Snatch technique of United States national level weightlifters.
This study analyzed the top 3 successful snatch attempts by individual lifters in each weight class at a U.S. National Championship weightlifting meet. Two-dimensional (2-D) body position and characteristics of the lifts were compared via 2D video analysis in groups of lifters who displaced forward, showed no displacement, or displaced backward to receive the bar. No significant group differences (p > 0.05) were noted for body mass, bar mass, or hip angle. The rearward displacement group had a significantly greater horizontal distance between the shoulder and heel at the end of the pull (determined as the point where the bar ceases to accelerate vertically). Hip angles for the no displacement group had a small-to-moderate effect size (0.50) in comparison to the forward displacement group, but they only showed a small effect size (0.17) when compared with the rearward displacement group. The forward displacement group showed a small-to-moderate effect size compared with both the no displacement group (0.51) and the rearward displacement group (0.55) concerning the horizontal distance from the shoulder to the heel. These data seem to suggest that rearward displacement in the drop-under phase in the snatch is not detrimental to performance and actually seems to be a preferred technique in U.S. national level lifters. In addition to evidence that rearward displacement is exhibited in elite lifters and is coached globally, it seems this is the preferred technique in international competitions. This technique may be considered a viable variation of the snatch by coaches and athletes of all levels.
1Department of Health and Sport Sciences, The University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee; 2East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee; 3University of the West of Scotland, Paisley, Scotland; and 4University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Paul N
PN
Whitehead
Brian K
BK
Schilling
Michael H
MH
Stone
J Lon
JL
Kilgore
Loren Z F
LZ
Chiu
D000328:Adult; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001835:Body Weight; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006621:Hip Joint / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D011187:Posture; D014481:United States; D014741:Video Recording; D014891:Weight Lifting / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult