8 Ways to Develop Leg Drive in Snatches and Cleans
If you’re missing lifts at heavier weights, there’s a good chance your leg drive is the problem.
You might have great positions. Your timing might be solid. But if your legs aren’t doing the work they’re supposed to do, you’re leaving kilos on the bar.
Leg drive is what separates a lift that feels smooth and explosive from one that feels like you’re muscling it up with your back and arms. It’s the difference between a PR and a miss at the same weight you lifted last week.
Here’s how to actually develop it.
Pause front squats teach you to generate power from a dead stop, which is exactly what you need to do when you catch a clean or snatch.
Hold the bottom position for 2-3 seconds, then drive up explosively. This builds strength in the exact position where you need to produce force in the receiving position.
Do these heavy – 3-5 sets of 2-3 reps at 80-90% of your front squat max.
2. Clean/Snatch Pulls from Blocks
Pulls from blocks isolate the extension phase and teach you to drive through your legs without compensating with your back.
Set the blocks at knee height or just above. Focus on keeping your chest up and driving hard through your heels and midfoot. Your hips and knees should extend simultaneously – not sequentially.
Go heavy here – 100-110% of your max clean or snatch for sets of 2-3 reps.
3. Overhead Squats with Pause
Just like pause front squats, these teach you to generate power from the bottom position – but now you’re doing it with the bar overhead, which requires more stability and reinforces good positions.
Pause for 2-3 seconds in the bottom, then drive up hard. Keep your chest up and your weight balanced over your midfoot.
4. No-Hook, No-Feet Cleans and Snatches
This drill forces you to rely entirely on leg drive because you can’t use your grip or your feet to generate power.
Clean or snatch with a loose grip (no hook) and don’t let your feet leave the ground. You’ll immediately feel where you’re pulling with your arms instead of driving with your legs.
Start light – this is a drill, not a max effort. Focus on feeling your legs do all the work.
5. Tempo Front Squats
Slow eccentrics build strength and control in the positions where most athletes are weak.
Lower for 3-5 seconds, pause at the bottom for 1-2 seconds, then explode up. This teaches you to maintain tension through the entire range of motion and reinforces the leg drive pattern.
Use 60-70% of your max and focus on quality over load.
6. Clean/Snatch Deadlifts with 3-Second Pause at Knee
This drill teaches you to maintain leg tension through the entire first pull, which sets you up for a powerful second pull.
Pull to just above the knee, pause for 3 seconds while keeping tension in your quads and lats, then finish the pull. Don’t let your hips shoot up during the pause.
Your legs should feel like they’re doing most of the work here, not your back.
7. Box Jumps for Height
Explosive leg power translates directly to better leg drive in your lifts.
Jump onto the highest box you can safely land on with good positions. Reset between reps – no rebounding. Focus on loading your hips and driving hard through the ground.
Do 5-8 sets of 2-3 reps before your lifting sessions when you’re fresh.
8. Clean/Snatch from Blocks (Knee Height)
Starting from the blocks forces you to be more aggressive with your leg drive because you don’t have the momentum from the floor.
Focus on driving your feet through the blocks and extending your hips and knees violently. If you’re missing these forward or looping the bar, your legs aren’t driving hard enough.
Work up to 80-85% of your max for singles or doubles.
How to Program These
You don’t need to do all of these at once. Pick 2-3 that address your specific weaknesses and rotate them into your training over a 4-6 week block.
If you’re slow out of the bottom position, prioritize pause squats and tempo work.
If you’re missing lifts forward or pulling early, focus on the no-hook/no-feet drills and pulls from blocks.
If you’re not committing to getting under the bar, tall cleans and snatches should be your priority.
The Bottom Line
Leg drive isn’t just about having strong legs – it’s about knowing how to use them in the right positions at the right time.
You can’t muscle up a heavy clean or snatch. Your legs have to do the work.
Put in the time with these drills, and you’ll start feeling the difference in your lifts. More power. Better positions. Heavier PRs.
Your legs are your engine. Train them like it.
Want to see these things in action? Check out our 3 Day a Week Oly Program!
