Top 3 Beginner Snatch Mistakes
Most beginners think that the snatch is the hardest of the olympic lifts, and while I don’t necessarily agree, it is quite challenging.
In this article I break down three of the most common mistakes beginners make in the snatch, so that you don’t have to!
And if you’re new to the Olympic lifts but want to learn, then I recommend checking out my free WL101: Beginner Guide + 6-Week Program here!
Snatch Mistake #1: Power Snatching
Mistake number one is in my opinion, the worst of the three!
Not because the power snatch is a bad exercise, but because it can lead to a HUGE host of other issues in your technique that are caused by this.
Now, if you’re not aware of the difference between a Power Snatch and a Snatch, here ya go.
A Power Snatch involves pulling the bar from the ground to overhead in one fluid motion, BUT your hips are not allowed to pass below parallel into a full squat when receiving the bar. See the demo video here!
In the Snatch, the lift is exactly the same, but you ARE allowed to go into a full squat to receive the bar overhead. See the demo video here!
In a well trained lifter, a Power Snatch should limit the amount of weight you can lift because of the significantly higher height that you must pull the bar too. However, the mobility required to catch the snatch in a full squat can be challenging for many beginners, so they might do power snatches as a way to compensate for lack of mobility.
By the way, if mobility is something you struggle with then check out this free Mobility Guide for Weightlifters here!
Why Power Snatching Is A Problem
There are two reasons why power snatching is a problem for beginners.
Wasting time not improving mobility
Focus shifts to pulling the bar high, not getting under the bar
By covering up for your lack of mobility by power snatching, you are doing the very opposite of what will make you better at the snatch! And what’s even worse, you could be practicing full snatches AND improving your mobility at the same time by simply spending more time in the bottom of the squat!
Along with this, a bigger technique issue that crops up when lifters over focus on power snatching is that you start to think about the lift differently.
Instead of thinking “how do I get under this barbell fast enough”, you start thinking “how do I pull this bar high enough”.
The problem is that as a beginner, you’re almost NEVER going to need more pull height, and almost always need to work on speed under the bar.
Cues To Stop Power Snatching Everything
Now, if power snatching is something you tend to default back to when it gets heavy, here are a few cues you can try to help fix this.
Keep in mind that cues are intended to get your body to do something different. It may not feel good or as natural as what you’re used to, but that’s the goal!
And if none of these cues work for you, then check out the drills in the next section!
Cue #1: Pull Down Not Up
If the biggest thing power snatching does is make you over focus on pull height, then we can combat this by thinking about doing the opposite.
Think “Pull Down” to focus on pulling yourself under the bar rather than a common cue you might hear like “Big Pull” which is more focused on getting the bar higher.
Now if you struggle with knowing how to pull under, then I suggest you try Drill #1: The Tall Snatch in the next section!
Cue #2: No Extra Time At The Top
Another cue that might help you is to think about spending less time at the top of your pull.
If you tend to power snatch things, you are often pulling the bar up for way too long and wasting time that you could spend getting under the bar.
By thinking about spending less time at the top of your pull, you can focus more on getting under the bar quickly. Don’t exaggerate your pull, don’t over pull - just think “quick up, quick down”.
If this is something you struggle with, then I recommend trying Drill #2: The Hip Snatch in the next section!
Drills To Stop Power Snatching Everything
A quick note on drills - they’re an incredible tool for helping feel new technique things out BUT they can often be over-prescribed when spending time with a cue might be a better idea.
If you’re new to the lifts, try to stick with using cues to help you apply technique to the lift you want to get good at. Drills are great, but they’re not the first thing to jump to when trying to make technique changes.
Drill #1: Tall Snatch
The Tall Snatch is a drill designed to isolate and improve your ability to pull under the bar fast.
By removing leg drive to elevate the bar, you are forced to use your arms correctly to pull yourself, or there’s no shot of you getting this bar over your head.
The tall snatch is a great movement primer as well, but they’re incredibly challenging to add weight to, so stick with an empty barbell or very light weights for 3-5 sets of 2-5 reps.
