As a boxing trainer I coach 3 basic types of boxing hook. In this 90 second boxing tips video I am going to talk you through some very simple rules when it comes to using the 3 types of boxing hook.
The simple rules that I provide here will enable you to maximise your power and importantly prevent you from ‘slapping’, which eagle-eyed boxing referees are always on the look out for.
The 3 types of boxing hook that I teach involve one being thrown for each range, noting that when ‘in range’ we can either be at close range, mid range or long range. So the hooks are the short range hook, the mid-range hook and the long range hook.
Here is the video, all 90 seconds of it, then below are the key ‘take away’ lessons (I do recommend that you go through the bit of writing below):
The Key Lessons of Boxing Hooks
- The short range left hook (or short range right hook) is thrown with the forearm at an angle. This angle be just below horizontal all the way down to just off the vertical (if the forearm is vertical when the shot lands then what you have is an uppercut).
- The mid range left hook (or mid range right hook) is selected when the target, the head of the opponent, is at least the same distance away as the length of your extended upper arm. The mid range hook may gradually change into the long range hook.
- For both the mid range hooks and the long range hooks, the forearm is parallel to the ground when the shot lands. Unless the shot lands clearly with the knuckle part of the glove impacting the target then the referee is entirely within their rights to issue a warning for incorrect punching.
These are fairly simple rules and rules that in my opinion will add variation, power and precision to your ability to deliver the best possible boxing hooks. I’ve a feeling that people may have some comments or questions on this one, so let me have them below!!!
Cheers
Fran
by 
Hello, I am just seeking advice on throwing hooks to the body.
I was taught to keep the palm down, thumb facing me when throwing a hook to the head. What about hooks to the body? Would I keep my palm down and thumb facing me, or face the palm towards me, and bring my thumb upwards.
At longer range, palm down. At close/mid range…definitely palm in/thumb up
Hello Fran, just a quick question:
I notice that when I throw a hook, my elbow and arm moves slightly back before I throw it. For example, on the left hook, my left shoulder moves forward but as I throw it, my arm and elbow will move slightly back while the shoulder moves forward, exposing my face a little for a split second. Is this something that is a bad habit, or is it natural for my arm to move slightly back before throwing the hook?
Hi There
You should not draw the hand back, but it is good technique that the arm follows the shoulder move – it’s a chain reaction, a sequence. Make sense?
Hi Fran,
thanks for another interesting article. There’s something I’d like to clarify: in all your lead hook videos, you teach to shift the weight to the back leg. However, in this way you can throw the hook only from a static position, mainly as a counter punch. But in reality, your opponent will not be sitting there waiting for your shots, he’ll try to move away from your range and you’ll have to chase him. Therefore, you’ll have to step in your punch, rather than throwing from a static position. A typical example is a 1-2-3 combo: how can you land the hook without stepping after the cross?
Hey Alex
Thanks for your question – it’s a good one 🙂
You can combine movement forward or backwards WITH the shot when doing lead hand punching. When using backhands most benefit is gained with STATIC feet. So, the jab, the lead hand uppercuts and lead hand hooks can be combined with the move forward. Static with the backhand, move in and hook – that is your ‘2-3’ of the ‘1-2-3’ – make sense?
It sounds like they’re tiresome you appeared out of breathe toward the end of your video
Well spotted 😉
G/day Fran,I found this topic really interesting (as quite a few others did also which is great)I won’t go into the way we like to do it Fran as I can remember having the same debate some time back with a few of the fellows on here.Suffice to say that I think all “angles”were covered by much more informed people than me (and it’s getting too late here to start rambling ha,ha) I again found the topic extremely interesting mate.I will check out the side step article tomorrow as I’ve just come back from Coff’s Harbour where we are starting to build two townhouses (Did you say you’ve been there?)I’m very keen on footwork drills myself so look forward to studying that clip.Good on you Fran and my Best Regards Terry.
Hey Terry
Sorry for the delay mate and I hope that you are well.
Enjoyed Coff’s Harbour twice, driving the Pacific Coast Highway to Brizzy/The Gold Coast and back. Bet those Townhouses will look top notch! Thanks for the note, and you could contribute to the discussion and as much of and indeed a more informed way than any of us.
Quick question – This David Haye fella over here is boxing someone from your end – Mark Di Mori? You familiar with that guy?
Hey Fran.
When you drove from Coff’s Harbour to Brissie/Gold Coast, you would driven within about 4 km of my gaff. I live in Mullumbimby, near Byron Bay. Next time you’re along this way, drop me a line.
I’ll make you egg and chips and a cup of tea.
Cheers, mate.
