Throw the hook with your shoulder (open the door)

Throw the hook with your shoulder (open the door): how to do it

1. Keep your arm in its guard shape and don't swing it out to the side on its own.
2. Drive the shoulder on the punching side forward and start your body's rotation from the shoulder.
3. Turn your shoulder and torso together as one unit, like opening a door. Your arm just follows the rotation.
4. When the turn is done, bring your shoulder back and return to your guard.

Throw the hook with your shoulder (open the door): key points

• Swinging with just your hand doesn't produce power. The power comes from your shoulder and body rotation.
• Drive the shoulder on the punching side forward and turn your body, and the hook gets stronger on its own.
• If your shoulder doesn't move, the door is stuck shut. You get a weak hook where only your arm moves.

Throw the hook with your shoulder (open the door): common mistakes

• You keep your shoulder still and swing only your arm sideways. Then there's no power, and your arm tires out first.
• You swing your arm wide to the outside. Then the path gets longer and the opponent sees it coming.

Throw the hook with your shoulder (open the door): how to practice

• In shadowboxing, keep your arm in its guard shape and move only with your shoulder and body rotation, to get the feel of opening and closing a door.
• On the heavy bag, land the hook just by driving your shoulder forward with no effort in your arm, and check whether the impact feels different.

Related techniques

• One-two-hook (jab, cross, left hook)
  123
• Left body hook, then right hook
  3b4
• Left uppercut, right hook, left body hook
  543b
• Short right hook to right body uppercut
  46b
• Don't let your shoulder lead the rotation
  Rotation first
• Push your shoulder blade forward
  Shoulder forward