This is M who is new to olympic weightlifting. She submitted two videos to compare her form at different weights. She felt very fluid and comfortable at the lower weight, but when the bar was heavier was not as happy with her form.
Hang Cleans at Two Different Weights for Form Comparison
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My initial thoughts – There is too much time spent at the top of the pull, ie with hips fully extended- instead of hitting that point and then starting to move down. At the heavier weight it almost looks like you’re still in extension as you come down under the bar. I agree at the heavier weight, you start bending your arms too early, much earlier than at the lighter weight.
What are the markers you look for to determine whether the arm bend is too early? I could feel that the timing was off, but it’s still hard for me to tell on film (very new to critiquing cleans and snatches). Do you think that a wider grip might help?
Sounds like I also need to drop down under the bar faster with the lighter weight, yes?
Let me see if I can find an amazing pic of James Tatum by Hookgrip. It shows him at the top of the extension, arms still straight. Ideally they’re not bending until you’re coming under the bar (although Donny Shankle is infamous for an early arm bend and it doesn’t hurt him but then he’s….him)