Form Check - Squat - Shifting on Right

[laromichael]

Hi. First time post, apologies that it's asking for help from the get go.

I am having an odd issue with my squat. When I reach a challenging weight, my form starts to shift to my right. My guess is that this is an imbalance in strength on my left side, so I dropped my weight and worked my way back up. The shift decreases when I come back up in weight, but still does not go away. I dropped the weight twice now and it's really hindering my progress.

Here are videos depicting it. If different angles are needed, please let me know.

7/29: VIDEO0046.mp4 - Google Drive

10/28: VID_20161028_174644.mp4 - Google Drive

11/2: VID_20161102_180740.mp4 - Google Drive

12/5: VID_20161205_174446.mp4 - Google Drive

I did have two SS coaches look at me do this back in August and neither had much feedback for me on how to fix this other than lower weight and go back up. They had me put a board under my right foot and then under my left foot to see if there is a difference in my legs and neither adjustment changed the form. Any other advice on this would be much appreciated.

I am beyond ready to take off and make real strength gains, but I do not want to injure myself with poor form.

Thank you in advance.

Sincerely,
Michael

[Satch12879]

OK, so first thing, if you are claiming that you're pitching or leaning to the right, does it help to present us with videos shot from the left side?

That being said, I don't see what you're talking about from the 7/29 video shot from the rear. What I do see is that your hands aren't symmetrically spaced on the bar, i.e., your right hand is farther out than your left. We also can't see if the bar is centered on your back. I also see that your feet aren't in line with each other; your right foot is ahead of your left. Finally in that video, you weren't getting your knees out at all. When you did, they were collapsing on the ascent.

You're dive-bombing into the bottom on the 7/29 and 10/28 videos. You have to establish tightness and control your descent to the bottom. You are high on the 11/2 and 12/5 videos, worse in the last one. Looks like your stance is way too wide in all cases.

Which coaches did you consult with? In person I presume?

[laromichael]

OK, so first thing, if you are claiming that you're pitching or leaning to the right, does it help to present us with videos shot from the left side?

People are lifting to the right of this rack, so it is hard to get a video from there. Two guys have even given me a hard time because I record myself. I will try to get a video from the right today.

That being said, I don't see what you're talking about from the 7/29 video shot from the rear. What I do see is that your hands aren't symmetrically spaced on the bar, i.e., your right hand is farther out than your left. We also can't see if the bar is centered on your back. I also see that your feet aren't in line with each other; your right foot is ahead of your left. Finally in that video, you weren't getting your knees out at all. When you did, they were collapsing on the ascent.

Thank you for pointing that out.

You're dive-bombing into the bottom on the 7/29 and 10/28 videos. You have to establish tightness and control your descent to the bottom.

I tried to speed it up in hopes that I wouldn't do the shift. My thought process was that I was going too slow and that was giving my body time to mess up. I will be more controlled next time.

You are high on the 11/2 and 12/5 videos, worse in the last one. Looks like your stance is way too wide in all cases.

I was going too low in October, so I tried to go a little higher. My stance is wide because I find it hard to keep my knees out if I am not wide and if my knees do not go out, my depth isn't as good.

Which coaches did you consult with? In person I presume?

It was in person and for only two visits. It is not easy going to see them and was costly, so I only went twice to make sure I wasn't doing anything horrible. I would prefer not to name them at this time.