Sparring a hooker

[donnydarkoIRL]

Concentrated on this last night in order to get a good answer.

What I realised is the left hook is the most easily exploitable punch thrown in boxing.
My friend a useful mma guy and boxer threw many left hooks. Each time I made him miss nothing followed. Each time he threw it he was open at another point like theleft side of his body or theright side of his face.

Elbow parries made it easy.

[El Kabong]

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.

[donnydarkoIRL]

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.

I see what you're proposing here, I can see how that style would fit the American or Irish Style very well.

Where as you end combinations on a jab, I always end with a suite of head movement.

[El Kabong]

If I personally tried just to end with head movement I would get rocked because I would get lazy or stay in range (something I have trouble judging sometimes).


Throwing that left hook protects the chin and also if you follow through you can get some head movement and if the guy tries to counter and you end up slipping the punch HELLO HAYMAKER RIGHT CROSS!

My style of fighting is not much on defense, I am happy when I do well on defense and I aim to not get hit HARD (instead of just not getting hit which is a pipe dream).

I did one time slip and dodge 7 or so punches in a row from my sparring partner...it surprised me so much I almost started laughing...I felt like Prince Naz and my sparring partner (actually I was his sparring partner because he's a pro cruiserweight but hey who's keeping tabs) said "it was like trying to hit the dude from The Matrix"

I get called Rocky in the gym (like every other white guy who hits hard and has no defense) and I joke with the guys who call me that and say "they only call me that because I'm white and I bleed easily"

[Von Milash]

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.

no, that's a good thing to do...end with a left hook. Ricky hatton likes to end his combos with the jab to create distance.

[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

[Hulk]

I'm going to be sparring with a friend of mine in soon. When I was in between boxing gyms, he and I would work out together with mitts and do drills at the local World's where we were members. Now that I've been back with a trainer for a bit, he wants to come down to the gym and go a few rounds. He has more ring experience than I do, but he's going to be rusty.

I know from working out with him before the his left hook is bread and butter money punch. We are the same height, but I have a reach advantage and a superior jab to his.Obviously it's sparring so we aren't trying to kill eachother, but I'd like to make a good showing and let him see how far I've come since we last trained together.

So my question is this - my best punches are my straights - jab and cross, and I respect his left hook more than his straight right. Obviously, I want to use my jab and keep distance. Duhh. But beyond that, what are some other good strategies, both in movement and offense, to counter a left hooker? Is it best to circle away from the hook, toward the right? Or should I try to bait him into throwing the hook and counter? How would you approach a fighter like that?

Awesome question man! I am similiar to you in that my best punches are straights as well. I love that straight right hand and Delahoya combo, jab, left hook, and right hand with that right being boomin at the end!

Last night I had to spar a guy at the gym who has a damn good left hook, plus he's 240 lbs. He goes light but has heavy hands so even going pretty light when he lands that thing, ouch! I did not do well last night so I can't give much advise or than to keep that right hand up at ALL TIMES. And try to counter his left hook with you jab or straight right hand. Also I had minor success going to the body. I'm very interested to see what more expierenced better boxers than me, of which there are many on here lol, have to say on this subject.

[RozzySean]

I'm going to be sparring with a friend of mine in soon. When I was in between boxing gyms, he and I would work out together with mitts and do drills at the local World's where we were members. Now that I've been back with a trainer for a bit, he wants to come down to the gym and go a few rounds. He has more ring experience than I do, but he's going to be rusty.

I know from working out with him before the his left hook is bread and butter money punch. We are the same height, but I have a reach advantage and a superior jab to his.Obviously it's sparring so we aren't trying to kill eachother, but I'd like to make a good showing and let him see how far I've come since we last trained together.

So my question is this - my best punches are my straights - jab and cross, and I respect his left hook more than his straight right. Obviously, I want to use my jab and keep distance. Duhh. But beyond that, what are some other good strategies, both in movement and offense, to counter a left hooker? Is it best to circle away from the hook, toward the right? Or should I try to bait him into throwing the hook and counter? How would you approach a fighter like that?

Awesome question man! I am similiar to you in that my best punches are straights as well. I love that straight right hand and Delahoya combo, jab, left hook, and right hand with that right being boomin at the end!

Last night I had to spar a guy at the gym who has a damn good left hook, plus he's 240 lbs. He goes light but has heavy hands so even going pretty light when he lands that thing, ouch! I did not do well last night so I can't give much advise or than to keep that right hand up at ALL TIMES. And try to counter his left hook with you jab or straight right hand. Also I had minor success going to the body. I'm very interested to see what more expierenced better boxers than me, of which there are many on here lol, have to say on this subject.

I've been working on both the forearm/elbow block and duck-straight right counter quite a bit. Also, I'm working on getting my right back quick and tight to make it hard for him to roll/slip the cross and hook to the body.

I'm pleased this question led to so many responses and ideas. This is why Saddo's rocks. I wish I would hit that damn powerball so I can make Sharla and Donny's dream come true - pay to get us all together for sparring and face to face chat.

[donnydarkoIRL]

With Hooks, I AM GOD!

Sorry perhaps getting ahead of myself here, but my spa went well