Struggling to keep my rear leg relaxed/bouncing instead of locking it straight
I have a habit of straightening my rear leg - it feels like it gives me more push when I drive forward. But my coach keeps telling me to relax it and stay light on the ball of my rear foot instead of locking the knee.
I get why in theory (better mobility, faster reactions, less telegraphing), but in the moment I keep defaulting back to the locked leg because it feels more "powerful" and stable.
Anecdotally, I do feel weight / tightness in my rear knee which i suspect is due to my inability to relax it. Also kind of feels like bending the rear knee prevents me from "standing tall".
Anyone dealt with this? Any drills, cues, or mental triggers that helped you unlearn the lock and stay springy on that rear leg? Open to shadowboxing tips, footwork drills, whatever worked for you.
Background: about 2 yrs of experience.