Rapid Drop Downs for Clean

Return to List of Clean Exercises

Overview

Rapid Drop Downs for Clean is a valuable skill drill for helping beginners develop fast downward movement under the bar into the receiving position for the Power Clean or Clean.

Learners initially have great difficulty with this skill drill until they discover how to use their arms to create upward force on the bar as they rapidly drop.

Key Coaching Points

1. No pulling movement is allowed at the start of the movement, not even a flinch!
2. Athletes should focus on fast movement of the feet to initiate the drop under the bar.
3. The action of the arms to lift the bar to the shoulders should be simultaneous with the movement of the feet.
4. The depth of the drop need not be greater than a half squat, the key objective is speed rather than depth.
5. Feet should land flat.
6. It is always recommended to hold still in the receiving position for a count of 2 to develop stability.