Pulling Positions for the Snatch

In January, we took you through a series of exercises designed to teach the high-hang power snatch ("high-hang" means starting the movement in a standing position with the barbell or dowel at hip height; "power" means the barbell is received in a partial squat). In February, we took you through a series of exercises designed to teach how to receive the snatch in the full squat position. The final movement in that progression was the high-hang squat snatch. Now we continue the lesson by learning the various positions the barbell travels when snatching from the floor.

The high-hang power snatch is a relatively simple movement that anyone can learn. The high-hang squat snatch is more complicated because receiving the bar overhead at the bottom of the squat requires a higher degree of flexibility, coordination, accuracy, agility, and balance, even at very light weight. The benefits of learning and training the movement are immense. In our experience, almost everyone who can do an overhead squat can learn to perform the high-hang squat snatch correctly with light weight.