Hook punch..vertical or level?

[still learning]

Hello, For the Upper hook punch to the head? ...Which have you found to work best for you? Keeping the fist level with palm down or vertical?

Which is stronger for not breaking your own wrist? ......Aloha

[mantis]

in any case you should not break your wrist. they key is to relax your arm but not your fist. think of it as a whipping a rope with a rock at the end of it.
you should always be hitting with your knuckles..

[Shodan]

Vertical and inverted- such that it ends towards your chest thumb down, knuckles towards your body.

[stone_dragone]

Knuckles up, thumb side towards you (horizontal fist, I guess), arm at approx 90 degree angle driving with hip and shoulder, very little arm strength used.

[mantis]

in any case you should not break your wrist. they key is to relax your arm but not your fist. think of it as a whipping a rope with a rock at the end of it.
you should always be hitting with your knuckles..
okay im confused, i thought you're talking about round-house. nvm

[Andrew Green]

Vertical, thumb up if you are bareknuckling it. Horizontal is usually fine with gloves, or if you hit dead on, but is also a common reason behind boxers fracture.

[green meanie]

Vertical, thumb up if you are bareknuckling it.

Agreed. :asian:

[tradrockrat]

Vertical, thumb up if you are bareknuckling it. Horizontal is usually fine with gloves, or if you hit dead on, but is also a common reason behind boxers fracture.

Bingo.

[Blindside]

Horizontal is usually fine with gloves, or if you hit dead on, but is also a common reason behind boxers fracture.

Been there, done that, now I do a vertical fist.

Lamont

[King]

I've experimented with both in the past and I had a higher injury rate with the palms to the floor version.

A pro boxer gave me advice that it depends on the situation. He said that the palms down version is better at closer range (when your elbow at 90 deg angle) because of the knuckle alignment to the jaw. But the palms toward you version is good for short and long elbow angles.

Anyway I use that as a guideline and haven't injured my wrists since.

[OUMoose]

Even with gloves, I feel more comfortable throwing head and body hooks with my fist vertical, thumb on top. Just feels the most natural given the body mechanics.

[Adept]

I actually hold my fist on an angle, about 45 degrees from vertical with my thumb up.

[Drag'n]

I was taught to use vertical fist for short hooks, adding a little curl toward you with the wrist on impact, and horizontal for long hooks, using more shoulder.

[Haze]

I actually hold my fist on an angle, about 45 degrees from vertical with my thumb up.

This feels more natural to me also.

[Drac]

Vertical, thumb up if you are bareknuckling it

Got my vote...

[King]

I actually hold my fist on an angle, about 45 degrees from vertical with my thumb up.

With which part of your fist do you make contact? Also are your elbows leveled with your shoulders when you do?

[Brother John]

Vertical, thumb up if you are bareknuckling it. Horizontal is usually fine with gloves, or if you hit dead on, but is also a common reason behind boxers fracture.
EXACTLY:
I can't emphasize that enough to my own students!!! The pinky side of the fist must NOT be the key point of contact, or the furthest out on a hook. It has no structure supporting it from that angle and it's like trying to support the weight of a car on a Turkey Wishbone...
SNAP!!!

VERTICAL!!!

Your Brother
John

[lll000000lll]

here perhaps theese might help you. i know that they helped me out when i was working on upercuts and hook punches.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Odj4ATUPh9w&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfaO_RQC_F8&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yor1dHH6orE

[Adept]

With which part of your fist do you make contact? Also are your elbows leveled with your shoulders when you do?

Depends on the target. Usually the forfinger and middle finger knuckles, often the middle finger and ring finger, and if I'm punching at a target lower than my shoulders, occasionally the three pinky-finger side knuckes.

Elbows are level with the shoulders.

[MJS]

Vertical, thumb up if you are bareknuckling it. Horizontal is usually fine with gloves, or if you hit dead on, but is also a common reason behind boxers fracture.

