Is your Clean crashing? Does it bury you in the bottom when it gets heavy? Here are a few tips to help you dial in the timing and make your catch smooth!
Causes
Inefficient bar path, low elbows, too high of a pull, loose grip in the catch. The first video highlights the different ways athletes tend to miss weights.
How to Fix
Start with an empty bar and slow down the lift to a nice slow controlled speed.
Step one: Pull and snap, get the timing right so the bar rolls onto the shoulders. Knuckles down and elbows out, then pull the elbows up and snap the wrists.
Step two: high hang power clean, with a vertical torso dip 3 inches then drive and shrug, feel the bar travel straight up and catch. Bar path is important here.
Step three: hang clean pull then hang power clean. The pull helps maintain the proper bar path in the clean so then you just replicate with the power clean and practice until you have the right timing so it rolls.
Step four: Below the knee power clean. Same as before, work this position until the timing is right.
Step five: go through the same process but catch in a squat. The timing will need to be adjusted since the catch height is lower. The key is to slow things down. Don’t worry about how fast you can be it won’t help or matter until you have the timing dialed in. I see way to many people try to be the fastest at having shitty technique. The bar needs to be going up not out. Timing will be affected by an inconsistent bar path.
Step six: Add weight and go through the process again. Adjust timing and speed for the weight. Again my biggest recommendation is to go slow and smooth. Note in the videos I take my time and focus on the movement and timing not speed and power. In order to improve your technique you need to slow it down!