Left Hook- palms down or facing inward?

Its better Biomechanicaly to Turn the Shot for direction and Technique.

 

Depends what you are trying to achieve with the punch and what openings are present at the time.

It amazes me how many people ask how to throw this punch, that punch and the other punch. If you only had one style of jab, one way of throwing the right hand, one type of hook and one way of throwing the uppercut, you would be an extremely limited fighter. A good fighter needs to be versatile to be able to adapt to different situations.

Practice throwing all shots, from all angles, with differing angles of the hand at impact, from all ranges, off the back foot, off the front foot etc.

If I have said this once, I have said it a million times - the more options you have, the more problems your opponent will have.

 

That's a good point Bodi.

 

Thank you RDJ

It tires me when I hear people say that you should throw a punch "this way because it gives more power". There is a big difference between throwing a punch in a certain manner repeatedly, and being able to throw that same punch when the situation requires you to throw it. All of the power in the world doesn't mean a s*** if you can't land. Accuracy is the key to every punch we throw.

Let me refer back to the Mayweather - Hatton fight. Floyd effectively sealed the deal with one of the sweetest check hooks we will ever see, but did Mayweather only throw check hooks throughout the fight? Of course he didn't! The variation in his attacks is what caused Hatton so much trouble, and this is why Floyd is arguably the best fighter of his generation.

I would also like to see someone tell Roy Jones that he is throwing hooks wrong when he lands 7 of them in quick succession.

Yes, I am pointing out two of the best in the game, but the point remains the same, which if something isn't working, you need to have the ability to tweak things slightly, and you can only do this if you have worked different variations in training - sparring is the perfect time to work on things like this.

 

We may not be Jones Jr. or Mayweather, but that's ok we're not fighting their competition either.

I'm convinced after thinking about it. My right hook is more powerful when thrown with the thumb up against a bag, but I can't land it so it just stinks in sparring. With the thumb towards me I can get it off faster and hide the punch better, Hopkins style. Landed a few of them today actually, which surprised me.

Same for the jab, I sometimes throw it with the thumb up. Salvador Sanchez does that a lot, and so does McCallum. I'm being told not to do it, but biomechanically it just feels so nice in certain circumstances.

I'll be doing both from now on, and no longer bother myself with wondering what the "correct" way is. The correct way is when it lands on your opponents chin and bothers him.

:good

 

Are your shoulders level when throwing the hook or find yourself leaning thus making it more of an overhand (or even a cross) which can be argued as the most powerful punch possible.

 

It leans a bit towards overhand but it was still a true hook I think. It's too short to be called an overhand unless I'm confused with the terminology. Shoulders were leveled I think, I'll need to check next time to be sure.

Hopkins does it a lot as he steps in. He steps in, ducks a bit, leans to the left, then sneaks it in.

 

Not really a hook. Either a leaning right cross or short overhand me thinks. For both you can do palm open. Not so much right cross but given the situation it can work. I don't think your thumb is completely up when you are doing the Hopkins move, more 45 degrees.

Is that right?

 

No not up, towards me. The fist is horizontal.

 

I re-read your original post. I see what you are saying. My mistake.

 

How much a shot turns is in relation to where the elbows are starting from Horses for Courses, nearer the Bumhole the better

 

Interestingly I thought the idea was to land the shot. If the glove if too wide one way and it fits through the other I think I would make the Adjustment.

 

I pretty much always keep mine at a 45 degree angle, so half way between inwards & downwards.

 

It's a risk vs reward scenario. I wouldn't want to make adjustments to land a punch but be open at the same time. Personally, I'd wait for the right moment to throw the right shot or I would try to create the right moment rather than throw the wrong type of shot.

 

So you're saying that technique-wise it is better to have the palm facing down so that your elbow will naturally point up?
Mechnically I have to agree, since I find that with the palm down or the thumb almost facing down, you get a better 'hook'. That is the punch starts off high and then slants downwards as it curves back to you... a better angle to dig into the chin.

...some guy the other day was 'correcting' me by saying to throw with the thumb up and STILL hold the elbow up and it just did not feel right. It was almost like my elbow was going to bend off... I get irritated by idiots.

So I'm going to ask, is there any such rationale that a thumb-up hook can or should ever be used? Its a dumb question almost.