I get lots of hits while pitching and flipping. Fifteen hits today to be exact today. When you sucessful flippers set the hook, do you lift the rod up easy or pull that rod back quick and hard.

Once when taking my wife out in a hot spot. So it wasn't a 'total waste of time' she held the rod with one hand and a book with the other .When she got a hit she simply lifted the chunky bass up. She was 2 for 2

After loosing too many to say by setting the hook hard I remembered her technique and got 6 in the boat today. My son landed 4 more. I lost 4 trying to set the hook.hard. Any advice. How do you folks do it. You only have about 10 ' of line out there.
Chuck