Topic: How do you drop the bar on the front squat?

[TheRedReaper]

 When I front squat really heavy I have to drop the weight a lot. I guess I drop it about 35% of the time. Either when I go for a second rep and can't make it after all, or when I have done a few sets already and try another but am too fu*ked to do a single rep. In any case, you drop it heaps when you are always pushing your max.
 
The problem I'm having is it's hard to do a decent drop. At lighter weights it was easy to roll the shoulders forward and let it just roll onto the ground. At heavier weights (and usually later in the session when I'm more fatigued) I always end up rolling too much weight onto my hands when I roll it forward. This ends up putting pressure on the shoulder joints, where the arm bone is in the socket there.
Obviously I've been front squatting in the clean grip.
 
I've been trying to drop it without putting any weight on my hands and fuc*ing my shoulders. Though the actual essence of dropping the weight is your technique has gone to sh!t, so it's a little hard to focus on a "perfect fail."
 
So my question is what do you guys do when squatting your max? Should I ignore the pain and just try to focus on getting a perfect drop and not putting weight on my hands? Is this even possible? Or should I just switch to using straps?
 
I've never used straps before, but they seem like they might help. But I don't want to start using them in weightlifting if no one else actually uses them.
 
Please let me know.,

[Jim Storch]

Video?

[TheRedReaper]

You want a video of me dropping the bar? It's not an overly complex thing. It just kind of dumps forward.
 
The question is simple, really. Do you front squat heavy weight in the clean grip or use straps? And if you do use the clean grip, I suppose you've just got the technique right so it does not hurt your shoulders?
 
I'll figure out how to drop it myself. Really just want to know if using straps is common in actual weightlifting sport, or is clean grip prefered.
 
Something occured to me yesterday, anyway. I might still be leaning forward too much on the ascent in the front squat (doing it to try and use my back to lift the weight, cheating, instead of using the leg power), and thus putting too much weight on my hands. It only spikes when I drop it, but most the pain is from bad technique... again. I'll focus on staying upright at lower weight now and slowly go heavy again and see if that helps.
 
Still, straps or no?
 
And I don't have any problem with getting a video, I suppose, if you're that desperate to see my hairy sweaty chest. But wait a week coz camera is actually broke now and sent it to the factory for repair.

[Jim Storch]

Naw...  my desperation is now in not replying and being helpful... 

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

No straps for front squats.

[TheRedReaper]

No straps for front squats.

Thanks for that excessively helpful post. Such depth and detail.
 
I don't want to use straps. I'll just try and fix the technique up. I think that's the problem anyway.

[Tom Banister]

I'll try to be as polite as Jim and Chris have been,  I won't call you a bonehead or ask if you're mentally retarded.

It's impossible to even imagine the difficulties you're trying describe. That is probably why Jim asked for a video, what you describe makes no sense at all. And straps for squats of any kind? That's a non sequitur.  (although, there is a somewhat goofy way to use straps if you have an injury that completely prevents even a finger tip hold for front squats)

Either get a video of this "problem" or find a better way to describe it.  Avoiding snarky remarks about Jim wanting to see your sweaty chest may actually get you a follow up response.

[TheRedReaper]

What's difficult to understand about this?
 
The questions are simple -
 
Anyone else got shoulder pains or know about it?
 
Anyone else use straps to make it easier to drop the weight?
 
What I explained makes sense to me. You're obviously just not a very visual person. When I drop the weight, I feel I load too much weight on my hands as it rolls forward off my shoulders, and I'm having trouble fixing the technique and it makes my shoulders hurt fron trying to support that much weight on my hands for that brief moment. What's hard to understand about that? Perhaps I'm not the one who's boneheaded? Especially if you're not familiar with people using straps or the likes on front squats.
 
Here is a guy using straps on front squat:

Front Squats

 
Not that I have a problem with flexability. But if you envisage what would happen if this guy drops the weight, it would roll forward very easily, without having to worry about weight going on the hands to push it forward and prevent it from falling on the knees (which is what happens if you let the weight drop straight down).
 
You've really never heard of this? I won't call you retarded or anything. But still.
 
Only I don't want to use straps if the actual problem is in technique. Fixing technique is always better than working around it.