Full Grip in the Clean Turnover? | Olympic Weightlifting Technique

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Generally it’s considered ideal to maintain a full grip on the bar through the clean turnover and in the rack position-it can help maintain a better connection in the pull under and reduce bar crashing.
But it’s only a potential advantage… and if you’re not physically capable of doing it, trying to will only make your clean worse.
Mobility is only one part of it-the other part is the proportions of your arm. Significant disparity in upper and lower arm length will prevent a full grip rack position, no matter how mobile you are, or how emphatically your favorite social media personality insists you can do it just like them.
In these cases, trying to maintain a full grip simply slows the turnover and forces you into an insecure rack position, increases the chances of missing cleans, and will likely provide a healthy dose of elbow and wrist pain.
Nothing about an open-hand rack position inherently causes bar crashing or prevents a strong squat position. And again, if you’re anatomically unable to rack a bar properly with a full grip, trying to will be worse.
If you can keep a full or fuller grip, just be sure to not grip the bar tightly as you finish the turnover-gripping tightly will slow the elbows and stop them short. Start relaxing the tension and slide the thumb out of the hook grip as the elbows are coming around in front to ensure a quick, fluid motion into their final position.
If you’re unable to maintain a full grip, now or indefinitely, the goal is essentially the same. Keep a full grip until the elbows are moving up in front of the bar to stay connected well, and then relax the grip to allow the hand to open as much as needed for your elbows to move quickly and completely into the full rack position.
In both cases, you can practice the motion with tall muscle cleans and tall cleans, focusing on the timing that allows a smooth delivery of the bar to the shoulders and maximal security in the rack position. It’s the mechanics of the arms and body overall that determine a good turnover and rack position, not the grip.
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[@danielhedman7741]

Man, your passion for weightlifting really inspires me. Wish I had you as a coach for a few days, you would probably do miracles with my technique.

[@LucasDimoveo]

Good to know! I've been insisting on a full grip and everything is fine until the full rack position is achieved, at which point my body screams at me to drop the bar.

[@ImMataza]

thank you so much for making these

[@Fredbernier14]

That was exactly what I needed!

[@Mr.Ciobanu]

Thank you!

[@michaellynch9862]

This is excellent!

[@jodypotosky522]

Thank you.

[@willrouse2351]

Will try this in the morning. Thanks again Greg

[@Fnidner]

in the morning

[@amberrincon4776]

my left arm gets into a front rack position fine, even at the botto mof the squat. My right arm on the other hand, my elbow and rost drop and i get wrist pain

[@howtosnatch]

Full grip isn't necessary but does provide a physical and mental advantage. If my pinky or ring slips off the bar in an open grip, I get nervous about making the lift.

[@CatalystAthletics]

You really missed the point here. It's absolutely no advantage of any kind if you're physically incapable of doing it properly - it's a massive disadvantage.

[@howtosnatch]

@@CatalystAthletics I re-watched it. I hope I understand now, but basically my parents either built me to be able to do a full grip or not. What matters more is the movement of the arms in the turnover rather than the resulting hand position.

[@CatalystAthletics]

@@howtosnatch Yes. A full grip is nice but one of the worst things you can do for your cleans is try to keep a full grip if you're not able to do it well (physically, not in terms of skill).

[@thebuddhaofknowledgemichae2486]

My trick is to think of spinning the plates.

[@henrydouglas6746]

If I have the mobility to do so, is keeping the hookgrip during the clean turnover a mistake?

[@CatalystAthletics]

I wouldn't call it a mistake, but it's unnecessary and the chances of being able to truly do it without any interference with the speed and consistency of the turnover/rack is pretty slim.

[@AnthonyGarcia-sy3yk]

Greg how about the wide the grip on the clean , probably because mobility issue but my clean is way better a bit wider that the general prescribed width any video on your channel to work on fixing that ?

[@CatalystAthletics]

Not sure I followed that... select grip width that allows secure rack position primarily.

[@AnthonyGarcia-sy3yk]

@@CatalystAthletics ok whatever grip allows me front squat the safer way is the way to go ..

[@khmak9387]

Does a firmer or looser grip reduce palm callouses?

[@CatalystAthletics]

The proper grip does, ie placement in hand.

[@khmak9387]

@@CatalystAthletics Thanks! I just experimented with this, and a relaxed grip with proper placement works for me. I guess *some* callouses are unavoidable, just as it is with rock climbing.