For a full description and tutorial, check out this article here!
Drill #2: Hip Snatch
The Hip Snatch is the first step in our beginner snatch progression from my free WL101: Beginner Guide + 6-Week Program which you can find here!
The Hip Snatch is a perfect drill if you accidentally power snatch often because it does not give you much time to create upward momentum of the barbell, so if you want to make the lift, you’ve GOT to be fast under.
This drill is also most useful with slightly heavier weights, between 75-85% of your max snatch if possible for 3-5 sets of 1-3 reps.
You can also do these in higher rep sets without foot movement for extra benefit (just make sure you start with your feet in your ideal squat stance).
For a full description and tutorial, check out this article here!
Snatch Mistake #2: Rushing Your Pull In The Snatch
Another HUGE mistake beginners (and even some intermediate lifters) make in the snatch that is costing you ton’s of PR’s is rushing the pull.
The good thing is that you can easily fix this exercise by doing one simple thing - slowing down.
But it’s hardly ever that easy is it?
Why Rushing The Pull In The Snatch Is A Problem
Rushing the pull often happens because we think of the snatch as a fast exercise.
But this can lead to being fast at the wrong times, or worse, being fast at the expense of your positions.
The most important thing we focus on in WL101 is the key positions during the lift - the start position, knee position, and power position. These positions are so important BECAUSE they allow you to move as fast as possible with heavy weights.
Trying to be fast at the expense of your positions is like deciding to run to the grocery store because you left your car keys in the house and don’t want to go back in for them. Sure, you can start faster on foot, but there’s no way you’re getting there before the car would.
Cues to Fix Rushing The Pull In The Snatch
Cue #1: Slow/Faster/Fastest
One of the most helpful cues I’ve found to fix rushing the pull is not really a cue, but a concept.
In a max effort lift from a well trained weightlifter, the natural speed of the lift will start slow, until the bar passes the knees, then get faster until the bar reaches the power position, then the fastest portion of the lift will be from the extension to the catch at the bottom of the squat.
However, with lighter lifts, beginners feel like they can move the weight much faster off the floor, but in doing so, the pull always slows down later on, instead of continuing to speed up as it should.
For this reason, the cue “Slow, Faster, Fastest” can help newer lifters remember the natural tempo of the snatch, but if this cue doesn’t help, then I recommend trying out Drill #1 in the next section!
Cue #2: Start Slow → Finish Fast
Another cue that can help is to focus on just starting slow.
Often times, if you simply focus on starting slow you’ll eliminate most of the issues that come with rushing the pull!
Now, if this cue doesn’t help, then try checking our Drill #2 in the next section!
Drills to Fix Rushing The Pull In The Snatch
Drill #1: Tempo Snatch
The Tempo Snatch might be the BEST variation of the snatch for improving technique.
If you rush the lift, then doing the opposite - slowing down - is the ultimate fix.
Perform a snatch as normal, however you must take 4 seconds to pull the bar from the ground to the power position before finishing the rest of the pull as fast as possible.
By slowing down the pull you can take the time to do the lift correctly, making sure you practice the correct positions and transitions between them rather than rushing through and making the lift sloppy.
Try doing 3-5 sets of 2-3 reps with weight you can make technique changes at. Don’t worry about going very heavy on these at first, make sure to get your technique down as that is the whole point!
For a full description and tutorial, check out this article here!
Drill #2: Tempo to Knee Snatch
Similar to the Tempo Snatch, the Tempo to Knee Snatch just focuses on going slow in the first part of the lift.
Rather than taking four seconds to get to the power position, we’re just going to take two seconds to get the bar from the ground to your knees, then finishing the lift fast.
This can help you go slow where the lift should be slow, and fast where the lift should be fast.
Give these a try as a movement primer before normal snatches for 3-5 sets of 1-3 reps at a manageable weight that is challenging but that you can still make technique improvements at!
Check out the demo video here!