I agree with this as well. I was punching the focus pads not too long ago, using the horizontal fist. Now, this could be due to a number of things, but I hit that pad and my wrist bent down. Didn't break anything, but needless to say, my wrist hurt like hell! All the more reason to make sure that we also have proper form to the fist.

Mike

[jacktnicol]

I have been told by a boxing coach that it doesn't really matter except that each person may want to use a different method because of the use of minorly different muscles.
and from the boxers side he said go with the palm down because the vertical palm is more likely to be called for slapping.

Jack

[Andrew Green]

here perhaps theese might help you. i know that they helped me out when i was working on upercuts and hook punches.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Odj4ATUPh9w&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfaO_RQC_F8&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yor1dHH6orE

This stuff looked more fitness training ("Boxercise") type of stuff then stuff you'd want to train if you planned on sparring. Lots of mistakes in there...

[lll000000lll]

well i had to use my hook in a real street fight about a month ago. wich i wanted no part of for the record. but i will tell you it was highly effective. i didnt recive any self-inflicted injury when throwing any of my punches. with the form taken from those videos.

a tournament is not the same as a real street fight where punches actually count for more then points.

[Andrew Green]

It's not "bad", it is certainly better then most people punch, but as far as fighting other fighters go, there are quite a few changes that should be made to what was demonstrated, which seems geared towards getting a workout, not fighting.

[lll000000lll]

It's not "bad", it is certainly better then most people punch, but as far as fighting other fighters go, there are quite a few changes that should be made to what was demonstrated, which seems geared towards getting a workout, not fighting.

i'm all ears.

what would you change?

[searcher]

Brother John and Andrew Green are correct on this one. If you have gloves on and/or are fighting in competition you MUST throw with the fist horizontal. If you throw it horizontal you will be called for slapping. Trust me on that one I lost a bunch of points in a state championship for this. Throwing it on the street or with no protection you will need to hit with the fist horizontal. This protects the ring finger and the pinky from being broken. Hats off to A.G. and B.J. for brining this up. Most people don't look at the physical ramifications of improper hitting.

The only option that has not been brought up is when striking to the body. I teach body hooking with the palm turned up at a 45 degree angle. It allows for cleaner shots to the lower intestinal region and into the floating ribs.

[Andrew Green]

Yup, fitness based:

"Martial Conditioning w/ Kickboxing "

http://austinmartialarts.com/adult.php

Anyways, where do you want me too start? There is a whole series of videos there and they all have mistakes if you are looking to spar or fight, for fitness it's quite good though, much better technique and joint safety then most of what I have seen.

[lll000000lll]

Yup, fitness based:

"Martial Conditioning w/ Kickboxing "

http://austinmartialarts.com/adult.php

Anyways, where do you want me too start? There is a whole series of videos there and they all have mistakes if you are looking to spar or fight, for fitness it's quite good though, much better technique and joint safety then most of what I have seen.

how do u throw your hook punch?

i assure you mine is devastating

[Andrew Green]

Lead Hook:

- Get off center to set it up, load your weight to your front foot, facing forward (to his outside) and drop slightly.
- Again the punch is thrown fron the legs, the arm actually does very little.
- Drive from your front leg and pivot in, from both feet forward with weight on the front the do a 90' turn and shift the weight to the rear and rising into it slightly.
- Do not wind up. The punch stays fairly centered.
- Do not let the shoulder get in front of the hand, if it does it absorbs the impact and give you a weak punch.
- All that your arm really does is rotate so that the forearm is parallel to the floor, ALL of the power comes from the legs and the rotation.
- Follow through is important, you are in tight and in his punching range as well. The hook "hooks" back towards you and stays up, don't drop your hand after the hit, keep your chin protected at all times.
- Against a opposite leaded opponent the hook is a even more important tool, stay outside his lead foot and you can land it while he can't.
- To train the mechanics the "Shovel punch" is a great tool. Throw a hook to the body on the bag with your elbow staying right to your side (virtually no arm movement.)