Yesterday I was hitting the heavy bag, just kind of screwing around after a workout.

At one point I was practicing a right-upppercut/left-hook combo. I like this combo because after the RU, you're set up VERY nicely for a good hook as all your weight is on your lead foot, ready for you to drop onto your back foot.

Anyway, I must have caught the bag as it was swinging to my left at just the ideal moment while my left fist was crossing over to my right.

THUD! Ouch! My entire arm was rattled and even my head felt it. I rung my own bell so-to-speak. Some type of physics thing must have happened - the bag (one of those really dense 100 lb sand filled types) just kind of stopped in its tracks. I was like WHOA - I actually had to stop for a few moments just to recover.

It's funny because when you practice hooks when shadow boxing, hooks don't seem like much. Also, unless it's practiced often with proper form, the hook can feel very unnatural an contrived. Unlike a "natural" feeling punch like the cross, it takes more practice, more thinking-through and is harder to set up.

That experience yesterday however showed my just how powerful a hook can be once you get the form down. No wonder it's the classic knockout punch.

That's the thing about it. As long as the forearm and fist continue along on the follow-through, it's GOTTA hurt if it connects because of the way the body-weight shifts behind it.

When that happens to me, I aim for the one in the middle.