Snatch Mistake #3: Using Your Arms Too Much
You’ve probably heard the saying “When the arms bend, the power ends”, and while it sounds like it must be true because it rhymes, this is not always the case.
In some instances a slight arm bend can be ok if…
There is a constant and consistent degree of arm bend throughout the pull
The arms stay bent and do not re-straighten at extension, or any point during the pull
The shoulders do not also shrug before the bar has reached the power position
Now, MOST people who are learning the lifts should not try to bend their arms during the pull. You are much better off learning the lifts with long and loose arms, and then after a few years of training, assessing whether arm bend might be beneficial to add in.
Why Using Your Arms Too Much Is A Problem
There’s a simple reason why using your arms too much is a problem - they’re not as strong as your legs!
The goal with efficient technique is to let the strongest muscle groups do the heavy lifting, and let the weaker muscle groups do the rest.
By bending the arms mid pull (before the bar has reached the power position), you are limiting the speed and power you can generate into the bar with your legs AND limiting the speed which you can get under the bar later in the lift.
Good weightlifting technique often boils down to timing the transition from leg effort to arm effort. To better understand this, let’s try using Cue #1 in the following section!
Cues to Fix Using Your Arms Too Much In The Snatch
Cue #1: Legs Drive The Bar Up → Arms Pull The Body Down Fast
This cue is actually one of the most important principle of ALL weightlifting technique.
In the snatch, the legs should do the work to get the bar as high as possible, even if this is only belly button height, THEN your arms should pull your body under the bar using the bars momentary weightlessness at the top of the pull.
This sequence of events happens incredibly fast and can be hard to execute correctly, much less fix, at full speed. For this reason, you should also try out Drill #1 in the next section if cues are simply not helping!
Cue #2: Long Arms
Another simple cue that you can use is “long arms”.
It’s quick, short, and easy to remember and gets the point across easily.
All this cue means is to imagine that your arms are simply ropes attached to the bar. Keep them long and loose, and to make this feel strong, keep your upper back engaged to help keep the bar close and not loose all engagement.
The final thing to keep in mind to help make this cue click is that the arms should stay long and loose UNTIL the bar reaches your power position and you extend THEN your arms must do everything to get your body under the bar quickly. Keep them loose until the last second THEN rip yourself under the bar with them!
If you struggle with this, then either of the next two drills can help you work on this, though Drill #2 is probably better for beginner lifters while Dill #1 is better for lifters with a little bit of experience.
Drills to Fix Using Your Arms Too Much In The Snatch
Drill #1: Tempo Snatch
Like I mentioned earlier, the Tempo Snatch is probably the best drill for improving most aspects of the snatch, especially pull related.
If you tend to bend your arms early in the snatch, then taking the time to slow down the pull will make you incredibly aware of whether you are pulling early or not AND you’ll still have the time to fix it too!
Give these a try for 3-5 sets of 2-3 reps, either as a movement primer before normal cleans, or as a light technique exercise before strength work like we do on the OlyStrong 5-Day Team Program!
For a full description and tutorial, check out this article here!
Drill #2: Double Pause Snatch
Now if you’re more of a beginner, then I highly recommend practicing the Double Pause Snatch.
This is one of the progression in our free Weightlifting101: Beginner Guide + 6-Week Program because it’s GREAT for practicing each of the key positions in the pull, and working on things like keeping the arms relaxed during the pull!
Try these out for 3-5 sets of 1-3 reps with moderate weight, heavy enough that it is challenging, but not so heavy that you cannot maintain proper positions or technique!
For a full description and tutorial, check out this video here!
Hopefully, this clarified some things for you and maybe even gave you a lightbulb moment with your technique. If you ever need a free form check on your videos, you’re always welcome to join my free discord here and drop your video in the #form-checks channel.
By the way, I’ve got a free beginner weightlifting guide and a 6-week program! If you’re new to the olympic lifts, then check it out here!
And if you’re looking for a weightlifting program designed to help you set PRs, improve your technique, and get strong af, then check out a FREE WEEK TRIAL of my 3 & 5-Day OlyStrong Team at the link below!