The Right Hook at Mid-Range – Power Guaranteed!

About the Mid-Range Right Hook

The mid-range right hook has the potential, if thrown correctly, to be a tremendously explosive punch.  From a static stance, the shot can be delivered with devastating power, unlike for instance the Mid-Range Left Hook which requires other skill elements to be deployed before the shot in order to provide the leverage opportunity, such as following an inside slip or right cross.

The reason for the ability to generate such crunching power comes not from the fact that the right arm is the favoured arm for the individual, but because of the massive drive and rotation potential coupled with the ‘whiplash’ action of the shot as it lands.  It is truly a debilitating shot, and paves the way for follow-up hits, in particular the Mid-Range Left Hook.

I’ve always considered Evander Holyfield to be a brilliant exponent of the mid-range right hook (as well as the short range right hook…OK, so sue me, I like Holyfield!)  He used the shot to very good effect against a whole host of bigger and stronger opponents during his career.  The technical moulding of Holyfield’s style took place during his amateur years, and this solid grounding is very evident in his mid-range right hook.  Holyfield’s success rate in landing the shot and it’s obvious impact when it landed speaks for itself.  Get the mechanics of this shot, and don’t forget to include a good measure of raw aggression when throwing the shot.  Have ‘bad intentions’….now where have I heard that before?

The Mechanics of the Mid-Range Right Hook

The mechanics of the right hook at mid range can be explained as follows:

1. From the boxing stance, the first action is a push from the back foot which in turn drives a major rotation of the the hips and therefore the upper body.
2. As the rotation is taking place (around the central, vertical axis) the right arm accelerates towards the target.  The arm is in a very distinctive ‘L’ shape and the rotation of the body allows the acceleration and ‘whiplash’ of the shot to take place.
3. As the fist approaches the target, the forearm rotates in an anti-clockwise direction and the palm is facing down towards the floor.  At the last moment, the fist clenches and ‘snaps’ on to the target.
4. After the shot lands, the arm returns to the ‘home’ position as quickly as possible, as per the boxing stance.

Common Faults with the Mid-Range Right Hook

The common faults that can occur when throwing a mid-range right hook are:

1. When throwing the shot, the boxer is by definition within range of counter punches, and powerful counter punches at that!  Don’t allow the the body weight to transfer over the front leg.  If you’ve read any of the other ‘punching’ articles on this site then you’ll know why transferring your body weight over the front leg is a bad thing so I’ll save myself the explanation!
2. The left hand can drop as the shot lands.  This is a common fault with inexperienced boxers as their focus is on the right hand and not the left hand in the guard position.
3. The boxer allows the punch to become an upper-body movement.  Ensure that the rotation of the upper-body is generated by the push from the back leg.
4. The shot is deployed when the boxer is too close to the opponent, resulting in the punch sailing harmlessly behind the head and often resulting in an unintentional clash of heads!  When up close, use the short range right hook instead (another Evander Holyfield special by the way!)

Be sure to get the arm back to for the boxing stance as soon as possible.  I leave it out there in the video to ensure that you can effectively see the body position as the shot lands.  In real life, I’d end up on my backside if I left the fist on the opponent’s chin in such a fashion.

Leaving any comments or questions below and I’ll post a reply.

Cheers

Fran

by