Hook
A label for several curving actions across sports — a bent-arm punch in boxing, a strongly curving ball in golf or bowling, and a cross-batted pull in cricket.
Definition
Hook names several actions united by the idea of a curve or arc. In boxing it is a bent-arm punch swung horizontally at the side of the target, one of the sport's principal power punches alongside the cross and uppercut.
In golf a hook is a ball flight that curves sharply — right-to-left for a right-hander — often unintended and the opposite of a slice. Cricket's hook shot is a cross-batted stroke played to a short, rising delivery aimed toward the leg side, while in ten-pin bowling a hook is a ball that curves down the lane to strike the pins at a stronger angle. In each case the label reflects a pronounced curving motion rather than a single shared technique.
Meaning by sport
This term is used differently across sports:
- Boxing
- A punch thrown in a short horizontal arc with a bent arm, typically targeting the side of the head or body.
- Golf
- A shot that curves strongly in flight — for a right-handed player, from right to left — usually unintended.
- Cricket
- The hook shot, a cross-batted stroke played to a short, rising ball aimed toward the leg side.
- ten pin bowling
- A delivery that curves as it travels down the lane, letting the ball strike the pins at a stronger angle.
Where you’ll hear “hook”
Sports that use this term:
Boxing
A striking combat sport built on footwork, timing and conditioning, practised from fitness drills to controlled sparring.
Golf
A precision target sport played across an outdoor course, blending skill, strategy and a long walk in the open air.
Cricket
A bat-and-ball team sport where sides take turns to bat and to bowl and field, scoring runs.
How it connects
The meaning-bearing relationships that place Hook in the wider knowledge graph — each one with the reason it exists.
Commonly confused with
Close enough to be mixed up — the distinction is worth knowing.
Explore across the knowledge base
Follow the threads that connect Hook to the rest of SocialSportHub.
Equipment
Techniques
- Golf Full SwingThe complete rotational swing used for tee shots and longer approach shots, from setup through backswing to a balanced finish.
- The pull and the hookThe two cross-batted strokes that punish short bowling — how the pull and the hook differ, the height of the ball that separates them, and the risk each one carries.
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How this page is maintained
- Content type
- Term
- Provenance
- Tier A — evergreen educational
- Verified external sources
- 0
- Content updated
- 2026-09-01
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