Hello Everyone,
I have a question regarding hand positioning during the catch in a snatch. In most articles Ive read on snatch form there isnt much discussion on this. Are they any things to watch out for or something that must be done in order to catch the bar painlessly such as wrist flexion (as in a jerk), shoulder or elbow rotation, etc.?
With regards to hand position this will come as a result of the sequence of the lift. What is more important is to have the elbows turned out at the set position. (grip is a matter of personal pref, you can also do narrow grip snatch which makes you focus on the pull for longer before dipping under the bar). Turning elbows out means more upwards momentum with straight arms during the pull phase of the lift. A common mistake is for people to pull with their arms - ie bend them, rather than keeping arms long and using legs and hip drive timed with a shrug to gain max extension before catching the weight.
Hope this helps
the wrist extension(or lack there of) is a personal preference. Some people have wrists straight in line with lower arm and others have hyperextension it depends on flexibility. It dosent much matter as long as arms are locked out and it is comfortable.
Rob
Typically a good measure of the hand position in the Snatch is to bend both elbows to 90 degrees and measure the distance between the hands, this would be your hand position for the snatch. Once the athlete catches the bar, it should be directly over the centerline of the body between the heel and toes. I find that it is beneficial for some athletes to visualize “stretching” the bar at the catch to keep the elbows locked out.
Thats my 2 cents.