Snatch & Clean Hang Positions

Now that we've covered how to fix hang position errors, we're going to look at:

The differences between the clean and snatch hang positions!

Let's take a quick look at the two hang positions in the pictures.
Clean

Snatch

It may be hard to see, but the angle of forward lean in the upper body is different between the two.
So why is there a difference in the angle of the upper body?

The clean and snatch have different hand widths.
Clean: about shoulder-width apart
Snatch: wider than shoulder width

When the hand width changes, the distance between the barbell and the body also changes and the forward lean angle also differs.

The following is an explanation of the key points in each hang position.

Clean

The upper body in the clean is more upright compared to the hang position in the snatch.
The grip is narrower in the clean, so the distance between the barbell and the body is greater, and the centre of gravity easily moves forward as the angle of forward lean increases.

Be careful not to lean forward too much and maintain the centre of gravity in the middle of your feet (weight evenly distributed between heels and toes), while making sure your shoulders are not too far forward.

Snatch

The snatch has a wide grip which brings the bar close to the body.
This wider hand position means that as the bar moves above the knees, the upper body has more forward lean than in the clean. Because there is less separation between the barbell and body, the centre of gravity is less likely move forward, even when leaning forward.

However, if you concentrate too much on leaning over the bar, your centre of gravity will come forward, so we need to be aware of maintaining the centre of gravity in the centre of the foot.

Keep these points in mind next time you are practicing the hang position.

If you have any questions, you can always ask me!