A nice post by Bert Sorin copied from The Ring.

Great topic. I have discussed this with many of you (Andy Bloom, Luke MacKay, Coach Mac, as well as many NFL and NCAA strength coaches).

We have gone a way (for the most part) from "caught" cleans and snatches. I as well as many other strength coaches feel that a lot of stress is put on the wrists, shoulders, back etc when the clean especially is caught. This is more evident in older athletes, and football players are famous for this. Most of the injuries I have seen or experienced while cleaning have been during the catch phase, especially on "max days" when you are going for a new PR and technique breaks down. It is hard to remove the ego factor from the lift, and when you want to make a big one, you go for it. I have squirted out from under many lifting attempts, only to come back and "make it" in a parallel squat clean. Good for the head, but what was really accomplished? The bar moved slow, technique was different than training lifts,and it usually takes 5 extra days to recover. What do you do about this?
We here is what we are now doing, and what I see many strength coaches going to in the future.
1. We use the Tendo for bar speed regualtion, we have to hit our cleans form the hang at 1.5 m/s or faster (I got these numbers first from Jud logan). That is average velocity, usually that converts to 1.3 m/s from the floor. Snatch is 1.7-2.0 m/s

2. Insatead of actually catching the clean, we use the Hi-Pull Indicator. (this was originally used by Tommy Kono in the 50's) (Coach Mac has used this at our place with Luke) It is a vertical chrome tube with numbers on it. A sleeve slides up and down on the tube with a pop pin adjuster. The sleeve has a "tip-up" plastic pipe which is about 3' long. We determine the targeted height that we want the athletes to pull the bar for a "clean". For me that is #19 (I am 6'3"). I adjust the indicator, and go to pulling. When I pull high enough, the bar taps the stick, giving me an audible as well as visual feedback. If the bar does not touch, not lift. This keeps me pulling LONGER than a clean, not "short stroking" the bar, and not dipping down to meet the bar as commonly occurs when doing heavy pulls. For snatch we do the same thing, just higher.

Now we can train, never have to catch a lift,and have measurable pull workouts that can be tested for maxes, and regualted fro speed.

By the way, I have cleaned 165k from the floor, and 167.5 from the hang with a BW of roughly 100k at 6'3". I did not do actual clean for 6 months,and just did pulls this way, that is when I PR'ed on my hang clean. I feel with this way of training I could potentially hang clean 180k, for it reduces many bad habits that I developed doing boatloads for cleans every week. ALSO- it makes "hungarian style cleans" or "3+1" much easier because you develop a rhythm in the pulls,which is what you want in the throw, right? ;)

Anyway, I feel it works, but would like to know any of your thoughts.

Happy Easter to everyone.
Bert