The barbell is lifted from the floor to overhead with only the slightest bending of the knees. The feet should not be moved. The objective of this exercise is to develop power in the muscles used in performing the Snatch. The power snatch teaches the lifter to maintain a long pull. This can also be done from various heights, such as snatching from the hang, where the bar is held around the height of the knees. Or from blocks of different heights.
As in the regular snatch, start the pull slowly and under control. Accelerate the bar as it gets higher off the floor.
The lifter must be careful as there is a tendency to try to start the power snatch by "jerking" the weight of the floor or throwing the head and shoulders backwards.
Sometimes this lift is called the "flip snatch." That's what you try to do, flip it overhead.