Rugby coaching tips on the position of the hooker

Whether you believe referees blow up for crooked feeds or not, the hooker still has to strike for the ball. And this when he is under pressure from the opposition hooker and tight head (right-hand prop).

He needs to make sure his set-up is solid and that he is in the best position to hook and then push once he has hooked the ball back. Here are a few tips for hooker positioning.

Feet positions (your put-in)

Right foot in front of the left foot for the strike.
Hips should be slightly angled towards the ball.
The vast majority of weight on the left foot.
Unlike the props, hookers can move their feet around once the scrum has engagement. Hence some hookers will bind up and engagement in a sprint position with their feet and then bring the left foot further forward to give them a little more balance.

The hooker (pictured above) ready for the strike – right foot in front of left, more weight on the left foot.

Feet positions (their put-in)

In the best position to push: Feet parallel and back.

“Scrummage like a tight head” Rob Ambler, meaning, using the same foot and body position.

Some hookers advocate putting the right leg forward to get flexibility with the type of shove. For instance if you were trying to focus on the opposition hooker or tight-head.

The head position

The hooker should be in a position to see the ball to strike. Therefore, the hooker should aim at the opposition hooker’s right side, “the cup”. This is where the shoulders of the opposition tight head and hooker meet.
Keeping the eyes open before impact is the key to avoiding injury and maximising impact.
Some hookers scrunch their neck into their shoulders just before impact. It stops the head moving around and squares the shoulders.

The cup (as shown above), where the shoulders of the opposition tight head and hooker meet. This should be the target for the hooker’s head.

“Hooker – keep your chin forward (head up) and right shoulder down on the back of the opposition’s neck.” David Judd, chairman of Surrey Youth and former Harlequins hooker.

This article is from my Secrets of the Front Row manual.

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