Don’t Aim for the Ribs: A Practical Boxing Guide to the Right Hook Body Shot

Another in our series of boxing guides on how to punch to the body is looking at the right hook (or back hand hook) to the body.

Knowing how to throw a right hook to the body allows you to deliver massive power to a very specific and precise location; the soft tissue below the ribs on the left side of the opponent’s body. It is worth understanding that you are not aiming for the ribs. The ribcage is by design a strong structure. For maximum impact, it’s much better to take the path of least resistance and hit soft tissue.

In general, and depending on your position in relation to your opponent, this body shot is designed to hit the spot behind the opponent’s guard arm. Accuracy is great, but brute force and aggression are the trick to knowing how to get the most out of this crushing body shot.

Before we get into the mechanics of how to throw the right hook to the body, you should be aware that this is not a right hook. I’m sure many will decide that this is an uppercut, but it really isn’t. There is a subtle difference between a short range hook and a short range uppercut, with the uppercut to the body hitting the center of mass. Understand this difference and it will have a positive impact on your body punching skills.

Practical Boxing Guide – The Mechanics

1. From a boxing stance, bend your knees to lower your center of gravity. This is simply a duck, which in addition to being a defensive action also acts as a precursor to a body shot.
2. As the duck is performed, generate explosive thrust by pushing off the ball of your back foot. This push provides the energy to generate massive upper body rotation (counter-clockwise from orthodox posture).
3. The flexion of the front leg (from the duck) allows the necessary amount of hip rotation. Without the flexion, your hips will complete perhaps only 25% of the rotation needed to give the punch the required power at impact.
4. During the rotation, release the rear hand in an arc at a 45 degree angle to the ground. Make sure the punch is accelerated towards the target to increase the massive leverage produced during rotation; this is how you will maximize power.
5. Return your arm and body to the starting position based on the boxing stance.

Practical Boxing Guide: Common Mistakes

1. Be aware of your range. Make sure that if you use this strike at a longer distance, the opponent is vulnerable to it. In short, the farther away from your opponent you get when using this strike, the higher the risk of getting hit before your own lands. Reduce the risk of a long-range ‘barrage’ with this punch by stepping in with a jab before releasing the hook to the body.
2. Make the punch right away. Don’t let it loop too low, as this leaves a great opportunity for your opponent to exploit (see glitch above).
3. As always, make sure that your body weight is not driven forward, which would result in your body weight being on your front leg. The rule of thumb is to never let your nose drift past the line of your front knee. If you do, then you are off balance and adding power to your opponent’s punches.

And there it is, MyBoxingCoach’s boxing guide on how to land the right hook to the body. This is a true fight ending punch as it targets the spleen and other vital organs. Make a mental note of how you want the impact of the punch to go through as much of the body as possible, which is why landing at a 45 degree angle is a big, big advantage. Master this shot and it will slide seamlessly into your ‘head and body’ combinations to deadly effect.