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The lead hook is a dangerous punch. It has less distance to travel and comes from outside your opponent’s linear field of vision. As the old boxing saying goes: It’s the punch that you don’t see that knocks you out. The lead hook has troubled history’s most accomplished fighters. It was Muhammad Ali’s Kryptonite. Henry Cooper and Joe Frazier both put “The Greatest” on the seat of his pants, courtesy of lead hooks.

The lead hook uses rotational force. The driver for this force is a quick shift of weight from your lead to rear foot. Picture a door opening and closing. The rear side of your body is the frame. The lead side swings like the door.

Lead hook to the head

1. Stay in guard.

2. Twist on the ball of your lead foot.

3. Snap your rear heel to the floor.

4. Turn your lead hip and shoulder towards your opponent.

5. Pull your rear shoulder and hip away from your opponent.

6. Punch around, your arm bent around 90 degrees.

7. Return to guard. 

The angle of your fist is optional. You might throw it with the palm facing the floor or facing inwards. The classic lead hook lands with your palm facing downwards. This makes it easier to guide your punch over your opponent’s rear shoulder. To begin with, use whichever feels comfortable.

Concentrate on your:

• chin — keep it down and tucked behind your lead shoulder

• rear hand — protect your chin

• rear arm — protect your body

•  accuracy — guide the punch in with your eyes

Lead hook to the body

1. Stay in guard.

2. Transfer weight to your lead foot.

3. Bend your lead knee and turn your rear hip and shoulder towards your opponent.

4. Deliver the punch as per the lead hook, this time palm inwards, thumb on top.

5. Return to guard. 

Concentrate on your:

• chin — keep it down and tucked behind your lead shoulder

• rear hand — protect your chin

• rear arm — protect your body

Study

I name checked Henry Cooper and his knockdown of Muhammad Ali (then Cassius Clay) earlier. “Our ‘Enry” was a courageous, dogged competitor with dynamite in his left hand. He was frequently let down by a propensity to cuts. Copper’s lead hook was so fearsome it had a nickname all of its own — “Henry’s Hammer” or using the native, Cockney parlance, “‘Enry’s ‘Ammer”.

The other chap who gave Ali kittens was Joe Frazier. Gun to head, I’d rank Smokin’ Joe as my favourite exponent of the lead hook. Analysing the punch that poleaxed Ali in their first encounter provides a fascinating insight into the tactical genius of Frazier’s coach.

Discussing the fight later, Eddie Futch explained how he exploited a weakness in Ali’s technique to utilise Frazier’s lethal left hook: 

"(To counter Frazier’s bob and weave style) Ali had to throw his uppercut, but I knew he would throw it wrong. I told Joe, 'Every time you see Ali's hand come down, that means he's going to throw an uppercut. But the minute he drops his right hand, throw your left hook because he's got nothing up there to parry it.'". 

This is a lovely cameo of boxing’s cat and mouse dark arts. It also highlights the importance of a great defence, even when you attack. 

To see a damaging lead hook to the body, watch Bernard Hopkins take the wind out of Oscar De La Hoya’s sails.