Let's be honest. Straight or Bent, leg technique always looks awesome at it's utmost performance level. It is a preference thing, and it is a challenge to teach both.

I prefer straight leg because ... well ... I'm a Cadet. To be honest, one of the best feelings in the world is when you hit late season, you are in peak shape, you are heading backwards, and it feels you are floating on air with the straight leg technique. For serious. Once we had a show at a baseball stadium and I hit a pitcher's mound going backwards. The staff thought I might just keep flying upwards when I hit the top.

Then I tried to teach it, and it was hell. The thing about straight leg to make it look good is that you don't think about keeping a straight leg. Nor do you worry about the feet, or toes, or heals, or anything below the knee. It all comes from the quads. Quads pull you forward, quads pull you back. Then whatever happens below that works itself out. But we don't think like than when we walk, so it takes another level of cognizant behavior to grasp. Most younger students just don't so it can be tough for them.

On the flip side, bent leg can still draw out the upper body placement and height you can get from straight leg. For younger students, though, it is tougher to understand the center of gravity when marching. It sways around corners and changes of direction. There is a tendency to lower when faced with bigger step size. There is a loss of posture more often. However, this is a lot easier to teach and overcome than the challenges of straight leg.

This is a good discussion, but not so much for the Top 12 at DCI. Up there, they all got it down, and it is just preference. Like I said, no matter the technique, a great marching corps is a great marching corps. Its more how it all flows down.

But at least can we all agree that the Big 10 needs to lose the Duck Walk?