question about left hooks?

[JEFFRO410]

ok this is my first time posting in anything. But I have been reading these forums for years. Anyways I have been boxing off and on for about 8 years. I never did any real big fights (I did fight at UCSB's fight night in 2000 in front of 3000 people). Mostly i have just bounced from almost every gym in LA I worked out at hollywood boxing club, Northridge athleitc club(with john Bray), WildCARD (for a month), Shadowboxing, BOXING WORKS, MTA.

Alright sorry about the long intro here's my question how do you guys throw a left hook ? I was taught originally and about half of trainers agree that it works better with the thumb facing upwards when contact is made. Other trainers (like the one I have now ) says the thumb should face your body when contact is made. what to you guys think?

my trainer is trying to get me to change but I think I am too old for that and I may not be wrong.

thanks

[Melbourneborn]

I was always taught to throw it with thump facing your body. And I was also taught that your forearm should arc downwards as you throw the punch, so the elbow and hand aren't level, but the elbow is higher then the hand.

[amy]

I was always taught to throw it so the elbow and wrist are level and my thumb is pointing up.

[znaak]

I was always taught to throw it so the elbow and wrist are level and my thumb is pointing up.
Isn't that pretty regular in the states? I throw it the same way, but with the thumb pointing towards me. As far as I know, most europeans do it that way.

[twoohands]

i like thumb pointing up because when you throw it this way you can whip the hook and get a better result i think. With the thumb pointing in its it more just pivot. I suppose depends on the situation to what hook you would throw. My coach has taught me a few different variations of the hook.

[TheRock49]

I was always taught to throw it so the elbow and wrist are level and my thumb is pointing up.

Same.

[The Predator]

I was always told that I should turn my hand before impact so that the thumb is toward me (palm toward floor). Otherwise I was told that the referee might believe I punch with an open glove. However I think it´s easier to punch with the thumb is pointing up.
All the best
Ray

[RDJ]

Isn't that pretty regular in the states? I throw it the same way, but with the thumb pointing towards me. As far as I know, most europeans do it that way.

I do both actually, depending on the distance.

[TheRock49]

I was taught if you throw it with your palm facing the floor its an easy way to hurt your pinky finger...

[gatto]

I do both actually, depending on the distance.
yuuup:bbb

[amy]

Isn't that pretty regular in the states? I throw it the same way, but with the thumb pointing towards me. As far as I know, most europeans do it that way.

I think so. I can't think of any time I've seen someone throw one with their thumb down.

[znaak]

Actually, I've seen that plenty of times. Usually it's executed as a long left hook while going backwards just to set up the right cross.

[GPater11093]

i was recently trainin with peter harrsion and he said in amatuers you should throw it with palm facing down and pros thumb facing up as its something to do with the way the gloves are made

personallly i find it easier to do it with thumb facing up but you dont get points for it

[COULDHAVEBEEN]

I do both actually, depending on the distance.

IMO that's probably the correct answer.

I've been taught by some knowledgable guys with plenty of ring experience and some say one way and some the other.

The guy I respect most, and who had about 100 pro fights, says to have the fist horizontal (thumb pointing to body). But I reckon if you are in very close it's probably better to have it vertical (thumb up).

[Vantage_West]

thumb up if goings to the body thumb horizontal when goign to the head.

usually in shadowboxing you should do it horizontal becuase it gets you arm in the irgth position. why you have your elbow higher than your hand is so that is doesnt slap. a thumb up hook will do this if you are too close.


after a bit of shadowing i think the horizontal way is a bit more of a counter, while the thumb up is more of a offencive punch.

[Mike_S]

I almost always throw it thumb pointing up, it's just the way I've done it. I'm going to start trying it thumb facing in more after reading this, I like how it can be landed more precise on the jaw but there is more risk of injuring your thumb if it connects early, before you've fully turned it? However I do throw mostly right hooks like this, well more like long overhands.

[bricky]

i always found palm facing towards me was best for long range hooks, thats what worked best for me,

[Stonehands89]

I had an Armenian trainer as a kid, who trained me to throw the hook palm down. I changed it myself because I found that my hook was harder with the palm facing toward my face. Perhaps it's different body mechanics but I find the wrist a little more vulnerable to breakage when thrown palm down -it's more of a points hook or a set-up hook with the palm down. I have a skinny wrist ...that feels as though it something to do with my adaptaption.

