3 drills for punches that hit harder
Before we begin, let me make a small introduction.
This is an educational article, written with simple and accessible language on purpose. Many elements have been intentionally simplified so you can understand the idea and even practice some things at home.
Keep in mind that any technical movement, precisely because it is technical, involves several areas, some of which are quite complex.
In punching techniques, as in any activity that involves facing an opponent, key parameters such as distance, accuracy and timing also come into play.
In this article we will focus only on the technique itself, concentrating on what generates power.
Throwing a Punch:
The Most Common Mistake
The most common mistake is focusing on the arms or the upper body.
It is exactly the opposite. Real power comes from the legs.
It may sound strange, but there is no better punch than a punch thrown with your feet. Let me explain.
I will not overwhelm you with biomechanics, but I will give you a simple experiment.
Find an open space and throw a stone that weighs a few kilos, or any heavy object, in a direction where it will not cause damage.
Now repeat the experiment while standing on an unstable surface or with your feet together, and compare the two throws. If you are sure you will not hurt yourself, you will notice the biggest difference if you try to throw something while standing on wheels, like on a skate.
The result is always the same. The worse the support, the worse the throw.
This happens because the effectiveness of a throw comes mostly from the force generated by the lower limbs pushing against the ground. The ground reacts with an equal and opposite force that travels through the torso and finally reaches the upper limbs.
Turn this into a simple formula you can remember: No stable base, no powerful punch.
If the legs are not involved, nothing works. This is why I wanted to focus on this aspect. If you want to throw powerful punches, you need to be a bit like a tank.
The turret can fire only if it is supported by wide, solid tracks.
Three Types of Exercises to Make Your Punches Devastating
Here we go. I am about to give you three types of exercises that will greatly improve the power of your punches.
Before you start reading, especially if you are a beginner, remember this:
A) The chain that generates power starts from the legs, moves to the hips, which rotate and transfer it to the torso, and finally reaches the arms. The arms are the last part of the chain, but that does not make them less important.
B) Shoulder, elbow and wrist stability determine whether a punch is solid and safe. Do not throw bombs without someone qualified supervising you.
C) The way you express the generated force depends on the type of punch. Hooks, uppercuts and straight punches direct force at different angles.
As I wrote at the beginning, if you have never thrown a punch in your life, reading this will not magically teach you how to do it. Join a qualified gym.
Exercise 1: More Strength in Your Legs
The pushing action of the legs is essential.
Here are some exercises you can use. Very useful are all exercises where you push or drag equipment.
For example, the sled used in CrossFit or homemade ropes you can attach weights to. No money to spend . Tie a judo belt around your waist and have a friend hold you back while you run, or at least try to. 😀
Another option: Get a strong resistance band, like the ones used in Calisthenics or CrossFit, find a strong support where to tie it up, and go for it. Be careful with the rebound. Resistance bands can be treacherous.
Exercise 2: Work Your Abdominals
The second component is abdominal activation and rotation.
Perhaps the best exercise for this is the first phase of the Turkish get up.
Other useful exercises include classic twisting crunches with or without weight.
And without looking for acrobatic movements, if you love the plank, all its dynamic variations work very well.
Click here for some ideas.
Exercise 3: strike Without Pushing
The last part of the chain involves the upper limbs.
I have insisted that you must push with your legs, rotate and twist with your torso, and I stand by that. To use your arms for striking, you must also be able togenerate high acceleration and recall the punch.
To transfer force effectively and create a strong impact, the contact time must be as short as possible. The longer the contact, the more you are spreading out the impact.
How do you train this
Once again, resistance bands help. Use lighter ones this time.
Both the handled bands and the classic aerobic ones work well.
Place the band behind your back, wrap the ends at your fists and throw your straight punches.
The band will guide your movement and remind you to recall the punch.
Here an exemple.
Improve Your Punches With One Extra Exercise
Surprise!
I have an extra exercise for you. Use it only if you already have some experience throwing punches. It will help you improve your alignment.
When you throw an effective punch, you are not only generating power correctly with every part of your body, but at the moment of impact your body segments align to form a single line.
The exercise is simple.
- Get into your guard stance
- Close your eyes
- Throw your punches as slowly as possible, focusing on how your weight shifts and how your limbs align
Use it from time to time even as a cool down and you will see results.
… and if you need extra motivation for your boxing training: click here.
You will thank me later.