The Most Confusing Deadlift Mistake You Need to Fix One of the most common—and hardest to understand—deadlift mistakes is letting your knees drift forward too early, before the bar passes them. This forces the bar into a curved path over your knees, making the lift inefficient and robbing you of strength. Instead, keep your shins vertical until the bar clears your knees, then let your knees move forward slightly. This keeps the bar on a straight, vertical path—the most efficient route for maximu