Q & A: How do I Throw a Proper Hook?
Frank,
I read a great article by you on the stickgrappler website about how to throw a proper hook in boxing. Can you tell me, is there any shoulder in a hook (as in, does the arm extend at all as it does in a cross) or does your arm stay pretty much locked at 90 degrees and it's all hip and legs? I hope that makes some sense.
I'd appreciate your advice, thanks.
-Phil M.
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Hello Phil.
There is shoulder in the hook, but what's important is that the shoulder doesn't act independently in the punch. You'll want the shoulder to be driven by the turn of the hip as the weight shifts off of that foot. It's a good idea to practice the hook with the hip and shoulder pivoting in unison, though in application when you're actually hitting the hip precedes the shoulder just slightly. This creates more of a whip in your punch. There's a thick 'twisted rubberband' effect that goes on in the spine as hip relates to shoulder when you throw the hook at full speed.
As far as the arm and shoulder go, you'll want your hook to "let out" and then "reel in". That is, the angle of your elbow can tend to exceed 90 degrees just momentarily, just before the punch cuts in as you punch through the target. The path of your punch is much like that of a fishing hook; the arc tightens sharply at the end, increasing your angular momentum. As you get better at it, you can also widen your hook to some degree (letting it out a little further), enabling more reach with the punch. But here it becomes especially important to reel it in as you're hitting through the target, otherwise your punch will be too eccentric (literally 'far from center'), delaying your recovery from the punch to either defend or hit again. In other words, throw wide hooks sparingly.
It's also important that the punch doesn't continue on along a consistent curve after your hips have pivoted. This is a common problem in the beginning, which leads to a boxer throwing arm punches when he hooks. Your hook never crosses your own centerline. Both are common symptoms of a hook that is thrown on an unchanging arc, rather than a convergent one.
Good luck with your hook.
Frank Benn
IFA Academy
Austin, Texas
