Bar Path
Your Lats Are Not Engaged, So the Bar Swings Out
The fault
The bar drifts away from the body during the pull.
Why it happens
Keeping the bar close is not a matter of trying harder. It is a matter of using the lats, which physically hold the bar back into you. Most lifters have never felt what an engaged lat does to bar path.
The fix
A drill to feel lat tension against the bar. Once you know what it feels like standing, you can recreate it in the pull.
About this fix
Originally published as "Keep the Bar Close" on 17 August 2015, part of The Lifting Fix, a free weekly weightlifting technique series Danny Lehr ran from June 2015 to December 2016. Every episode is free here and always will be. For the full structured course, see the professionally filmed program.
