Sparring a hooker

[Sharla]

If you throw a left hook properly you put yourself in a defensive position on the follow through.

...I was always trained to end my combinations with either the left hook to put myself in a defensive position or the jab to create distance. It could be wrong, there are very few things in boxing that are ALWAYS true.

If you put all your weight into a left hook would it not be extremely difficult to throw a jab immediately afterwards? I can see how throwing say a right cross after the hook and then a jab would work. You would be pivoting back the other way and reseting your balance but unless it's not a powerful hook I can't see the jab being easy to throw without some specific footwork or something to reset.

[southpawed]

If you put all your weight into a left hook would it not be extremely difficult to throw a jab immediately afterwards? I can see how throwing say a right cross after the hook and then a jab would work. You would be pivoting back the other way and reseting your balance but unless it's not a powerful hook I can't see the jab being easy to throw without some specific footwork or something to reset.

yeah, i know what you mean, i practice hooks then jab off on the bag, I couldnt seem to get power off the jab because i just spent the arm. But then i came to conclusion that its more of just a jab to put you back in range, so if you reach out and bop em with it, it serves its purpose not as a popping jab, more just to reestablish range and keep him on the defense.. I think you can manage that.

[donnydarkoIRL]

Left hook-Jab is tough because of the mechanics of footwork.
It's easier to double left hook instead

[Sharla]

yeah, i know what you mean, i practice hooks then jab off on the bag, I couldnt seem to get power off the jab because i just spent the arm. But then i came to conclusion that its more of just a jab to put you back in range, so if you reach out and bop em with it, it serves its purpose not as a popping jab, more just to reestablish range and keep him on the defense.. I think you can manage that.

Left hook-Jab is tough because of the mechanics of footwork.
It's easier to double left hook instead

Thanks guys I'll mull this over and see if I can't bring it into my training a bit

[donnydarkoIRL]

With the double left hook, pivot the front foot as you would with a single hook. But leave it out there and then throw the second hook. A good points scoring tool.

[Sharla]

I'll give it a go thanks!

[El Kabong]

If you put all your weight into a left hook would it not be extremely difficult to throw a jab immediately afterwards? I can see how throwing say a right cross after the hook and then a jab would work. You would be pivoting back the other way and reseting your balance but unless it's not a powerful hook I can't see the jab being easy to throw without some specific footwork or something to reset.

Well if you're putting your weight behind your punches then it's easier to tie up the other fighter at the end of a combination...Tyson also used that.

Also it deserves a mention that sometimes the hook with less power on it does the most damage. If you can use it as a quick counter and put it on the money (on the point of the chin) in a sharp manner then you're almost always going to wobble your opponent...even if you just brush the other fighter with your hook in that manner it can hurt them....remember momentum (which is what makes punches hurt) is not only the weight moving but the speed that the weight is moving at...so you can sacrifice power for speed and have it pay off on some occasions and that makes it easier to get your feet back under you and throw the jab....which at the end of a combination is more of a stiff-arm, a "pushed" jab if you will, but always ALWAYS bring the jab back quickly and high so as to defend against any right crosses

And this stuff takes practice, just like any other boxing skills....hooking off the jab is difficult too

[Sharla]

[quote=Lyle;479393]

And this stuff takes practice, just like any other boxing skills....hooking off the jab is difficult too

I thought you were talking about jabbing off the hook?

[El Kabong]

I thought you were talking about jabbing off the hook?

Well both of them are hard to do.

If you hook off the jab a la Wlad Klitschko it helps open up the defense for the right cross.


If you jab off the hook a la Ricky Hatton you're mainly just trying to get space between you and your opponent and keep out of their range after a combination.


One puts you in position to land more punches the other takes you out of the range of your opponent.

[donnydarkoIRL]

I thought you were talking about jabbing off the hook?

Well both of them are hard to do.

If you hook off the jab a la Wlad Klitschko it helps open up the defense for the right cross.


If you jab off the hook a la Ricky Hatton you're mainly just trying to get space between you and your opponent and keep out of their range after a combination.


One puts you in position to land more punches the other takes you out of the range of your opponent.

The thing is Ricky will never throw a jab after a left hook.

He can't do it because of the hyper extension in his elbows