Every snatch and clean will pass through the high hang position. Unique to this position is the little amount of movement that there is to initiate the lift. This is a useful tool to develop speed and explosiveness in the hips in a vertical motion. This drill should be very valuable to you if you tend to hop forward, your bar comes away from your body, or you just haven’t developed much speed yet.

Any hang variation of snatches or cleans should begin from standing and lowering to the desired start position. For the high hang, that position is somewhere between the hips and the mid-quad.

Here are a few key points to keep in mind when getting into position:

• Keep our shoulders behind the bar the whole time that you are dipping and extending.

• Stay on your heels as you dip and extend. Drive off of your heels for as long as possible until the momentum of your hips and knees brings you up onto your toes.

• Your dip and drive should be short, very similar to how you dip for a push press. The dip for the high hang snatch or clean should be the same depth and speed.

Here, Joe’s shoulders are directly over the bar and his dip is minimal.

The dip and extension should be short, quick and aggressive, keeping the shoulders right above the bar.

Knowing the intent of a drill can assist in the application. In other words, know that high hang drills can help you hit your finish position in full extension and develop speed. When the correct starting position is no longer an issue, focusing on the intent becomes a lot simpler.