The hook is the most
common move in arm wrestling. You are probably familiar with the hook,
because it is the move that is used when arm wrestling is portrayed in
bars and elsewhere on TV. It is considered an "inside" move,
meaning you are trying to beat your opponent's arm instead of his hand
(as you do in a toproll). To be successful in a hook, you should be stronger
than or at least equal to the strength level of your opponent. You need
not have as good a bench press or squat as your opponent, because this
strength counts very little in arm wrestling. Instead, try to gauge your
forearm and bicep strength against that of your opponent. If you believe
that you are not as strong as him or her, try toprolling instead. If,
on the other hand, you compare favorably to your opponent, you can really
blast him in an impressive manner with the hook.
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HOW IT IS
PERFORMED
If you have ever arm wrestled across a kitchen table, you have probably
already used the hook. To perform the hook, curl your wrist as hard as
you can. Now, get your body over your arm. Keep your arm close to your
body. To get the pin, push down with your arm and body.
HOOK ROLLOVER
IMAGES
We have recently added this rollover image with the hope that it will
better illustrate the body movement required for a successful hook. Move
your mouse over the image to use the rollover feature.
PICTURES
Below are several still
pictures of the hook as well as additional tips and instruction on how
to properly execute the hook. Be sure to scroll all the way down to the
pictures at the bottom of the page. We have included them as well as a
critique of the form being used in hopes that it will further your understanding
of the move.
You can see that the
wrestler on the right (barT) has his opponent (Jeff) in a hook. barT is
pressing down with his body and his arm to get the pin.
This angle shows very well the way the body is used when executing the
hook. Notice that barT's body is over his arm and he is pushing down with
his body as much as he is with his arm.
THE
HOOK IN A MATCH
Here are some photos
of hooks in a match. A few things to look for in the pictures below:
To perform a successful
hook, it is necessary to maintain wrist contact throughout the match.
Maintaining this contact will allow you to take your opponent's hand out
of the match, because the force delivered by both opponents is now through
the wrist (the point of contact) instead of the hand (the point of contact
at lockout). This wrist contact is shown well in all three pictures, but
especially in picture #1. Notice in picture #2 that the wrestler on the
right is trying unsuccessfully to get into a hook with his opponent. While
he is able to get decent wrist contact, he is far outpowered in the muscles
that count--the biceps and forearms. It is alright for him to try a quick
blast at 'the go' in a hook (assuming he can slide into a toproll if it
doesn't work), but he should not let himself be trapped in a weak position.
In picture #3, both wrestlers are trying to hook each other but are stalled
in a neutral position. In situations like this, it is usually the wrestler
who has better technique who wins. Technique does not always reign supreme
in a match between two hooks, however. Unless they are evenly matched,
it is almost always the stronger wrestler who wins in a short, convincing
match.
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