Drop snatch tips?

[UtahRocks]

You're supposed to drop under the bar, right? The way I'm doing them now is by throwing the bar up by bending my knees and straightening them + using my shoulders to press the bar. This is clearly not optimal...I think. How can I drop under the bar?

[Marc27Default]

Just don't do a large dip and drive. If you dip do it very quickly and just get your body moving. You should press with your arms but it causes your body to rocket down rather than the bar up.

[Marc27Default]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VmGLdvBUk0&feature=related

[UtahRocks]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VmGLdvBUk0&feature=related

Nice vid, he's so ****ing quick. How can I get to be quick is the question? :)

[Big_fuzzy]

Let go of fear, I know it hard todo, but the attitude you want is nothing short of wreckless. Dont be afraid, push drop FLEX THE ABS AND LATS and trust that the body will complete the motion as it should.

Its a small drive and you shuld get under the bar with your arms locked in a split second.

You want the arms to lock when you are just above parallel.

[UtahRocks]

Let go of fear, I know it hard todo, but the attitude you want is nothing short of wreckless. Dont be afraid, push drop FLEX THE ABS AND LATS and trust that the body will complete the motion as it should.

Its a small drive and you shuld get under the bar with your arms locked in a split second.

You want the arms to lock when you are just above parallel.

You're right, I'm afraid. I'm in a regular non-olympic gym, with crappy cheap barbells thatr dont spin smoothly and stupid polygonal iron plates. I am not allowed to make a lot of noise.

[madaozeki]

I'm in the same situation as you, commercial-gym-wise...

Start with the empty bar and don't use ANY leg drive. Can you do rock-bottom overhead squats? If so, you'll notice that the bar position in the bottom position is LOWER than when the bar is on your shoulders. That means if you just drop immediately from standing to the bottom position, you're essentially "racing" the bar down. If you're fast enough, you'll have no problem doing them. If not...

This shows a drop snatch with NO leg drive:

PVYXbDFZHWg

Just gotta have balls!

[UtahRocks]

Very nice vid. Any tips on how to develop the speed necessary for this?

[madaozeki]

It doesn't actually require that much speed.

Imagine you're standing around in a nightclub and a guy walks in with a gun and starts spraying bullets. You'd drop to the floor in an instant. Same idea, just dropping to a specific position.

Can you do deep overhead squats? If not, that's the first step to learn drop snatches. From your avatar it looks like you can overhead squat, so the next step is to use the empty bar and learn confidence. Trust me, you'll drop faster than the bar does! Just don't get in the habit of giving the bar to much upward kick, or you'll be receiving it too high and then squatting down - not so beneficial. The goal is to receive the bar in the bottom position.

Also, remember from science class that all things fall/accelerate at the same rate without outside influence (ie. a feather and a brick). That means that if you can do a drop snatch with the empty bar, you can do one with 80kg. It's just a matter of confidence with a heavy weight bearing down on you.

[UtahRocks]

OK, I tried them today. It went relatively well (I maxed at 175), but I couldnt put the bar back on my shoulders after overhead squatting it--too painful. Any ideas on how to increase shoulder flexibility?

[madaozeki]

How much leg drive did you use? How low did you receive the bar before squatting the rest of the way down?

Shoulder flexibility takes time... use a stick and do dislocates, starting with a very wide grip. Each session try to bring your grip in narrower and narrower:

33P5AI27eiU

No need to do them so fast, of course, or all the way down on the back. Just enough to get behind your ears and a bit further.

You can also try bringing the bar down in front if behind is too awkward. Then rack it and start over.

[UtahRocks]

How much leg drive did you use? How low did you receive the bar before squatting the rest of the way down?

Not a lot of leg drive...but I received the bar at 90, not lower-even though I can squat lower I somehow could not dip lower to receive the bar.


Shoulder flexibility takes time... use a stick and do dislocates, starting with a very wide grip. Each session try to bring your grip in narrower and narrower:
33P5AI27eiU

No need to do them so fast, of course, or all the way down on the back. Just enough to get behind your ears and a bit further.

You can also try bringing the bar down in front if behind is too awkward. Then rack it and start over.

Yes, I can do those with a broom stick - but not with a barbel for some reason