The Snatch Technique of World Class Weightlifters at the 1985 World Championships

Abstract

The purpose of this study was (a) to describe the snatch technique in terms of kinematic and external and internal kinetic parameters, and (b) to compare the results for athletes of different groups and weight categories. By means of three-dimensional film analysis and measurements of ground reaction forces during the 1985 World Championships in Sweden, it was possible to analyze the spatial movements and to calculate joint moments of force in each leg. Concerning the kinematics, a snatch technique starting with a strong pull toward the lifter could be established. The most interesting kinetic results are that the knee joint moments are relatively small (one third of the hip joint moments of force) and do not correlate very well with the total load. The best lifters seem able to limit the knee joint moment by precise control of the knee position with respect to the ground reaction force. Altogether, the results concerning the internal kinetic parameters question the logic of the classical division of the lifting technique into phases according to external kinetic parameters.