Alas, I train fighters to throw it palm down. I'll tweak it later, once they get more advanced and if they are more comfortable and invested in technique.

[joekirkbycobra]

I was always taught to throw it so the elbow and wrist are level and my thumb is pointing up.
i do the same

[Uchi Deshi`]

I do both actually, depending on the distance.

Me too. I asked my trainer which it was supposed to be. He said it didn't matter. It was personal preference.

[Storamin]

A lot of trainers teach it either way.

Thumb up to the body, towards you to the head.

This way creates better contact, because the body is tall and slim, whereas the head is more squared. And if you have the thumb up on the head, a lot of times you will just hear a slap, and won't get the point in AMs.

[Uchi Deshi`]

A lot of trainers teach it either way.

Thumb up to the body, towards you to the head.

This way creates better contact, because the body is tall and slim, whereas the head is more squared. And if you have the thumb up on the head, a lot of times you will just hear a slap, and won't get the point in AMs.

Good points.

[stittyb]

Amateurs punch with the thumb facing them, pros punch with the glove facing up

[znaak]

Not all pros does that.

[ShadowWorks]

I would say both methods are ok, just do what is most natural for you, the only risk with having the thumb up without gloves is you catch the tip of the chin with the thumb knuckle and you can hurt it.

[Trevor Ross]

If it's a wide looping hook then thumbs in, anywhere else thumbs up.

[Bill Humphrey]

I teach the left hook at my gym and it's probably one of the hardest punches to teach. This is how I was taught the left hook:

No1. This is the only punch where you will drop your back heel and transfer the weight onto your rear leg.

No2. By doing No 1 you can then get a good twist of the hips and shoulders through the centre axis and also get a turn on the lead foot (if your foot sticks to the floor with trainers wear boxing boots)

No3. Your upper arm should be held 90 degrees to your torso and your lower arm adjusted to a short, medium or long range target.

Some boxers like to keep the palm facing the floor and others have the palm facing their body, but that is down to preference. However if you use the palm facing the floor method, there is no doubt that you are not throwing a slap and are hitting the target with the knuckle part of the glove. Palm facing floor is probably a better method if throwing a longer range hook.

The most important aspect for throwing a good left hook is that transfer of weight onto the back foot and a good body and shoulder rotation. This weight shift will pack the power in the punch and enable you to hit much faster and harder.

If you keep any weight on the front foot you won't get a good shoulder and body rotation and you will deliver more of a weaker less powerful arm punch.

This is a good clip of how I teach left hook:

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Hooking to the body I would always have my palms facing my body never palm facing down.
There are variations of the left hook and I'm not going to say they are wrong but this is the most effective method I've tried and packs the most power.

Regards Bill Humphrey

[boxbible]

Joe frazier's hooks:

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It looks like most of Frazier's hooks are halfway between palm down and palm in... But maybe that's because he's always hooking upwards at a taller target.

[boxbible]

Sugar Ray Robinson... the perfect left hook!

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[ralphc]

ok this is my first time posting in anything. But I have been reading these forums for years. Anyways I have been boxing off and on for about 8 years. I never did any real big fights (I did fight at UCSB's fight night in 2000 in front of 3000 people). Mostly i have just bounced from almost every gym in LA I worked out at hollywood boxing club, Northridge athleitc club(with john Bray), WildCARD (for a month), Shadowboxing, BOXING WORKS, MTA.

Alright sorry about the long intro here's my question how do you guys throw a left hook ? I was taught originally and about half of trainers agree that it works better with the thumb facing upwards when contact is made. Other trainers (like the one I have now ) says the thumb should face your body when contact is made. what to you guys think?

my trainer is trying to get me to change but I think I am too old for that and I may not be wrong.

thanks


When throwing any punch there is a natural rotation to the fist. In the real world of boxing, there is no possible way to determine the position of the thumb at the point of contact. If that were possible then you would have to change the period of rotation to suit every punch, because the trajectory changes with the distance to the target, which in boxing has a bad habit of moving. Obviously impossible.