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Faizan
Good boxing footwork requires speed, balance and agility -- fitness components that can often be improved upon in even professional boxers. Good footwork ensures you are able to get into the right place to deliver your punches but that you can also move out of the way of punches coming toward you. There are several key exercises that you should be doing to improve your footwork for boxing.
Jump to It
Boxers jump rope for a couple of reasons; it's a good way to foster cardiovascular fitness, it helps improve eye-hand coordination and it's also an excellent way to develop better footwork. Make jumping rope part of your boxing-specific warm-up and your footwork will improve -- especially if you perform jump-rope drills such as heel to toe hopping, side to side jumps, forward and backward jumps, double unders -- where the rope spines twice per jump -- and arm crossovers. Mix up your jump-rope techniques to create a personalized routine that will improve your fitness and footwork simultaneously.
Me and My Shadow
Poor footwork can result in taking too many punches, so one of the best times to practice footwork safely is when shadow or mirror boxing. Practice staying up on the balls of your feet and keeping your movements light and fast. Move forward, backward and sideways against an imaginary opponent while keeping your upper body relaxed. Work in three-minute rounds to simulate the cardiovascular demands of boxing.
Reach New Heights With an Agility Ladder
Agility ladders are generally between 10 and 30 feet in length and are made of flat rungs spaced around 18 inches apart, linked together with webbing straps. They are popular with a wide variety of athletes and using an agility ladder will improve all aspects of footwork including balance, foot speed and coordination. Practice running along the ladder while facing forward, sideways and backward; and by placing one or both feet in each box. Try to move your feet as fast as possible while minimizing ground contact time.
Buddy Up
Non-contact and light-contact sparring are ideal ways for two boxers to develop their footwork skills safely and effectively. One fighter should play an attacking role while the other is defensive. The defender should keep moving, and try and stay out of the attacker's reach by using all the ring space available; while the attacker works to dominate and crowd his opponent. After three minutes and a brief rest, reverse roles and repeat the drill. This drill will develop boxing-specific fitness too, and can also be performed with the participants mirroring each other's movements so neither plays a dominating role.
Boxers jump rope for a couple of reasons; it's a good way to foster cardiovascular fitness, it helps improve eye-hand coordination and it's also an excellent way to develop better footwork. Make jumping rope part of your boxing-specific warm-up and your footwork will improve -- especially if you perform jump-rope drills such as heel to toe hopping, side to side jumps, forward and backward jumps, double unders -- where the rope spines twice per jump -- and arm crossovers. Mix up your jump-rope techniques to create a personalized routine that will improve your fitness and footwork simultaneously.
Me and My Shadow
Poor footwork can result in taking too many punches, so one of the best times to practice footwork safely is when shadow or mirror boxing. Practice staying up on the balls of your feet and keeping your movements light and fast. Move forward, backward and sideways against an imaginary opponent while keeping your upper body relaxed. Work in three-minute rounds to simulate the cardiovascular demands of boxing.
Reach New Heights With an Agility Ladder
Agility ladders are generally between 10 and 30 feet in length and are made of flat rungs spaced around 18 inches apart, linked together with webbing straps. They are popular with a wide variety of athletes and using an agility ladder will improve all aspects of footwork including balance, foot speed and coordination. Practice running along the ladder while facing forward, sideways and backward; and by placing one or both feet in each box. Try to move your feet as fast as possible while minimizing ground contact time.
Buddy Up
Non-contact and light-contact sparring are ideal ways for two boxers to develop their footwork skills safely and effectively. One fighter should play an attacking role while the other is defensive. The defender should keep moving, and try and stay out of the attacker's reach by using all the ring space available; while the attacker works to dominate and crowd his opponent. After three minutes and a brief rest, reverse roles and repeat the drill. This drill will develop boxing-specific fitness too, and can also be performed with the participants mirroring each other's movements so neither plays a dominating role.
Posted in: boxing
