Snatch Feedback for Son

[Richard Bendekovic]

My 13 year old son and 55lb snatch. Looking for help with cues to help set-up, keeping the bar closer to the body, and expand/explain Burgener's "speed through the middle," and anything else that jumps out you. Thanks.

http://youtu.be/skgv9v1fCic

[Paul Park]

He's not scooping i.e. when the bar passes his knees, he activates the second pull which is too early. You can see that when the bar is at hip level, it looks like it's about a foot away from his hips. In order to keep the bar close, he needs to scoop forward under the bar as it passes by his knees and then drive his hips into the bar.

[Jason Gordon]

Your son's big issue is not keeping the bar close. As the bar passes his knees, the bar continues vertically and he is unable to get any hip into the bar, so he arms the weight up.

The keys are to keep the bar close, and stay balanced over the feet. Keeping the bar close means using the lats to push the bar back into the body, so that the hips and legs can power the bar up.

[Richard Bendekovic]

Thanks, any recommended movements to fix? I am thinking segment pulls and hang snatches but I do not trust my experience alone. Also and maybe more important any clear, illustrative coaching cues? Me saying, "engage your lats," is met with blank stare. Thanks again.

[Greg Everett]

Relax the arms and engage the lats. Have him slow down on the pull from the floor, push the bar back into himself as it passes the knees, and only explode when it's at mid- to upper-thigh.

[Jason Gordon]

For the "engage the lats" cue, one thing you can try is tell him to think of standing with his back against a wall, and pushing it away with his palms.