Thread: seeing the hooks coming

On a very rare occasion I might duck a hook if someone keeps throwing the same hook combo. Then I'm just betting on them being repetitive - which I know can be dangerous. Otherwise I just step back out of range which can be frustrating since I'm short.

I'd like to be able to duck hooks more often and more quickly and I've been told that most people will signal somehow when they are about to throw a hook. I can sort of predict when a right cross (cocking the hand back) or a jab (sort of twitchy) is on it's way but I can never predict hooks.

So my Q is what's the most common give away(s) of an opponent throwing a hook? What's the best way to train yourself to duck them?

Yeah i had the same problem when i started to slip the jab to the outside they would throw a lead hook instead. Sometimes however it's better not to duck the actual hook but instead step inside it (if it is a long hook) while throwing a right then bobbing out of the way. The way i generally see it coming is when i can see their left shoulder (as their hand swings out) or when i see their elbow swing out; depending on their technique. But it varies i guess from how they were trained to throw it.

They usually cock the shoulder to give it oomph

Yeah they often cock the shoulder or lift the elbow-particularily with the left hook.

Sharla, are you talking about a lead left hook (ie, long range) or a left hook thrown on the inside. See, IMO, that's the BEAUTY of a good left hook when done right. It's hard to see coming.

Thanks for the replys. I'm not really sure whicht type of hooks I'm most concerned about to be honest.

You've got me thinking there cc Von. Tomorrow night I'm sparring a guy who's hooks I hate so I'll try to work that out. I guess with him it's annoying because they're medium to short range hooks which he throws as he's moving foreward. I instintively want to move back to keep my distance but can't do that and duck at the same time. He cuts the range too well and puts a little too much power behind the hooks to counter with a straight to the body - it gets smothered before I can put anything into it - although I'm sparring light and could hit him harder.

I could sidestep an uppercut but I'm asking for trouble if i try to sidestep a hook so i guess he limits my options for defence. I've seen someone else deal with it by ducking so i thought it must work.

CC trainer monkey, salty and hitmandonny for the tip. I'll try to look for those

Im into some alternate stuff that works 'only' in certain situations so excuse me here...

"By hook or by crook was my first thought"
Im with that though...crook of the elbow; can be a good place to read it and great place to stop it dead in its tracks (but only if you can face the point of contact ,then the hook cant come around your arm) via your foot work backing your reaction and you have to hit dead straight with the other hand as you do it all at once then readjust completly on the opening it creates for you.

If you can feel,lets say a right high hook comming when in tight and real close ,block with your glove and elbow up ,then drop the arm away as you roll with the motion (watching and covering his other hand as you do) and follow his hook from behind with your own left hook as your right leg pulls around behind you getting your head out of reach of it all and also for more power shift through your own hook as you go out on the escape route, can be quite fun.

Ive seen swings; mainly bcause theyre slower comming in (more than hooks) stopped by an elbow to the forearm, by hanging your forearm glove down, elbow up ( facing the point of contact here as well is a must) and done as one movment(you do throw the other hand here as well at the same time as you turn so its a cover too.This actually hurts their arm alot; more so if your good enough to do it and walk through as well as opening them up for that straight smack with your other hand as you bodily go through away from his only free hand.


Great off the ropes when in trouble.

Of course these only work in some situations against only some fighters or towards the end rounds of a battle when things get a bit sloppy and you have the time to rely completly on an exact set ,but well worth the outcome in those times .

Sorry Sharla, i thought i'd already posted it here, but often what i do is dip my knees.
That means il drop 6 inches and the hooks flies over my head and as i return to vertical i throw a right straight to get some distance or start a combination

Thanks hitmandonnay

That's actually really helpful because i think it's something I can do more easily that will make it easier to learn to duck later. Sort of a stepping stone to make the learning curve a little easier. Thanks

Look at the nearest thing to you and understand direction, and know what to do with your feet and knees easy its not but practice helps.Good points Acc

CC Andre and Scrap. Sorry Andre i missed your post initially for some reason - not sure how but having read it now you've given me a lot to think about! I hope you didn't think i was ignoring your post deliberately!

