Ask the Pros--Fundamentals of a Heel Loop

Dear Clay,
I am a low-number heeler. I either swat the steer with my loop, or punch it all the way through. What is a good way to know when to release my loop?

Thanks,
David, Eagle Point, Ore.

Dear David,
You should be releasing the loop just as the top strand is connecting with the right leg. If the loop is going all the way through, it’s because the loop is going through too flat and the bottom is not coming under the legs properly. There’s no bottom to a loop that goes through flat, so it just sails right through. That comes from the angle of the hand as you start to come into the release of the delivery. If your hand is flat coming in, then there will be no bottom to the loop to catch the heels.

Sincerely,
Clay O’Brien Cooper