Karl
Hello Karl
That’s a deal mate, maybe sit on the porch with a brew and some acoustic tunes 🙂
Great video and very interesting discussion. There seems to be a consensus of opinion both here and elsewhere that the thumb up hook is more powerful than the palm down hook. However, I find that when throwing the palm down hook, as Fran has demonstrated, that it’s much easier to cover your chin with your shoulder when throwing the punch. And almost impossible to do so with the thumb up hook. So the palm down hook is better for defence imho.
Good observation Paulie. I think the palm in/palm down and power observation is probably accurate. However, that palm down hook can be just as effective a KO punch 🙂
Hi Fran,
Re: Technical Rules – There is no dispute as to what constitutes an illegal or (slapping) punch. I believe I covered that in my first reply. Other comments re: skeletal alignment support my comments re: bio-mechanics. To reiterate, a hook delivered ‘palm in’ does not make it illegal so long as it is the striking portion of the glove, ie. back knuckles, make contact. It is when a boxer opens their hand while throwing the ‘palm in’ hook while making the whipping motion with their forearm (and wrist) that results in the ‘door knocker’/slapping punch. That is where the punch goes afoul.
Very well described Ric, understand the point.
Fran hi,
The above discussion is very interesting. It incited me to ask if at some point you could make a 90 seconds boxing tip on how to snap correctly when punching (if you have not covered that already in the past).
Cheers
No problem Vojin, it’s on the list – thanks for the suggestion.
Hi Fran,
I’ve always coached it – short range thumb up and palm in (close – thumb up – happy as the opponent is close)
Mid Range Palm down – (radius and ulna bones are lined up properly and wont cause injury)
Long range thumb down (unhappy as opponent is far away) so the knuckle lands.
(thumb up because happy your close, thumb down because opponent is moving away – sometimes a nice way to rememeber it, methinks)
That’s it Adam, the text book approach mate and as a base for a boxer to develop it just works, to my mind anyway. Thanks for the comment pal.
No worries – great bit on the uppercut today too. All best
Call this a stupid question, but would this not mean that the vertical jab (thumbs up) would be classified as an illegal punch also, not trying to be sarcastic either, but when Im throwing the vertical hook (thumbs up) I’m always aiming for the punching knuckles to land, in the same way as when I throw uppercuts, I try to be very particular in the way of NOT catching (the pad for example) too thick, (as in fingers, palm or door knocker knuckles) and therefore trying to catch thinner (as in the sweet spot or on the main punching knuckles), the uppercut might be a better example, as with the slapping type motion described in the foul, but only heading upwards this time instead of in the direction of the hook, so if we’re not catching at the correct angle, etc, we’ll not get the correct uppercut either!
I originally had been taught the horizontal hook style also, but do find that I can generate a lot more “whip” and to me more importantly range and even body torque with the vertical style hook, I have heard people say “bend the wrist” when trying to teach this technique but definitely wouldnt agree with that for obvious reasons, but I do agree that angle is absolutely paramount when trying to land a meaty vertical hook, almost like a Golovkin style hook) so much so that I can definitely tell when I have landed on the wrong knuckles or finger part of my glove, as in, I’ll not want to do it again anytime soon!
I don’t actually coach the vertical jab but to be honest as long as the knuckle part of the glove lands you’re good. The acceleration of the shot onto the target is key as you rightly point out in the delivery of the uppercut.
Thanks Fran,
Hey settle an argument for me. Frazier’s classic left hook that dropped Ali. I’ve always seen it as palm down but a friend claims that it’s palm in. What’s your take?
Hi Fran,
Check! That type of hook is best thrown to the head and better with the right/power hand/hook than the left. But it is legal either way.
I believe that the move to a solid color glove was one of the first, quiet steps toward rule changes, ie. 10 point must system, no headgear, more emphasis on power punches, body shots, etc. It was/is, I believe, a move by AIBA to make amateur boxing look more like professional boxing to make it ‘more exciting’. Note that AIBA doesn’t like referring to it as amateur boxing anymore, just ‘boxing’.
Headgear, singlets, white striking area of glove set amateur boxing apart from pro boxing, in a good/positive way, in my opinion.
Could not agree more Ric. This ‘creeping’ professionalisation to underpin WSB makes me nervous. Not long before kids will not be wearing headgear and that may very well be a deterrent to parents bringing their kids to the gym.
Hi Fran,
Great video. I’ve kept my thumb up on close range hooks and turned the palm to face the floor on longer ones. You won’t believe (yeah you probably will) all the places I’ve seen that recommend throwing longer range hooks with the thumb up. Thanks for clearing this up.
