The Olympic weight lifting Snatch
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Phase 1 of 6 · Start position over the bar
Setup & Start Position
The snatch is won or lost before the bar leaves the floor. Build a tight, repeatable start every single rep.
Phase tutorial · how to drill it
Common mistakes
- Hips too low — turns the start into a squat and loses the back-angle leverage.
- Bar drifting forward of mid-foot at setup — the lift is already off-balance before it begins.
- Loose lats — shoulders round forward and the bar swings out as soon as it leaves the floor.
- Jerky, rushed start with no breath or brace — the trunk collapses under heavy loads.
- Narrow grip that catches the bar above the hip crease — kills the second-pull contact.
Technique cues
- Feet roughly under the hips, toes turned slightly out — your jumping stance, not your squat stance.
- Snatch grip wide enough that the bar sits in the hip crease at full extension (use the rings or measure from sternum to fingertip).
- Bar over the middle of the foot, directly under the shoulder blades, shins lightly touching the bar.
- Hips above the knees, shoulders slightly in front of the bar, lats squeezed so armpits face down the body.
- Big breath into the belly, brace the trunk like you're about to be punched, then begin the lift.
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