Jim Schmitz discusses the pros and cons different Jerk grip widths.
| Pros | Cons | |
| Close Grip (shoulder width) |
“you can drive the bar straight up using your arms at the beginning, and when the bar is overhead, your skeleton is aligned bone on bone” | “you have to drive it a little higher, and the narrower grip isn’t as stable overhead” |
| Wide Grip | “you can’t use your arms as much initially, but they can finish stronger and faster” | “if you go too wide you lose the skeletal bone-on-bone advantage provided by a closer grip” |
How to determine if your grip is too wide or close:
Generally what happens if your grip is too narrow is that you will consistently be jerking too much in front; if your grip is too wide you will be putting the bar too much behind you.
