How do you differentiate between keeping a close leg contact and NOT gripping with your knee? I think I have it sussed, Greg explained that my knee down (lower leg) wasn't a consistent contact but not to be confused with gripping with your knee.

I guess if you just gripped with your knee your lower leg would move around or go back too far?

That's pretty much it, if you are gripping with your knees you can't be pushing your weight through your heels which would give you a stable lower leg. Well that's my thought anyway.

If you grip with you knee then Harley is right - You wont be able to get the weight properly down through your heels as you would like - which will make all of you more unstable - You can see pretty quick the people that do grip as they tend to pivot off them - Lower leg goes back body weight goes forward over the jump.

I used to be a shocker for the knee gripping - until riding prada over a little bigger jumps - as I soon discovered if she stopped I didnt have a chance in heck of staying on when I gripped and had no weight.... It tends to be a tired thing now...

On the close leg contact thing someone once said to me (An instructor years ago) - think about your legs being like a wet towel slapped around the horses belly - ie its there hugging the horse - -but not necessarily squeezing as such