Coaching reference • Position → Acceleration → Pull Under
1 FIRST PULL | Floor to Knees
What it is: The initial lift-off from the floor to approximately knee height.
Focus: Push through the entire foot; brace the trunk; keep the back angle relatively constant and the bar close to the shins.
Hips and shoulders rise together. Arms remain straight.
Coaching cues: “Push the floor away.” • “Brace.” • “Hips and shoulders together.”
Common faults: Hips shooting up; bar drifting forward; losing spinal position; early arm bend.
2 SECOND PULL | Knees to Full Extension
What it is: The explosive transition and acceleration phase, moving through the hip/power position into full extension.
Focus: Keep the bar close along the thighs with controlled upper-thigh contact. Drive forcefully through the legs and hips; finish
in triple extension (ankles, knees, hips) with an upward shrug. Arms stay long until extension.
Coaching cues: “Bar close.” • “Drive through the floor.” • “Open the hips.” • “Finish tall.”
Common faults: Early elbow bend; swinging the bar away; incomplete extension; excessive backward lean.
3 THIRD PULL | Under the Bar / Turnover
What it is: The active pull of the athlete underneath the bar into the front-rack receiving position.
Focus: After extension, use the arms to pull the body down and under—not merely lift the bar higher. Rotate elbows quickly
forward, keep the bar close, receive on the front shoulders with a braced trunk, then stand. Power clean: thighs above parallel
at receipt; full clean: receive at the depth needed, often a full squat.
Coaching cues: “Pull yourself under.” • “Fast elbows.” • “Meet the bar.” • “Stand tall.”
Common faults: Slow turnover; bar crashing on shoulders; catching in hands; collapsing forward; feet jumping excessively wide.
