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Hook

Muay Thai

Hook with a short pivot and the hand returning high.

What coaches agree on

  • Generate the hook's power by turning your hips and shoulders together into the punch, letting that rotation drive your arm through the target.
  • There's no single correct hand position for the hook — coaches differ between thumb-up and knuckles-over, so try both and use whichever feels strongest and doesn't strain your wrist.
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Common mistakes

  • Fully pivoting the back heel and hips all the way through the hook like a boxing power punch, which exposes the back of your leg to low kicks and leaves you too slow to reset your stance.
  • Letting the elbow drop below the fist as the hook lands, which collapses the punch through the wrist instead of driving through the target and opens a gap for a counter.
  • Letting the hook hand drift back slowly or hang out after it lands instead of snapping it straight back to the chin, which leaves you open to a counter punch.