So if I understand correctly I block on the hooking side as I go down - until I've cleared their hook and then have that hand ready to throw my own hook on the way back up as soon as my feet are back under me?

One thing I'm not sure of is what you mean by facing the point of contact - facing the fist of the hook being thrown at me or the point I'm aiming to hit with my fist or elbow?

I was thinking maybe I should be looking at my opponent's chest or armpit when trying to duck under the hook - sometimes when I duck I think I go too low and maybe that would prevent it? So is that where you mean I should look Scrap or do you mean my opponent's fist? Might also mean I'm leaning foreward too much at my hips and being lazy with my knees.

My stuff isnt really for messing around and trying out at a clean distance unless your really fast or you know their timing down pat.
You need to practice it in a controlled situation first or not be worried at all by the other guys power ,maybe in the last rounds or nose to nose caught with your back on the ropes and getting hooked and controlled by him; so you really havent anything to lose by turning into the next hook that you know is comming and walking out through it.

Facing the point of contact :
Imagine if you put up your left glove to the top of your head, arm out about a hand span in front of your face so you expected your forearm could block a hook !
(the hook would come around your arm and you get hit hard wouldnt you.

So if you put it up as you turned your shoulders or your feet (which takes your shoulders around) towards the direction that the hook was comming from ,it changes the rules totally ,it cant come around any more (becuase you faced the point of contact)
Then you have stopped it dead in its tracks.

It works great to throw a straight punch off your right hand as you turn to your left to stop his right hook in those situations, as it covers your tracks with an attack.

ITs a dual handed operation that you use when you know that right hook is comming and your trapped anyway.

That is what I said you can do if caught on the ropes etc you can turn to face it ,stop it dead and actaully "walk out " that same side which opens up the opposition as you push his arm that is now spent out wards and you could either keep on walking to freedom OR even launch your own hook off the inside of his spent arm as go out ,so you then pivotback in and catch him as he reacts to you leaving !
This is a great end shot cause his automatic reaction brings his head into your next shot as you unexpectantly turn back in to him leading with your left hook and throw that massive hook shot off the inside of his arm as you turn.(you've already made the space for your right leg to be able to go around the back of you which not only re-aligns your feet for the power but it gets your right side further out of his contact range via his free left arm.

The other thing mentioned was ,if you've stopped an inside up close hook by putting the guard up or by covering with your glove close to your head ,as you move with the blow you can drop that guard as soon as his hooks power has disipated and you come with your reply off the same side witha left hook of your own around the back of his spent arm as your still moving with the inital impact.
So you have ,put up your left and right each side of your head in full protection,you feel the right hook and you go with the flow and lean with it, this time you let the momentum go through as you drop your left glove and come around or even over the top to hook him as you right leg pulls back wards for all the power.
His momentum of realizing the miss will usually have him comming up bodily in correction as you land so it all adds to the finish like a head on impact again.

Those sort of things can finish a fight,.becuase you know from proir rounds or from what he just did when he had you there,so its actually a set up to finish him with power from shifting correctly next time he does it or at least make him rethink that he isnt all he thinks he is in that situation which gives you back your fight while he picks up the pieces.

I have problems breathing and my nose is kind of odd-shaped and it is all related to not seeing hooks, left hooks, coming. The right hook starts from so far away that its generally visible but that left hook will sneak up on you. I think that there are three solid ways to avoid left hooks, even if you don't see them coming.
First and foremost is to stay out of range unless you are working. Second, when in range, keep your right hand at home, ready to block that hook. Third, and this is the best advice I can give and I don't know if I can explain it properly.
See, a human can only throw one punch at a time. Can't throw the left while the right is still out, and the opposite is true as well. You anticipate...if he throws a right you expect a hook behind it. The glove should be up, and you turn in putting the weight on your left leg. This turns you inside his hook and puts you in place to counter with your own.
If this makes sense to anybody, please explain it. I'm going to have to try again to get at what I'm trying to convey.

Your with the head gear on.. Its a nightmare everything that comes wide , the vision gets obstructed.

Watch the shoulders and body movement of opponent. His or her posture will tell you the whole story once you learn the language .

That's actually a really good point Lords. Headgear does obstruct view quite a bit. Just as cages and and visors do in hockey.