Boost Your Lifts: The Importance of Center of Pressure in Weightlifting

Published: 2024-05-20

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The center pressure on the foot is the point at which the greatest pressure is placed. The correct placement of the center of pressure can determine whether the greatest amount of power can be generated in a given movement. Failure to appropriately place the center of pressure can result in suboptimal performance of the movement. Focusing on the center of pressure is another way to determine whether or not one is using the optimal technique to perform the snatch or the clean.

The diagrams of the center of pressure on the foot in this article resulted from a research study performed by Dr. John Garhammer, perhaps the pre-eminent biomechanist for weightlifting technique. They were developed using a force plate on two national caliber lifters and one international caliber lifter. The diagrams from this particular study illustrate the general pathway of the center of pressure.

center foot weightlifting

The lift-off, or the point at which the barbell leaves the ground, is illustrated by the darker circle. As you can see, this particular dark circle is at midfoot or on the ball of the foot.

As the bar travels up to the knee, the pathway of the center of pressure moves backward toward the heel. When the bar reaches knee height, the pathway is as far back on the heel as it will move during the lift.

The bar then moves from the knee up to the power position. When the power position is reached, that point on the pathway is determined to be at the ball of the foot. From that point, plantar flexion of the ankles takes place concurrently with knee and hip extension. The center of pressure moves even further forward as the athlete rises up onto the toes. This point is designated on the diagrams by the light blue circle.