If I could give only one tip to help someone with their deadlift positioning, what would it be?

Without a doubt, it would be to widen your grip. This can help in both stances, whether you pull sumo or conventional. You will see lot of people gripping the bar right where the knurling begins, and sometimes even inside of that. This does not require a huge adjustments, what worked well for me was moving each hand out about four inches.

Widening your grip can help in two ways:

1. Positioning- A wider grip is going to allow you to sit back more in the first portion of the lift. See the pictures, the first is with a narrow grip, full tension just before the bar leaves the ground. The second is with a wide grip in the same scenario. The wider grip essentially shortens the “height” of the triangle, allowing you to pull your hips down. Remember, when it comes to powerlifting and leverages, every inch counts. This can help you keep your hips down and shoulders behind the bar.

2. Lockout- A second way the wider grip can help is at lockout. A close grip can sometimes make it difficult to get your shoulders back and finish the lift, as you get closer to the top, the weight is forcing your shoulders to round forward. Widening your grip will allow you to squeeze your lats tighter, as well as get your shoulders back as you finish the lift.

You can get a long way with muscle, but at some point, the small details are going to be what makes the difference. So whether you are struggling with position, or you are just missing the lift at lockout, this small tip can help you out!