There seems to always have been a ‘disconnect’ between what is taught and what is actually used and generally accepted as proper lead technique. This is as true in whip as many other steps. While whip has been taught primarily as a ‘center’ or body lead by the man stepping off to his left and slightly back before leaning back forward and angling toward the lady on the 2 (or more advanced at 2&), Mark found early on that a side and slightly forward step for the man and a full ¼ turn right with feet slightly split gives the man a much better balanced position as well as a better indicator to the lady a whip is coming. This requires an arm lead to bring the lady forward on 1 and again to open her up on the 2&….The argument against this technique has always been that it is an arm lead. Marks argument back is…”so what”. Once you get beyond a few of the basics and into the many extensions, patterns, turns and play etc., a majority of what is led becomes through the hands, wrists and arms. Many may try to claim otherwise but just watch them. Most is quite obvious.

If body and center leads were predominant most of ‘what we do’ would have to be much longer and/or wider steps and patterns. Therefore, since most of what we do (at least half), is led through the hands (face it, it’s a fact), why must whip be led thru the body if using a hand lead makes it, or any given step as much fluidity and simply makes more sense because of better positioning and precision? The side & back step is fine too but like most things in WC there is no ‘absolute’. (Except of course staying anchored on 6&)