The kettlebell snatch is a powerful movement. Placing the kettlebell overhead with the power and skill of the snatch is satisfying. But as the old saying goes: “What goes up must come down.”

The drop of the kettlebell snatch is where skin stress can accumulate and where the body can take the hit of momentum of that “falling” kettlebell. You may not think I am very nice if I gently place a kettlebell on your foot. If I roll a kettlebell over your foot, you will jump out of the way—and if I drop a kettlebell from overhead to on your foot…well…bye-bye foot. There is a lot of power and momentum to control and redirect in the drop.

Absorbing and redirecting the drop in the kettlebell snatch is a crucial skill to develop.

In today’s article, Brett Jones, StrongFirst Director of Education, introduces you to the reverse half snatch, a drill tailor-made to build the skill of dropping and absorbing the kettlebell without catching it.