Finish Position In The Snatch & Clean
Let’s have a look at the finish position of the snatch and clean because I see a lot of confusion on the topic.
The basic position we want to see is the legs approximately vertical and the shoulders at least slightly behind the hips.
Often the call for vertical leg drive is misinterpreted to mean we want the entire body extended vertically. If the entire body is vertical, the balance of the system is too far forward because the bar’s center of mass can’t be in the center of the body—it’s always in front of it.
Likewise, the call for hyperextension of the hips often means lifters will push the hips forward too far through the bar so the entire body is arched. This of course drives the bar and usually the body forward and limits bar elevation.
Just think of pushing vertically and bringing the shoulders behind the hips. This gives us the overwhelmingly vertical force on the bar that we need, keeps the system balanced, encourages a better bar trajectory, and creates the necessary space for the bar and lifter to pass each other in the pull under.
Note that it’s common for a given lifter to open the hips more in the snatch than in the clean, although this is not always true.