Excellence in the Snatch

Overview

There are two factors that distinguish excellence from average ability in the Snatch. Although athletes must possess a strong, technically proficient pull, this phase of the lift is often not the limiting factor for superior performance. The first factor is the development of a deep, upright and stable receiving position. The second factor is the lifter’s quickness under the bar.

Key Coaching Points

The Snatch Receiving Position

1. Developing a strong, stable Snatch receiving position is a process that requires patient, carefully managed steps. Lifters in early learning must not sacrifice their long-term potential by cutting corners to achieve short-term results. Consider the well-known proverb “you must be able to walk before you can learn to run” here.
2. Achieving excellence in the Snatch receiving position depends heavily on developing mobility in the shoulders, hips, knees, ankles and spine. This mobility takes many months, if not years, to develop.
3. Failing to practise holding still at the bottom of the Overhead Squat, Snatch Balance, or any Snatch variant is one of the most common errors in training. For example, do not treat the Overhead Squat as just another squat exercise. The purpose is to develop the receiving position of the Snatch.

Quickness Under the Bar

1. Quickness of movement under the bar is hard to develop because it cannot be measured in real time. However, it can be measured using a camera capable of capturing video at 100 frames per second, with individual frames counted to determine the time taken for movement under the bar. This would provide the potential to give feedback to the athlete periodically.
2. Quickness of movement under the bar is highly dependent on the lifter’s expertise in the finish of the pull and the pull-under phase.
3. Quickness should not be presumed to be dependent on genetic factors and unchangeable. It is a matter of neuromuscular learning because it relies on the nervous system’s ability to rapidly and accurately control muscle activation, optimise motor unit recruitment, and refine movement patterns.
4. To develop quickness, early-learning lifters must engage in specific skill drills at low intensities. For example, Rapid Drop Downs and Snatch with No Pull are recommended.