Snatch Or Clean More From Hang Than Floor?
There are number of possible reasons you snatch or clean more from the hang than from the floor.
Incorrect Position or Balance in Start & First Pull
The first is that your position and/or balance in your start and first pull are incorrect. Most often this means having the shoulders too far forward and hips too high, and either being too far toward the toes, or rocking back to the heels as the bar comes to the knees.
Rushing the Start
Even with a correct starting position, you can blow it by rushing the start of the lift. Yanking the bar off the floor without adequate control of your position will cause you to tip forward over the bar.
Weak First Pull
You may be legitimately weak in the first pull—you struggle to move the bar well at weights you feel comfortable with from the hang. The first pull is mechanically weaker than the second, but the disparity in feel and speed is more dramatic for some lifters.
Impatience in Pull
Especially if you have more experience lifting from the hang, often you’ll cut the pull short from the floor because you’re accustomed to the quick rhythm of a hang lift, and you panic when it feels like you’re pulling too long.
Lack of Confidence
Finally, because the bar will feel heavier and move more slowly in the first pull relative to second, you may simply not be confident in being able to get under it in this phase, and consequently not commit to finishing the lift.
Incorrect Position or Balance in Start & First Pull
The first is that your position and/or balance in your start and first pull are incorrect. Most often this means having the shoulders too far forward and hips too high, and either being too far toward the toes, or rocking back to the heels as the bar comes to the knees.
- Learn proper starting position
- Learn proper pulling posture and balance
Rushing the Start
Even with a correct starting position, you can blow it by rushing the start of the lift. Yanking the bar off the floor without adequate control of your position will cause you to tip forward over the bar.
- Get legs and trunk tighter before starting
- Push with legs to start and keep posture up
Weak First Pull
You may be legitimately weak in the first pull—you struggle to move the bar well at weights you feel comfortable with from the hang. The first pull is mechanically weaker than the second, but the disparity in feel and speed is more dramatic for some lifters.
- Use a dynamic start
- Brace trunk harder
- Heavy snatch/clean deadlift—especially on riser and with slow eccentric
- Pause back squat
Impatience in Pull
Especially if you have more experience lifting from the hang, often you’ll cut the pull short from the floor because you’re accustomed to the quick rhythm of a hang lift, and you panic when it feels like you’re pulling too long.
- More volume from floor to get accustomed to rhythm
- Snatch/clean with no jump
- 3-position snatch/clean from top down
Lack of Confidence
Finally, because the bar will feel heavier and move more slowly in the first pull relative to second, you may simply not be confident in being able to get under it in this phase, and consequently not commit to finishing the lift.
- Use a dynamic start
- Heavy snatch/clean deadlift—especially on riser and slow eccentric
- Pause back squat
- Slow-pull snatch/clean
- More experience with threshold lifts
