In boxing, it's not always about throwing the hardest punches. Sometimes, the key to winning a match is knowing how to dodge and counter your opponent's punches effectively.
In this blog post, we'll share some of the most effective ways to do just that. Whether you're a beginner, amateur or professional boxer, these tips will help you improve your game and give you an edge over your opponents.
So let's get started...
Understand the different types of punches and how they're thrown
Learning to punch well can be a difficult skill to master, but understanding the different punches available and being able to differentiate between them will help you improve your technique.
The typical types of punches are jabs, hooks, straight punches, uppercuts, and crosses. Jabs are quick and direct - throwing this fast left punch is great for keeping the opponent on the defensive.
Hooks are quicker than a standard swing and require coordination - these are best used when combining offence with defence.
Straight punches provide more power than jabs; they’re delivered with a full arm motion and require both strength and power in your delivery.
Uppercuts involve powerful swinging motions from underneath your opponent’s body or guard; these moves require speed as well as precision.
Finally, crosses are similar to straight punches in that they use a full arm motion for maximum power but deliver slightly more power - thanks to the extra distance travelled by your back hand.
Understanding these techniques will help make you an overall better fighter.
Use your non-dominant hand to parry or block punches
Learning how to properly parry and block punches with your non-dominant hand can mean the difference between victory and defeat in a fight or combat sport.
While it may feel awkward at first to throw or defend against punches with your off-hand, training yourself to do so will only increase your overall skill level when facing an opponent. It takes practice and patience, but developing the ability to fight with either hand can provide invaluable benefits for anyone looking to improve their defensive capabilities in a fight.
With enough time, use of your non-dominant hand can soon become second nature and greatly enhance your instinctual responses in future confrontations.
Use your body weight to shift and lean away from oncoming punches
When it comes to self-defence, bodyweight is an underrated tool.
Learning how to use your own weight to create distance and momentum can help you deflect punches and put your attacker off balance.
You should push away while slightly leaning back with each oncoming punch or stepping off line and using a circular or evasive movement.
This creates space, helping you stay out of their range of attack.
Respect your own body weight when changing direction - it takes time to build up your reflexes, but with practice, it will become intuitive to modify your stance at the right time.
If a punch reaches you, use your weight to redirect its force away from yourself for the most effective defence.
Practice counter punching with a partner or coach
Counter punching is an important technique in boxing and one of the techniques that takes a considerable amount of practice.
It requires you to move around quickly and to maintain balance while attacking.
The best way to get better at counter punching is by practising with a partner or coach who knows how boxing works and can spot your weaknesses in technique.
This way you can use their feedback to work on those areas until it becomes second nature when jumping into the ring.
Stay calm and focused during a bout
Staying focused and calm during a bout can be a challenging task.
Whether it's a competitive match or friendly sparring session, our emotions can often overpower our logical thinking. But this doesn't have to be the case.
Taking a conscious approach to channelling your emotions will help you stay focused and achieve better results.
A few simple steps like taking deep breaths, getting into neutral "fighter mode" and redirecting energy away from regrets or mistakes can go a long way towards helping you stay calm, focused and most of all have fun doing what you love.
Becoming a better boxer takes time, effort and lots of practice.
But if you can master the basics of throwing and dodging punches, you'll be well on your way to becoming a force to be reckoned with in the ring.
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