Pulling Back.

I’m hoping that you do at least a couple of the Olympic style lifts. And more specifically the clean. And before we get into, I want to mention that this is very technical lift. There are a lot of moving parts and I am only touching on a small part of it.
One of the most defining parts of the movement is getting your body under the bar. A common occurrence when performing this is either not quite clearing it, or the catch is a bit off when trying to get under it. The good news is that if you thought it was your legs, you’re probably wrong. They do need to bend, but it shouldn’t feel like you’re squatting for it. Leaving the most likely culprit… your elbows. Your shoulder and hips, do play a role but that’s a whole article in itself.

So here’s a quick refresher on where we're at. You've got some momentum going up from your initial pull, hips snap, and now you know it’s time to jump, bend, and shoot. Elbows and body need to get around and under that bar before it starts coming back down on you.

Here's the mistake I see constantly... Lifters try to keep pulling the bar up with their arms. Elbows go up and out, almost like finishing a high pull or an upright row. Feels strong and the right direction.

It's the wrong direction.

Pulling up keeps the bar traveling up and away, having you begin to lose control of the bar, also putting your elbows in a terrible position for shooting under/through the bar. And the longer that bar's out in front of you, and the elbows are high the longer your turnover takes, and the more you're rushing to catch up. You're working against yourself at every part, not definitely not with the bar.

What you want instead is to pull those elbows back. Not up.
If you pull up and back with your elbows, you’ll be able to easily drive them forward when it’s time. This will allow you the time needed to ensure your body is under the bar, and your elbows are through when the catch comes.

This doesn’t mean you still shouldn’t have a big initial pull… It’s that it’s less about “keep pulling” and more about bar path, pull back, whip the elbows around, plus drop.

If you’re having issues with getting your elbows through, this method should help.
If you’re having issues getting under the bar, you probably need to bend a bit more in the knees… or pull/snap a little harder.
If it’s getting the bar to shoot up, it’s your initial pull (back/shoulders) and hip snap. Your hips are a big factor in the clean mechanics.
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