Early arm pulling, how do you fix it? I will start by saying that an "early arm bend" is only bad when the arm straightens then rebends during the lift. This normally occurs around the Power Position and into the 2nd Pull (aka triple extension, aka jump). This decelerates the bar and causes more work in the end. In real time speed, it will look like a popping of the elbows.
What if the athlete bends the arms but never straightens them out? That is, what if the arms bend early and they are kept bent during the rest of the lift? Personally, I might let it go and not dwell on it too much. I have allowed several athletes to get away with an early arm pull if they are able to keep the force against the bar and not decelerate. In the end, it comes down to the discretion of the coach.
There is nothing wrong with bent arms as long as the athlete can produce constant tension on the bar itself. How do you go about fixing and early bend? Ever notice that telling the athlete to keep their arms straight does not work? That is because people bend their arms early to create the very thing the Power Position is supposed to do for them, which is speed. So, I drill Snatch or Cleans from the Power Position. The idea behind this drill is (a) to eliminate the opportunity to over use the arms, and (b) to do so with moderate to heavy weight and force vertical leg drive instead of the upper body. If they still bend arms too soon, it is not heavy enough. If done correctly, the timing of the legs followed by the arms is perfected.