If the bottom of your snatch is full of trepidation and shaking, Bill Starr has the cure.
I believe full snatches are the epitome of athleticism. When done correctly, the full snatch is a flawless symphony of strength, quickness, timing, coordination and balance. There are many things that have to be done before an athlete is able to master the technique in the full snatch, and that applies to both the split and squat style.
He has to spend time making every part of his body a great deal stronger to be able to elevate a heavy bar to a height that allows him to get under it and lock it out. He must hone his timing to know the precise moment to make his move to the bottom. And he must do hundreds of reps in order to become stable enough to land on the platform in the exact same position every single time. In the bottom, his entire body must be extremely tight, with his torso erect as he fixes the bar over his head with elbows locked.
Finally, he has to be strong enough to recover from that bottom position. If he is unable to do that, then all previous efforts have been for naught.
So that’s the topic of this article: how to make the bottom position so strong that the lifter can still control the weight even when it’s not in the ideal spot overhead. We want lifters who are so strong that they can still stand up without difficulty even when they have to stay in the bottom for an extra long time as they adjust the bar to bring it into the proper alignment.