Fitness in Melbourne: 10 Common Boxing Mistakes to Avoid
What are some of the most common boxing mistakes you can easily avoid? The fundamental characteristics of boxing are stance, footwork, combinations, punches and defence. Sloppy technique in these areas can lead to injuries, poor performance and a lack of progress. In this article, Brooklyn Boxing in Melbourne explores 10 common boxing mistakes to avoid and provides tips on how to correct them. Contact the team or download our free boxing guide today.
10 Common Boxing Mistakes to Avoid
Below is a list of 10 common beginner boxing mistakes you can avoid.
Not Having a Good Boxing Stance
You must adopt a good boxing stance. An incorrect stance will affect your mobility, balance and power.
Not Keeping Your Hands Up
Dropping your hands leaves your face and head open to punches. Keeping your hands up in front of your face is one of the most important boxing skills that every aspiring boxer must learn.
Not Moving Your Head
Moving your head helps you avoid punches. Never stop moving your head off the centre line, even when throwing your own punches.
Throwing Wild Punches
Throwing wild boxing punches wastes your energy and can leave you open to a counter punch. Your opponent might think that you’re riled up and an easy target for taunts.
Not Using Your Legs
If you don’t use your legs, you are ignoring an essential element of boxing. You can’t throw the most effective punches without moving your feet, and standing still ring makes you an easy target.
Not Breathing Properly
Holding your breath when throwing punches is a common mistake. A lack of rhythmic breathing can cause you to fatigue, reducing your strength and focus.
Losing Focus
If you don’t focus on your opponent, you leave yourself vulnerable to their punches. The lights and noise of the crowd can be extremely distracting, and your opponent might be taunting you, all of which can make you lose confidence and focus.
Not Listening to Your Coach
Your coach is there to help you improve your skills and stay safe, both in training and during a fight. Not listening to them means missing out on the most important resource you have.
Giving Up
Boxing is a mentally and physically exhausting sport and a lack of boxing conditioning can cause you to lose confidence, focus and technique. If you’re not prepared mentally for a fight, your chances of giving up are much higher.
Not Having Fun
Boxing is supposed to be fun. If you aren’t having fun, it’s more likely that you’ll stop. While boxing is meant to be challenging, it’s important to find ways to relax and enjoy the sport.
How to Correct Boxing Mistakes
Outlined below is a variety of ways you can avoid making the 10 most common beginner boxing mistakes.
Improve Your Boxing Stance
The best way to avoid being flat-footed and unbalanced is to practice walking on the balls of your feet. This can improve your balance and the speed of your movement. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart, your knees slightly bent and your weight evenly distributed between your legs. Your back foot should be raised up onto the tip of your toes.
Keep Your Hands Up
An easy way of learning how to keep your hands up in boxing is to lean forward, which will cause your hands to naturally move towards your head. Tuck your elbows in and keep your fists raised high up, in front of your chin and face. You can also try shadowboxing without throwing any boxing punches; focus instead on being defensive in front of the mirror.
Improve Your Head Movement
To improve your head movement, you need to train your reflexes. Running on diverse terrains can improve your hand-eye coordination, while playing games like table tennis can increase the speed of your reflexes.
Stop Throwing Wild Punches
Sparring is the best way to learn to remain calm in a fight, which can help you control your punches. Practising on the pads with a partner can also help you get used to throwing precise punches when under pressure. Focus on throwing controlled, accurate punches to your opponent’s weak spots, such as the jaw, liver and temple.
Learn to Use Your Legs
Text: Building your leg muscles can help your body adjust to the rigorous movement involved in boxing. You can also practise shadowboxing without throwing punches, focusing on your movement and turning your hips over when you throw, which allows you to generate torque when throwing a punch. Moving around the ring effectively helps you to avoid punches and set up your own combinations.
Improve Your Breathing
One of the most important boxing basics is learning to control your breathing. Take short, sharp breaths in through your nose and exhale sharply through your mouth every time you throw or receive a punch. Exhaling and tensing your core can stop punches from knocking the wind out of your lungs and help to improve your skills.
Improve Your Focus
Meditation is one of the most effective methods for learning to remain calm and focused during intense situations. Developing techniques for controlling your mind can help you ignore the lights, the noise of the crowd and the taunting of your opponent.
Listen to Your Coach
Always remember that your coach wants the best for you. Their experience can help identify the most common boxing mistakes to avoid, so listen to their instructions and feedback. Practise actively listening to what they say and think about how you can apply their advice. It could be the difference between winning and losing.
Don’t Give Up
Boxing takes a lot of mental fortitude to push through periods of extreme exhaustion and doubt. Spar as often as you can with boxers who are better than you, because they will have a lot of experience and advice to offer.
Remember to Have Fun
If you’re not enjoying training, try a change of environment. You can practise sparring and exercising with a friend at home, in a park or somewhere else where you don’t feel as much pressure.
It’s important to understand the most common boxing mistakes to avoid so you can prevent injury and fatigue and progress with your skills. Call Brooklyn Boxing in Melbourne today on 0434 113 113 or contact us online and download our free boxing training guide.