Reading the snatch and clean phase by phase
The snatch and the clean and jerk are usually broken into discrete phases because force production and bar path change sharply between them. The first pull lifts the bar from the floor to roughly knee height with a relatively constant back angle, the transition (sometimes called the scoop or double knee bend) rebends the knees under the bar, and the second pull is the explosive extension of hips, knees, and ankles that gives the bar most of its upward velocity.
After the second pull comes the turnover, where the lifter pulls under the now briefly weightless bar, and the catch, in which the bar is received overhead (snatch) or on the shoulders (clean) in a stable squat position. Recognizing these phases helps coaches locate where a missed lift went wrong rather than treating the lift as one motion.
Why the second pull dominates
Bar velocity peaks during the second pull because the largest and most powerful joints, hips and knees, extend together over a short range. Coaching cues often emphasize patience off the floor precisely so the lifter arrives at the second pull in a strong position rather than spending force early. The transition is brief by design: a long pause there bleeds off the elastic and positional advantage built in the first pull.
Phase models are teaching tools. Individual anthropometry, mobility, and limb length shift exactly where one phase blends into the next, so the diagram describes a general sequence rather than fixed positions every lifter must hit identically.