5 Drills That Will Improve Your Boxing Footwork
Guest post by Evolve MMA, Asia’s premier championship brand for martial arts. It has the most number of World Champions on the planet. Named as the #1 ranked martial arts organization in Asia by CNN, Yahoo! Sports, FOX Sports, Evolve MMA is the top rated Boxing gym in Singapore.
Undoubtedly, when you think about boxing, you think about punching power and knockouts — slick combinations that capture the imagination, and displays of heart and will. But beneath the surface lies a wealth of technique that is responsible for what we see in the ring. One of the most essential parts of boxing is footwork.
From the Ali shuffle to Rocky chasing chickens, footwork has always been portrayed as a very important part of boxing. It allows us to get from point A to point B in the ring fluidly, without our opponents being able to predict how we move.
Footwork sets up our offense and puts us in key positions to unleash our best combinations. It also has the power to get us out of some tricky spots and is an integral component of good defense. Through footwork, boxers are able to create and move in angles. They can accurately gauge distance, and determine the best time to move in and out of danger.
Footwork is one of the most important aspects of your boxing arsenal. Without footwork, you will just be a flat-footed, forward-plodding and highly-predictable fighter.
In light of this, we have a series of boxing footwork drills for you to try, to enhance the way you move your feet. Today, Evolve Daily shares five drills to improve your boxing footwork.
1) The Jump Rope
The jump rope may seem like a very basic exercise in boxing, but it can actually be incredibly complicated in its advanced stages. Learning how to jump rope as a beginner is tough, but once you get the rhythm down and get the hang of it, jumping rope starts to become second nature to you.
The more time you put into jumping rope the better you will get at it. And it poses some interesting benefits to your boxing footwork.
Jumping rope allows your mind to be in tune with the way you move your entire lower body, from the torso, to the legs, to the calves, and right down to the balls of your feet. By gaining complete control of your lower body, your boxing footwork is greatly enhanced.
You gain the ability to move anywhere you want in the ring, however way you want, and execute it flawlessly.
2) The Agility Ladder
The agility ladder isn’t a classic training tool that is used in boxing and has only been incorporated into boxing training over the last few years. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t an amazing tool to use to improve boxing footwork.
The agility ladder can be used in so many different ways, in countless variations of drills. It has the ability to teach boxers how to utilize their feet in various different movements, both naturally and unnaturally. Furthermore, it builds rhythm and fluidity.
If you are looking to improve your footwork, this modern boxing training tool is non-negotiable and can really help teach boxers how to get the most out of their movement. The agility ladder can be found in most boxing gyms today and is one of the most highly-utilized drills in training.
3) Box Jumps
The box jump is a plyometric drill that adds to a boxer’s explosiveness. When a boxer is moving across the ring, gliding with ease and running circles around his opponents, he will need explosiveness to instantly shift between moving around and offense. Box jump drills give boxers more spring in their bounce.
There is a myriad of different box jump drills that boxers can perform, and difficulty can be increased by raising the height of the platform to various levels. You can also perform drills at varied speeds, whether slow or fast. Among the different drills include: marching box jumps, single step jumps, and double feet jumps.
The trick is to perform each drill with the objective of adding to your explosiveness. As with all drills, the more repetitions you perform, the better you get at it and it will soon translate into your performances in the ring.
4) Shadow Boxing
While shadow boxing is often perceived as a mere warm-up drill, the role it plays in training goes far beyond just working up a sweat. In reality, shadow boxing is one of the most significant parts of training with its own unique benefits.
Practicing your moves alone in front of a mirror doesn’t sound like it’s going to help you improve your skills as a fighter, but there are many advantages to shadow boxing that aren’t immediately apparent.
First, it’s an extremely portable routine. You don’t even have to be in the gym to do it. The best place to shadow box, however, is in front of a mirror. When you’re looking at yourself performing your techniques, you will be able to notice various flaws and nuances to your movements that while subtle, can be difficult to correct.
This includes footwork. Some shadow boxing routines focus solely on footwork and movement, which of course will greatly enhance the way you use your feet in the ring.
Shadow boxing is a great way to enhance your footwork, and you’ll be moving like a pro in no time.
5) Observation and Analysis
Lastly, one of the most important boxing footwork drills doesn’t even involve physical activity. All you have to do is set aside some time to watch tape of how other elite boxers move their feet.
Study and analysis is a significant part of a boxer’s career. Knowing how to analyze techniques just by simply watching footage of how other boxers execute and perform is essential to the development of any athlete.
Pick your favourite boxers and watch tape of them online. There are a wealth of resources available at your fingertips. Observe and analyze how they move their feet, and the next time you’re in the gym, try to incorporate some of their techniques to your own arsenal.
Knowing how to take the best from the great fighters who have come before you, and embed them into your own game is essential to your development. After all, imitation is a hidden key to creativity. Soon, you’ll be moving like a pro in the ring.
