Sled Pull · Knee Anchor (Step-Back)

Why this matters

The step-back drag needs a low, stable base to lean against — but how low matters. Too deep a squat turns the pull into a quad-endurance test, and the quads collapse before the sled crosses the line. Too straight, and there's no anchor at all: the first tug pulls the athlete off balance. The 130°–150° window is the slight, sustainable bend that lets the body lean back and walk without either burning out or tipping over.

This is a static angle — the athlete holds it while stepping, so it should read roughly the same across strides.

What good looks like

From the side, the knee holds a soft bend around 130–150° through the whole pull. The hips stay back, the shins stay fairly vertical, and the athlete walks backward without sinking deeper or standing up.

Reading the result

• Too deep (<120°): a quad-endurance fault — too deep a squat will collapse before the finish. Walk taller: hips back, knees soft. Train quad endurance.
• Deep (120°–130°): sustainable, but tires faster than necessary.
• Anchor (130°–150°): on standard — a stable base that leaves quad endurance in reserve.
• Stiff (>160°): a stiff-leg pull, not the step-back technique; no anchor to lean against.

Coaching cues

• "Hips back, knees soft" — sets the anchor without over-squatting.
• "Sit into the lean, don't squat" — separates the anchor from a full squat.

How to mark

1. Use a lateral-view clip. Pause mid-pull with both feet on the ground — avoid the single-leg-stance moments during the step.
2. Points: greater trochanter (hip) → lateral femoral condyle (knee) → lateral malleolus (ankle).
3. The tool reports the interior knee angle.

Common mistakes: picking a stance frame with one leg in the air (that's the step, not the anchor); reading the knee as too straight (>160°) — that's a stiff-leg pull.

Related measurements

• Global Lean (Step-Back) — the lean this stance exists to support.
• Elbow Extension (Step-Back) — the locked arms that complete the technique.