A low center of gravity and shoulder-width stance boost your roller derby blocking.

On the track, a good block starts from the feet up. It’s surprising how much power arrives when you two things line up: your stance and your ability to shift weight at the right moment. If you’ve ever wondered what truly makes a blocker stick to the track like glue, the answer isn’t flashy footwork alone. It’s the stance you hold before the contact happens.

Let’s unpack the essentials behind the recommended blocking stance: lower center of gravity, feet shoulder-width apart, and the readiness to pivot or shift weight. This isn’t about looking perfect in a photo; it’s about staying solid when the hits come and giving your team a reliable wall when you need it most.

Why this stance matters on the track

Think of roller derby as a fast, kinetic chess match. A block isn’t a sprint; it’s a controlled test of balance and leverage. The ideal stance gives you three big advantages:

• Stability you can trust: A lower center of gravity acts like a low bass note—steady, unshakable. When you’re low, you resist being knocked off balance by an opposing skater who’s trying to slide past you. It’s easier to hold your ground and avoid being knocked out of position.

• A solid base for quick moves: Shoulder-width feet give you a broad, balanced platform. With this base, you can absorb a hit and immediately respond with a lateral push, a spin, or a pivot. You’re not fighting against your own body—you're giving yourself options.

• Readiness for rapid direction changes: Blocking often means redirecting your momentum in an instant. Being prepared to pivot or shift weight lets you react, instead of chasing the action with reactive steps. That readiness is how you keep opponents from slipping through gaps and how you reset the line after a collision.

What the correct stance looks like in practice

Let me explain what to look for when you’re lined up for a block. Imagine you’re about to brace for contact, but your goal isn’t just to absorb—the goal is to maintain position and control the tempo of the engagement.

• Lower center of gravity: Your hips are down, knees are bent, and your core is engaged. Picture a spring-loaded athlete ready to push off in any direction. You’re not slouching or standing tall; you’re compact and aware of the floor beneath you.

• Feet shoulder-width apart: Your weight sits evenly between both feet. Toes point forward or slightly outward—enough to keep your knees tracking with your feet. A symmetrical stance creates a sturdy frame for resistance and change of direction.

• Ready to pivot or shift weight: Your weight sits on the balls of your feet, not frozen in place. Shoulders square, hands up but relaxed, elbows in a natural, ready position. This setup lets you pivot your hips, shift forward or backward, or slide sideways as needed.

Common mistakes to avoid

Every blocker makes a few missteps as they learn. Here are the ones that tend to weaken a block more than a bad call.

• Standing too tall: A high center of gravity is an invitation for an opponent to push you off balance. If you feel yourself rising, drop your hips a bit, sink your weight, and keep your chest up—not puffed out, just tall enough to stay aware.

• Feet too close or too wide: A narrow stance is easy to slip past; a stance that’s too wide wastes energy and creates a sluggish hinge for pivots. Aim for that comfortable middle where you can push off and shift quickly without strain.

• Locked knees or rigid posture: Stiffness slows you down. Keep a slight bend and a relaxed but engaged core. If your legs feel heavy, shake them out and reset your stance before the next play.

• Forgetting to stay on the balls of your feet: If your heels bear most of your weight, your ability to respond diminishes. Stay light on the balls, with quick micro-adjustments available at all times.

Drills and cues to reinforce the stance (without the exam-room vibe)

You want movements that feel natural in a live game, not sterile drills. Here are simple ways to ingrain the stance into your muscle memory.

• The “grounded wall” check: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and hips down. Have a teammate gently lean into your chest, and you practice absorbing the pressure while staying in place. The goal is to feel sturdy, not overwhelmed.

• One-step pivot: From the ready position, take a small step to the side and immediately pivot your hips to face the new direction. Return to the center. This helps you connect the idea of a low stance with the ability to redirect momentum.

• Shadow block with tempo: Move through a short sequence—block to the left, reset, block to the right, reset. Focus on keeping your hips low and your weight ready to shift. It’s about rhythm as much as it is about stance.

