Correction for when shoulders rise without the hips, resulting in an improper bar path: which cue is recommended?

• A. Cue 'Push the knees back as your chest rises.'
• B. Be sure the athlete is set up correctly and that the hips are not too low.
• C. Give a tactile cue at the hips and shoulders so they rise in unison.
• D. Allow the bar to drift forward.

Answer: (C)

Coordinated rise of the hips and shoulders is essential to keep the bar in a vertical, midfoot path. When the shoulders rise before the hips, the bar tends to move away from the body and can drift forward, making the lift less efficient and harder to control. A tactile cue at the hips and shoulders provides immediate, just-in-time feedback to the lifter, helping them feel and enforce simultaneous extension of the hips and torso so the bar rises together and stays close to the body. This kinesthetic guidance trains timing and rhythm, which is crucial for the transition into the full extension. The other cues either address setup rather than real-time coordination or would reinforce an undesirable bar position (drifting forward).