Biomechanics of the Snatch

BIOMECHANICS OF THE SNATCH:

TOWARDS A HIGHER TRAINING

EFFICIENCY

Klaus E. Bartonletz, PhD Olympic Training Center

Rhineland-Palatinate/Saarland, Schifferstadt, Germany

Athletes in strength and power sports such as American football, weightlifting,

and track & field events use various types of power and speed/strength exercises

in their training. The snatch and its variations are useful training exercises for

these athletes. There are several variations of the snatch, for example:

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squat snatch (used in weightlifting competition).

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power snatch.

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split snatch.

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snatch from kneeling position (bending and extending hip joints and

putting one leg In front).

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snatch from hang.

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snatch from blocks (using different heights).

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one-legged snatch.

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various pulling movements (e.g. with weights or dumbbells).

It is Important to understand the biomechanics of the snatch. Biomechanical and

technical knowledge of both competition and training exercises can help one

select the appropriate exercises to train for various sports. Variations in the

snatch (which differ from the squat snatch used in competition) can alter

movement patterns and barbell velocity, resulting in different specific

adaptations. For example, many sports require a high power output from the hip

and knee extensor at the same time. Thus, snatching from the hang position

can be advantageous in that It forces the hip and knee extensors

to work in unison.

The coach is fundamentally concerned with guiding the adaptation process

toward the demands of performance, or competition. Because the specificity of

the exercises used in competition dictate the structure of the training

process, a good understanding of biomechanics will help the coach guide the

athlete toward greater training efficiency.

The external movement pattern of the snatch is described by

Derwin (5), Garhammer and Takano (6), and Takano (11). Figure 1 shows the

movement path of...