• Side-to-side slide with control: Stay low, slide laterally on your toes, and stop shouldering into your opponent. The aim is precision over speed, building a habit of controlled movement.

• Hip awareness drill: Without heavy contact, practice turning your hips to guide your block. A strong blocker reads how their hips lead the rest of the body, and this drill emphasizes that connection.

Relating the stance to the rest of your game

Blockers aren’t islands; they’re part of a coordinated team defense. The ready stance supports not just your personal balance, but your ability to work with teammates to seal lanes and trap skaters. When you’re low and grounded, you’re less likely to get knocked off your partner’s path, which means you can hold a line longer and give your teammates time to pin opponents on the outside or inside.

If you’ve played other sports, you may notice similarities. In basketball, a defender keeps knees bent and stays light on their feet to react to cuts. In football, a lineman plants with a strong base to hold a surge. Roller derby blends these ideas into a single, fast-moving stance that’s uniquely tuned for skating. The physics are familiar, even if the track is louder and the hits come faster.

A few practical tips you can weave into your day-to-day play

• Check your posture during warm-ups: Are you sinking into your hips, or creeping upright as fatigue sets in? Use a quick reset cue—hips down, chest up, weight forward—to remind yourself before every big moment.

• Keep your gaze forward: It’s tempting to look at the floor when you brace for contact, but you want to read your opponent and anticipate their moves. Eyes up help you respond with smarter weight shifts.

• Breathe through the hit: Short, steady breaths keep your core engaged and your body calm. Quick bursts of air don’t replace technique, but they keep you in control when the action gets loud.

• Build a toolbox of micro-adjustments: Sometimes the right move is a tiny shift of the feet or a subtle hip twist. Those small moves compound into a reliable, hard-to-pass block.

Real-world analogies that make sense on the track

• Foundation of a house: If your base isn’t solid, the rest of the structure wobbles. A strong, low stance is the foundation that everything else relies on.

• Riding a bicycle with balance: You never want to be perfectly vertical; you lean slightly, stay balanced, and use tiny corrections to stay upright. In roller derby, your stance is your balance, and your pivots are the tiny corrections.

• A dance behind a shield: Blocking isn’t about showy moves; it’s about staying in front of the opponent and guiding them away from your teammates and the scoring lanes. A good stance makes that dance possible without tipping you over.

Putting it all together

The recommended stance isn’t a single trick; it’s a reliable framework you can rely on under pressure. Lower your center of gravity, place your feet at shoulder width, and stay ready to pivot or shift weight. That combination creates a sturdy base, enables quick responses, and makes it easier to read the play as it unfolds.

On the track, moments pass in a blink. A well-timed block can freeze an opponent in their tracks, open space for a teammate to surge, or simply buy you an extra breath before the next rush of action. The stance is the starting line for those moments—your launchpad to stronger defense and smarter movement.

A quick recap to keep handy

• Lower center of gravity: hips down, knees bent, core engaged.

• Feet shoulder-width apart: stable, balanced, ready.

• Ready to pivot or shift weight: stay light on the balls of your feet, eyes forward, hands up in a relaxed guard.

• Avoid common slips: don’t stand tall, don’t lock your knees, don’t let your feet be misaligned.

• Use simple cues and drills to engrain the feel: pivot practice, side slides, and controlled bracing.

Whether you’re trading blocks with a seasoned blocker or standing your ground against a newer opponent, the stance you choose is your first line of defense—and often your best chance to turn a hit into a strategic advantage. It’s not about looking perfect in the moment; it’s about feeling solid, ready, and in control when the track gets loud.

So next time you hit the track, picture your base like a sturdy anchor. When your legs and hips stay grounded, you’ll find you can react quicker, absorb more impact, and steer the momentum where your team needs it most. And isn’t that what good blocking is really all about—keeping your line intact, one powerful, poised moment at a time?