Hook Mechanics - Left and Right

Mobilisation (6 minutes)

• Neck rolls: 10 each direction, slow and controlled
• Shoulder circles: 10 forward, 10 back
• Thoracic rotation: 10 each side, arms extended
• Hip circles: 10 each direction
• Wrist rotations: 10 each direction (hooks load the wrist more than straight punches)
• Elbow circles: 10 forward, 10 back (hands on shoulders, circle the elbows)
• Bodyweight squats: 10 reps

Warm-Up Drills (8 minutes)

Shadow boxing with straight punches only (4 mins)

2 x 1.5-minute rounds. Jab and cross only. This session is about hooks, but members need to warm up with what they already know. Coach watches for stance and guard position.

Torso rotation drill (4 mins)

Feet planted shoulder-width apart. Arms at 90 degrees, guard position. Rotate the torso left and right without moving the feet. 30 seconds slow, 30 seconds fast. Repeat. This fires up the core rotation that powers the hook. Members should feel the obliques working. "If you feel this in your arms, you are doing it wrong. The power comes from the torso."

Main Session (38 minutes)

Mirror Work - Lead Hook Mechanics (8 mins)

Everyone faces the mirrors. Coach demonstrates the lead hook in slow motion, breaking it into three checkpoints:

Checkpoint 1: The arm position
Elbow at 90 degrees. Fist and forearm form a horizontal shelf. The punch travels on a flat plane, parallel to the floor. Do not let the elbow drop or rise.

Checkpoint 2: The pivot
The lead foot pivots on the ball of the foot. The heel comes off the floor slightly. The hip and shoulder rotate together as one unit. "Think of your body as a door swinging shut. The hinge is your lead foot."

Checkpoint 3: The guard hand
The rear hand stays glued to the cheekbone throughout. It does not drop, it does not swing. "The hand you are not punching with is the one that matters most."

Members throw 10 slow lead hooks in the mirror. Coach walks the room correcting. Then 10 more at moderate speed. Common mistakes: arm too straight (that is a slap, not a hook), elbow too high (that is an overhand), dropping the rear hand.

Mirror Work - Rear Hook Mechanics (8 mins)

Same process for the rear hook. Key differences from the lead hook:

• The rear foot pivots, not the lead foot
• The rotation is bigger because the punch travels further
• There is a natural tendency to wind up with the rear hook. "Do not telegraph it. The hook starts from guard position. If your hand goes backwards before it goes sideways, your opponent will see it coming."

10 slow rear hooks. 10 at moderate speed. Then 10 alternating: lead hook, rear hook, lead hook, rear hook. Focus on returning to guard between each punch.

Pad Drill - Slip and Hook (8 mins)

Pairs. Pad holder feeds a slow, controlled jab to the worker's lead shoulder. Worker slips outside the jab and throws a lead hook to the pad.

2-minute rounds, swap. Run 4 rounds total.

Progression for round 3-4: pad holder feeds the jab, worker slips and throws lead hook, then rear hook (double hook). Pad holder must present both pads in sequence.

Coaching cue for pad holders: "Feed the jab slowly and at the same height every time. You are giving your partner something to practise against, not trying to hit them."

Combination Work - 1-2-3-3 on Pads (6 mins)

Same pairs. The combination is jab, cross, lead hook, rear hook. This is 1-2-3-3 (numbering both hooks as 3 to keep it simple for beginners).

3-minute rounds, swap. During the round, coach calls "freeze" periodically. When frozen, check: is the guard hand up? Is the elbow at 90 on the hooks? Are the feet in position?

Heavy Bag Rounds - Hooks Only (8 mins)

4 x 1.5-minute rounds on the heavy bag. 30 seconds rest between rounds.

• Round 1: lead hook only. Focus on the pivot and keeping the elbow locked at 90 degrees. "Do not push the bag. Turn into it."
• Round 2: rear hook only. Focus on not winding up. Start from guard, hook, return to guard.
• Round 3: double hook (lead hook, rear hook). Find the rhythm. The body should swing like a pendulum.
• Round 4: freestyle combinations, but every combination must include at least one hook. Jab-cross-hook, jab-hook-cross, double jab-hook. Let them experiment.

Coach circulates and corrects. The most common error on the bag is members standing too close and shortening the hook into a push. "If your fist is touching the bag before you start the punch, step back."

Conditioning Finish (5 minutes)

• 30 seconds hook flurry on the bag (alternating lead and rear hooks, light and fast), 15 seconds rest x 4
• 20 Russian twists with a medicine ball (or without if unavailable)
• 30-second side plank each side

Cool Down and Reflection (3 minutes)

Stretch the shoulders: cross-body arm stretch, 15 seconds each side. Chest stretch against the wall. Forearm and wrist stretch (palms against the wall, fingers pointing down). Thoracic twist seated on the floor.

"Most of you came in here throwing hooks that were more like slaps. Look at the difference now. The pivot is everything. If you take one thing from today: plant, pivot, hook. That sequence will become automatic."

Preview: the next progression session will add hooks into combination work and defensive exits.

Coaching Notes

• The lead hook is where most members struggle. They either straighten the arm (turning it into a wide cross) or drop the elbow (turning it into an uppercut). Be patient. This takes several sessions to fix.
• Beginners should work at 50% power until the mechanics are correct. A powerful hook with bad technique damages the wrist.
• If a member has a previous wrist or shoulder injury, check they are comfortable with hook rotation before loading it up on the bag.
• Advanced members in the group can add head movement after the hook (throw the lead hook, slip right). This is the natural exit angle.
• Watch for members who rotate so far they lose their base. The pivot should be controlled. If they are spinning, the rotation is too big.
• For the next session, progress to hooks in combination with defensive movement: throw the hook, bob and weave out.