet in front.

However, I've recently found that it's much easier to keep the weight over my mid-foot, and that I have a much more powerful hip drive out of the hole, when I'm looking basically straight ahead. (A little downwards, but most would consider it straight ahead.) Also has made it easier to keep my chest up, which has helped a lot on preventing a good-morning-ish drive up.

Just seeing if anyone else who uses the low-bar Rip-style squat has found it easier to deviate from the textbook squat form on the head position. Or has anyone else find it easier to look straight ahead at first, but then "saw the light" after a seminar or some other coaching session?

I know, I know, this is probably hyperchondriac worrying about nothing, if it ain't broke don't fix it, etc. etc. But I'm nearing the three-plate squat and don't want to sabotage my long-term progress with something that could be reasonably easily corrected.

Thanks all.

A vanishingly small percentage of people squatting the heaviest weights (in powerlifting or olympic lifting) look at the ground. Can looking at the ground work? Certainly. Is it a NECESSITY? Obviously not.

[Kregna]

I find it easier to keep my chest up looking straight ahead. Maybe rippetoe's used to dealing with people who have a hard time figuring out the hip drive so he tells them to look down to make it easier

[Tamara Reynolds]

I look down when I low bar and look straight ahead when I high bar. I am one of the people who cannot drive out of the hole on a low bar squat if I am looking up. I have tried looking straight ahead when I low bar and it just feels all sorts of wrong. Do what lets you add weight to the bar.

[Tom Campitelli]

Maybe rippetoe's used to dealing with people who have a hard time figuring out the hip drive so he tells them to look down to make it easier

Then again, maybe not.