The double hook is a very effective combination in boxing when used with other punches which set up the hooks. But in the same way, the hooks can set up each other, in this article I will explain how you can do this when throwing the double hook.

Ok so I am talking about the double left hook here, not transitioning from right hook to left hook which is also a great double hook especially when you switch from head to body or vice versa with the hooks, two fighters I have seen do this off the top of my head are Sugar Ray Robinson and Evander Holyfield.

So, when throwing the double left hook, the first hook will set up the second hook and the second hook will be harder than the first hook. The first hook should be a snappy or ‘faster’ hook and the hook that comes behind it should be the power hook. To explain further let’s look at the double hook as part of a combination. When throwing the jab, cross, double hook, the jab, cross and first hook are snappy and quick punches, then the 2nd hook is the harder punch, if this combo is to the head it can be followed up with a cross after the second hook. If this combo is being used as a decoy by throwing the jab, cross and hook to the head as a snappy combo to manipulate the guard then the second hook will be delivered hard to the body.

When throwing the second hook with power you will want to wind the shot up, this can be achieved by turning the right shoulder over the lead foot, almost like an inside slip(simply reverse if you happen to be a southpaw), the same applies if the second hook to going to be delivered to the body except the head will lower a little more to the opponents chest to get the correct trajectory for a punch to the body and the hips need to be opened up with a thrust when throwing the body punch.

Now the reason these punches are snappy are simple – you are setting the final hook up or in the case of a different combination, the final punch up so the last punch is the one you want to put a little more power in. If you throw power punches with every shot you throw, you will soon face exhaustion so throw more fast snappy punches to become more efficient with your punching and combinations. The other reason is the first punches you throw are often used to set up the harder punch coming at the end, a very basic example of this is the double jab cross, especially if you are using the blinding jab to simply obstruct the opponents guard and line of vision, the double jab is not intended to land or hurt the opponent, it is the cross after the double jab which is intended to hurt the opponent or knock the opponent out because if the blinding jab is done correctly, the opponent will not see the cross coming behind it. Have a look at my video below which also provided a quick breakdown of throwing the double hook.