Beam based optimization of the squeeze at the LHC

The betatron squeeze is a critical operational phase for the LHC because it is carried out at top energy, with the maximum stored energy and with reduced aperture margins in the superconduting triplets. A stable operation with minimum beam losses must be achieved in order to ensure a safe and efficient operation. The operational experience at the LHC showed that this is possible. The operation in 2010 is reviewed. In particular, orbit, tune and chromaticity measurements are investigated and correlated to beam losses. Different optimizations are then proposed towards a more efficient and robust operation. The improvements obtained for the operation in 2011 are presented.