Let’s set the scene: you’re warming up for a lift, sprint session, or practice. You drop into a toe touch, and bam—tightness in the back of your legs. Naturally, you start stretching, trying to get those hamstrings to “loosen up.”
Here’s the kicker: that tightness you’re feeling?
It might have nothing to do with muscle length.
As a performance physical therapist here in Wilmington, I see this all the time—athletes frustrated with nagging hamstring tightness that just won’t go away, no matter how much they stretch. The problem? We’re often addressing the wrong thing.
When you feel tightness, your brain is sending a signal that says, “Hey, I don’t feel safe here.” But that doesn’t always mean the muscle is short or inflexible.
In fact, I’ve worked with plenty of athletes who can check all the boxes in a passive hamstring test—normal or even above-average range—but still complain of stiffness or tightness in daily movements or training. That sensation is real, but it’s often caused by one of two things:
Let’s unpack both.
The hamstrings are a major player in deceleration, hip extension, and knee stability. When they’re not strong enough, especially under eccentric load (think sprinting, landing, or RDLs), your body may guard against going into those ranges.
So instead of allowing movement, your nervous system applies the brakes. That shows up as… you guessed it: tightness.
If your hamstrings are weak, they may feel tight not because they’re short—but because your body doesn’t trust you to use them effectively.
This is especially common in quad-dominant athletes, or those who skip posterior chain work.
What to do instead of stretching:
Focus on controlled eccentric strength. A few of my go-to’s:
Build strength through range and your body will stop guarding.
Another huge factor that gets overlooked: sciatic nerve tension.
The sciatic nerve runs right down the back of the leg—through the same area as your hamstrings. If it’s irritated (even subtly), that stretch you feel could be the nerve—not the muscle—being pulled.
And unlike muscle, nerves don’t like to be stretched. If you’re hammering static hamstring stretches and feeling more discomfort or no change, you might be irritating the nerve further.
What to do:
Stopping static stretching and working on activation or nerve flossing may be the key. Think of nerve flossing as gentle mobility for the nervous system—helping the nerve glide freely without added tension.
Also, check upstream. Hip or lumbar mobility, previous low back issues, or poor pelvic control can all create tension on the sciatic pathway. Clean up those movement patterns, and you might find the “tightness” clears up too.
If hamstring tightness keeps coming back despite all your stretching efforts, try this instead:
✅ Eccentric hamstring training – strength through range
✅ Check for nerve tension – incorporate sciatic nerve glides with activation of hip musculature and core
✅ Get assessed – sometimes pelvic or spinal mechanics are the root cause
✅ Stop chasing flexibility when it’s a stability or control issue
At Conquer Movement, we specialize in getting to the real reason your body isn’t performing the way you want. Hamstring tightness that won’t budge is your body asking for support—not just more mobility drills.
If this sounds like you, let’s dig deeper and build a plan tailored to your performance goals.
Reach out. Let’s get you strong, mobile, and confident in your movement again.
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Dr. Evan Langley DPT, PT, CSCS
Performance Physical Therapist
Conquer Movement - Wilmington, NC