Those who are not familiar with boxing techniques often ask: “And what kind of a hit is this hook?”. In Russian, it has another name - hook. He is considered one of the most difficult blows. It can be applied with both the back and front hand. This blow is considered final. He is dangerous because, due to his trajectory, he often falls outside the field of view of his opponent. The owners of the most powerful hook are Joe Frazier, Felix Trinidat, Nonito Donaire, Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto.
Novice boxers and just sports enthusiasts will be interested in how to correctly execute a hit hook.
What to do?
Firstly, you should keep the protection: remember that when applying any blow, the back hand should be in the protection position under the chin, the elbow is pressed to protect the body.
Secondly, the arm should be bent: the hook technique is such that the arm should be bent at an angle of 90 degrees or close to it. If the angle is much larger, then it will not be possible to achieve maximum power from the impact.
Thirdly, the body must be rotated, this is another essential element that allows you to increase the force of impact. In addition, at the same time as turning the body when applying the hook, the head should also move, which helps either to avoid retaliation, or to dodge it as much as possible.
Fourth, rotation of the leg is mandatory: to increase the impact force, it is necessary to rotate the front leg at the same time as applying the hook with the front hand, or rotate the back leg if the blow is delivered by the back hand. In addition, for maximum power in the fighting stance, the knees should be slightly bent.
Tip: in order for a hook to become a knockout punch, you must apply it not for the target, but for it.
What can not be done?
It is impossible:
- Forget about protection. A common mistake of fighters when striking a hook with their front hand is that they do not protect the hull with their back hand. This leaves them open to the oncoming hook, which is often crushing.
- Become straight. A direct stand not only does not provide enough power when applying a hook, in this case the fighter will be an easily achievable goal, and, in addition, it will be easier to unbalance.
- Also, you should not first twist your hand, and then strike, because then the opponent will be able to better read the movement and time of the strike.
- Do not hit from too long a distance. A hook should be struck from a medium and close range. If the enemy is out of range, the hook from a long distance will turn out to be too weak.
- The transfer of the whole body weight to the hind or front foot negatively affects the quality of the impact: it should be distributed as evenly as possible. If most of the weight is transferred to the front leg, in case of a miss you can fall on the opponent. If the body weight is mainly on the hind leg, when you miss a fighter, you can easily throw it back.
Kinds
A punch hook in a box may be a “test or control”. It is applied with the front hand when the fighter turns in relation to the enemy moving forward. For its application, it is necessary to lean on the front leg, and then simultaneously turn the hind leg 180 degrees outward. This is similar to the movement of a matador going out of the way of a moving bull.
Kick hook backward
Like the previous one, it is best used when the adversary moves forward. In this case, you just need to take a step back, and then strike with your front hand when you take a step forward.
Uppercut hook
This is a cross between a hook and an uppercut. This blow is applied from below, the goal is the chin of the enemy. The elbow should be directed downward at an angle of about 45 degrees.
Hook with the front hand to the body
This powerful blow is quite capable of crushing the enemy. At the same time, it should be applied upward at an angle of 45 degrees to the area of the kidneys.
It is usually preceded by a direct hit, which allows you to take the desired position in which the body is slightly tilted outward towards the front leg.
Front hand bounce
Successful implementation requires speed, accuracy, the ability to choose the moment and good footwork. The enemy should simply be out of reach, when striking, one should push off with the front foot to make a jump, and at the same time strike. This is a dangerous trick, because if you miss, you can just run into the oncoming blow.
In addition, the hook itself can be used as a counterattack. There are several such methods. For example, you can block a counter strike or make a dive, and then immediately use the hook. You can also dodge a hit while simultaneously hooking.
Hit combinations
These include:
- Straight + hook with front hand. In this case, the hook is applied to the head or body. Such a ligament is considered effective, since a quick first strike can put the boxer in an ideal position for the next strike.
- Cross (direct hit with the far hand) can be used as a feint, and if the opponent is not careful, he will take a step forward to attack, and at that moment he should be met with a hook.
- Uppercut with the back hand + front hook. Blows are delivered directly one after another, without pauses. The most important thing in this combination is the speed, which will not allow the enemy to strike back after an uppercut.
- A hook to the head with the front hand + a hook to the body with the front hand. The first blow does not have to be powerful; its task is to make the enemy beware. In addition, it helps to open the opponent’s body for the next blow.
- The reverse combination can also be used: a hook to the body with the front hand + a hook to the head with the front hand. In this case, both blows can be strong enough and defeat the opponent.
- Hook with the back hand to the body + hook with the front hand to the head. This combination can confuse the opponent, because strikes are from opposite sides. The first blow forces the enemy to fall down, and the second is the final one. When performing the combination, make sure that the body rotates while striking, while the legs rotate in the same direction.
Double / triple hook front hand
Many fighters cannot use a double hook effectively, not to mention a triple one. This requires good speed and flexibility of the hand in order to strike quickly and consistently with the same limb. The trick is not to put maximum power until the last blow. Double and triple hooks can be used if the opponent has a high level of protection and blocks the first or second hit. It is not advisable to use more than three blows, since this is already becoming predictable, the enemy can dodge and deliver a counter strike.