Topic: In the clean, I notice elite lifters brush the bar above the groin

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

What I'm referring to is where the final contact/pop occurs that leads to getting under the bar/sending the bar upwards.

I think it would be helpful to define our terms. Everyone seems to understand what top of thigh means. Personally, I do not understand what above groin means. Is that at or above the pubic bone, above the thighs? How about a picture of that brush point? Maybe we are saying the same thing?

[Taylor Chiu]

Maybe we are on the same page.  I couldn't find any pics to illustrate my point, but let me put it this way:

There is a big difference between men's and women's weightlifting.  Women can brush/hit/pop the bar anywhere in the clean.  Guys, however, must either make that pivotal contact below or above the groin, or else suffer very noticeable consequences.  High thigh refers to making this contact below the tenders, and above the groin refers to, well, above the groin.  Some initiate contact at mid thigh, continue to drag the bar along their thighs, and then give a final flick of the bar at the hip joint (Chinese, Sagir), while others avoid contact until the bar is above the "danger zone" (Aramnau). 
Maybe this video will illustrate my point:

Naim Suleymanuglu CJ 190@60

Suleymanoglu initiates contact with the bar at mid thigh, then the bar leaves contact for a moment, and then the final kickoff happens at the hip joint level.

Hope this helps.

[Patrick Bateman]

Maybe we are on the same page.  I couldn't find any pics to illustrate my point, but let me put it this way:

There is a big difference between men's and women's weightlifting.  Women can brush/hit/pop the bar anywhere in the clean.  Guys, however, must either make that pivotal contact below or above the groin, or else suffer very noticeable consequences.  High thigh refers to making this contact below the tenders, and above the groin refers to, well, above the groin.  Some initiate contact at mid thigh, continue to drag the bar along their thighs, and then give a final flick of the bar at the hip joint (Chinese, Sagir), while others avoid contact until the bar is above the "danger zone" (Aramnau). 
Maybe this video will illustrate my point:

Naim Suleymanuglu CJ 190@60

Suleymanoglu initiates contact with the bar at mid thigh, then the bar leaves contact for a moment, and then the final kickoff happens at the hip joint level.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for that clip, that is a perfect example of what I am refering to. Kakhi does the same thing except he drags it a bit more from thigh to above penis level. How is this done? Naim hyperextends, but khahi doesn't.

And how do i do this in order to hit it higher on my thigh?

[Shaun Le Conte]

Some of these guys have shorter than average arms for their height and of course this affects the height of the bar in relation to the body when pulling.

Here is a picture of Sa at the end of his pull in the clean (attached). Bar is near the top of his thighs just under his jewels.

Somebody like Neno Terziisky, longer armed 56 kg lifter who clean & jerked 171 kg in 1987, has the bar lower down his legs when he is already descending to jump under.

[Taylor Chiu]

It seems to me that Khaki shrugs/bends his arms a little before the pop to get the bar higher.  It's hard to tell, because he moves so freakishly fast. The Chinese tend to drag the bar along by widening their grip.  Lifters from Spain, on the other hand, tend to very noticeably bend their arms before the pop (here's their main YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/fedehalter).

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

It is indeed a great clip of Suley and interesting technique to study. His shoulders are in advance of the bar until he does his little snap readjustment and then they are in alignment. The pull is slightly backward and then redirected vertically at the thigh brush with a resulting neutral horizontal foot movement. There is only one brush though it is kept close to the body. I can't imagine two brush points being helpful personally.

[Taylor Chiu]

The only reason I could conceive is to avoid the junk on the way up.

[Patrick Bateman]

Newbie question;

out of curiousity, why is it so important the bar brush the thigh/above jewels??

what difference does it make if it is 1/8 of an inch in front of the thigh, or if it just touches?