Moving The Feet In The Snatch & Clean
In the snatch and clean, do you have to move your feet from the pulling stance into a different receiving stance? Does that receiving stance have to be wider than your pulling stance?
Nope. All you have to do is execute the lift as effectively as possible, and that means doing what works best for you, not anyone else.
Moving the feet from a narrower pulling stance to a wider receiving stance is the most common approach because it works best for most people. However, the two foot positions have nothing to do with each other. If your most effective pulling stance is wider than your strongest and most stable squat stance, then those are the positions you should use; likewise, if the two stances are the same, then the feet don’t need to change positions.
Lifting the feet clear of the platform and reconnecting them flat during the pull under the bar—even if the receiving stance is identical to the pulling stance—has the benefit of ensuring maximal possible acceleration down because of the complete absence of resistance against the ground momentarily. However, it also creates an opportunity for more dramatic misplacement of the feet, usually too wide or too far back.
Sliding the feet out instead of lifting them completely requires more precise movement and timing, and can limit downward acceleration, but if the desired movement is minimal, it can make it easier to avoid misplacement. It can also make it somewhat easier to absorb the downward force of the bar because the lifter is connected to the platform sooner.
Not moving the feet at all may be a legitimate technique, but it’s more often a symptom of a technical problem such as failing to produce adequate leg drive at the top of the pull or initiating the pull under the bar prematurely. If you use this method, be sure it’s a conscious choice and executed properly, not because you can’t figure out how to do it better.
Videos by Hookgrip and All Things Gym
Nope. All you have to do is execute the lift as effectively as possible, and that means doing what works best for you, not anyone else.
Moving the feet from a narrower pulling stance to a wider receiving stance is the most common approach because it works best for most people. However, the two foot positions have nothing to do with each other. If your most effective pulling stance is wider than your strongest and most stable squat stance, then those are the positions you should use; likewise, if the two stances are the same, then the feet don’t need to change positions.
Lifting the feet clear of the platform and reconnecting them flat during the pull under the bar—even if the receiving stance is identical to the pulling stance—has the benefit of ensuring maximal possible acceleration down because of the complete absence of resistance against the ground momentarily. However, it also creates an opportunity for more dramatic misplacement of the feet, usually too wide or too far back.
Sliding the feet out instead of lifting them completely requires more precise movement and timing, and can limit downward acceleration, but if the desired movement is minimal, it can make it easier to avoid misplacement. It can also make it somewhat easier to absorb the downward force of the bar because the lifter is connected to the platform sooner.
Not moving the feet at all may be a legitimate technique, but it’s more often a symptom of a technical problem such as failing to produce adequate leg drive at the top of the pull or initiating the pull under the bar prematurely. If you use this method, be sure it’s a conscious choice and executed properly, not because you can’t figure out how to do it better.
Videos by Hookgrip and All Things Gym
