Topic: First pull in the Snatch - thinking of cues

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

Hello All;
  I'm having a major disconnect with my first pull in the snatch.  I know what I need to do, but i'm having a hard time forcing myself to do it.  I'm really cutting the first pull short and never getting my shins vertical before I scoop and go into the 2nd pull.

  I know I need to do the following:
1) hammies should be stretched;
2) Butt/tailbone should be reaching back and up;
3) Chest/shoulders/ should be stretched forward of the bar and up...chin and tailbone as far apart as possible.

And then I drivie my heels into the floor until the bar passes the knees.

But is there anything else the rest of you think about when you're concentrating on that first pull?

There's a great phot of Melanie Roach on the USAW site where her toes are literally off the ground throughout the first pull.  I sooo wish I could do that.

Any thoughts or input?

Thanks in advance.

All the best,
 Arden

[Brooke Burkhalter]

I always try to make sure I use the lat/tri/reardelt tightening and tuck and to use the lats to keep the bar in.

[Rolando Rodriguez]

I think "squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze", all the way until the 2nd pull.  This helps me keep even light weights at the right tempo/feel.  If I think "GO!", in invariably muck something up.  I find this is especially helpful for guys whose lifts are well below what you'd expect from their squat/dead numbers.  As a relative beginner, if you pull even a max. snatch off the floor with the gusto of a max. deadlift, you will pull something out of position or rush the explosion.

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

Thanks so much.  I'm starting to get it I think.  Will take a lot of effort.  I just had a session of box power snatches and snatch drill work.  I like the lidea of getting as much distance between my chin and my tail bone.  Tonight I thought about getting as much pre-stretch on my hamstrings as possible, and I think I got somewhere.  I think?

here's some snippets of what I did tonight:

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

i'm on a deload week, so I'm really thinking about getting my first pull right.  I hope?
All the best,
 ARden

[Zach Wheeler]

^ are you wearing a scuba suit? j/k
someone has a Rehband fetish haha

what's your best snatch? 115? (I think I did the math right)

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

^ are you wearing a scuba suit? j/k
someone has a Rehband fetish haha

what's your best snatch? 115? (I think I did the math right)

Sorry Zach,
  I likely deserve that.     But in all seriousness, two years ago I could not do deep back squat - let alone a front squat or a overhead squat.  My orthopeadic surgeon diagnosed me as having thinning cartilidge behind my patella and suggested that I try Rehbands - he did not see me as surgical candidate unless I wanted to try a microfracture procedure, but given my age, it was best to just toughen up and wear some warming bands.  Since I added the Rehbands, I've not only been able to squat, but I've been able to incorporate OL into my training regimen.  I'm very thankful for it.

  My best snatch, I don't know, honestly.  I can likely power snatch 120.  I've done 105 for a triple of a low box.  For which I'm very pleased about.  I weight 112.  This time last year, my best was 95.  I can overhead squat 140.  And I can pull that 140 to chin height.  But I can't seem to put it together and get under it. I tend to pull forward and get on my toes which causes the weight to go forward.

   I'm trying to find a way to get more on my heels so that I can keep the weight close to me on the pull.  A good friend pointed out that I'm losing my arch off the floor which is causing me to move the weight forward on my feet.  I've got to find a way to get a hard arch off the floor.  That's not going to be easy, but not impossible.

All the best,
 Arden

[dabrock]

Just a note on how curious the things really can be. I subscribed to your YouTube videos a couple weeks ago not realizing that it was you until I saw this video last night. It's a small World!

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

Just a note on how curious the things really can be. I subscribed to your YouTube videos a couple weeks ago not realizing that it was you until I saw this video last night. It's a small World!

You're not going to learn much from me!! I'm a complete novice trying to sort all these technical issues out. I'm very pleased with the progress I've made, but it's a long row to hoe.  OL is so humbling.  I love it.  Patience and persistence meet perspiration.  Sort of my mantra. 

All the best,
 Arden