One question. The long range hook I saw before on the site really looked like more of a jab that curved just slightly from the straight jab. The long range hook here looks like a different punch. Is it? Every time I throw a hook longer than the length of my upper arm I end up bending the fist and wrist inward to try to hit the target at about 90 degrees. And it hurts like hell when I make contact. Keeping the thumb up avoids the pain but as you said, I can’t get the knuckles on the target and end up hitting the “doorknocker” knuckles. Is there a long range hook longer than the upper arm? Does it land at less than a 90 degree angle?
Dave
Hey Dave
Thanks
There is variation with the hook, I’d describe it as the mid-range hook ‘graduating’ into the long range hook.
Palm down hooks on the bag are awkward, drop the power and avoid sore hands 🙂
Thanks Fran,
Hey settle an argument for me. Frazier’s classic left hook that dropped Ali. I’ve always seen it as palm down but a friend claims that it’s palm in. What’s your take?
Palm down for me David. It’s the follow through of the shot that gives it away, the palm remains palm down. If it was palm in it would still be in on the follow through.
Hi Fran,
I was always taught the way you show the hooks being thrown. However, in recent years the alternative method that you called a ‘foul’ hook has been becoming more popular. It’s really a matter of bio-mechanics. That is, some boxers feel that they can generate more power that way. I am told, from some of our national level boxers, that they picked it up in Britain and Europe. In fact, the new/current CABA Coaching Manual actually show diagrams of a boxers throwing hooks that way! As an official I can tell you that I would not call a foul, ie. slapping punch, the way you demonstrated it. Your knuckles were looking square into the camera. Therefore, it would be the striking part of the glove that is making contact. Not the palm of your glove. Ergo, no foul. It is no different than turning you punch horizontal, ie. thumb up, to strike the body. As long as it is the knuckle/striking portion of the glove is what makes contact it doesn’t matter whether you turn your palm down or horizontal. Turning your punch ‘thumb up’ allows more flexibility in the wrist than the traditional way so it is easier to strike with the last three knuckles of the fist square on target. Finally, it is not an arm punch, as you know, and there is an extra turn inwards as the body rotates inward with the punch which, when done correctly, further aligns the punch to land with the striking part of the glove. Where boxers go wrong is the manner/style in which they throw the hook. That is, by opening up their striking glove and whipping their forearm so that when the punch/hook lands, it lands palm open with the bottom/first knuckles and/or palm of the glove which is a ‘slapping punch’. As you know, even with throwing hooks the traditional way, as the hook extends from short range to mid and long range the palm and wrist start to rotate outwards slightly with the thumb rotating upward. The reason being is that you cannot physically maintain the same angle of an inside hook when you throw a mid range or long range hook. It is impossible to do so. Tommy Morrison, in his prime, is a perfect example of this. He would sometimes throw triple hooks, starting outside/long range and closing the gap with mid and short range hooks. As he did you could clearly see the angle of his punch changing.
Hey Ric
I hope that you are well, and thanks for the offical’s-eye view, really helpful.
Just like the way judging has gone since the demise of computer-scoring there is a whole lot of subjectivity here and I as a coach can almost predict inclinations of different refs on the circuit – but that’s part of the fun. For me, if the shot lands with the palm of the glove the dominant element of the impact then it’s a slap. Maybe if I were wearing a glove in the demo it may have looked like more of a slap 🙂 If the fist turns over then it can never be a slap, but landing that type of shot on the heavy bag risks damage to the hand – it fits a lot better to a jaw.
I see lots of long range lead hand hooks palm-in delivered with a pivot (think Rigondeaux) and for me that’s fine because the change of position brings the knuckle part of the glove into contact with the head. That said, even if the forearm drops only slightly then the knuckle part is the dominant element. In fact, Tyson regularly threw the short hook with the forearm parallel but this meant that almost the top of the knuckles landed, swiftly followed by the forearm!
Thanks for the balanced observation Ric, top stuff!
PS – wonder whether the inclination here led to the demise of the ‘white band’ on the glove? Never got the explanation for that, maybe you can offer a view there.
Just checked AIBA Tech Rules Ric:
6.1.3 – Hitting with open glove, the inside of the glove, wrist or side of the hand;
Open to interpretation though and at speed pretty tough to spot
Hi Fran,
Thanks for the rule check. This is all good in the ring to keep from losing precious points in what could end up a close match. However, and from a physiological perspective only, the skeletal alignment of the human arm when delivering the “illegal hook” is naturally suited for both the speed at which it can be delivered and the the power that it can generate. Always fascinating to me when it is broken down with science, or the “sweet science” as they say.
Cheers Edward
That forearm need only be dropped an inch or so off the parallel, then there’s less chance of getting that dreaded warning from the ref. And yes, the science is indeed sweet 🙂