Seven Secrets Boxing Footwork

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Contents        

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A  note  from  the  author   The  stance   The  movement   Always  feet  first   Establishing  range   Changing  the  angle  of  attack  and  retreat   The  sidestep   Generating  power   Drills  

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There is one common factor amongst elite athletes regardless of the sport. Whether it is Tiger Woods on the golf course, Roger Federer on the tennis court or Manny Pacquiao in the boxing ring, all top athletes share a common skill, a skill which is so important and fundamental that without it almost every part of their performance would break down, they would certainly never hope to achieve elite status – in fact they wouldn’t even achieve competency. The truth is, (and this is especially true of boxing), an ability to move smoothly and swiftly in all directions without over commitment whilst maintaining a rock solid base so at any given moment you are able to execute powerful punches with good balance and firmly planted 3

feet is just as important as learning the actual punches themselves. As a boxing coach if I said to you “you must learn the basics” then it may sound like a very obvious thing to say, however, the truth is that far too often these crucial basic footwork skills are overlooked day in day out in boxing gyms across the world, and not re-visited until it is too late, if at all. It is a common error of so many who take up boxing to assume that the sport is just about throwing punches but this failure to recognise the importance of boxing footwork training is a massive handicap. It is worth noting that without it you will never achieve full power in your punches, be able to move properly into an attack, or to move away from trouble without going off balance leaving openings for your opponent to exploit. It is exactly this mastery of basic footwork skill that plays a major role the success of the elite and sets apart the real champions from their contenders. You must not only learn the basic footwork, but also continue to acknowledge and respect it whatever your level. However complicated a technique you may be learning it should never compromise your basic stance and guard, so in truth doing the basics well all the time may not actually as easy as you might think.

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There is little point learning how to punch without knowing what your feet should be doing at the same time, the two have to go hand in hand all the time. A builder would never try to build a house on weak foundations otherwise it will be unstable and lead to problems down the line. The same applies with your boxing form; a failure to master and maintain the basic fundamentals of stance movement and balance will open up large cracks in your performance as a whole. As part of my research for this book I have been gathering information from some of the world’s best coaches in order to make sure that I am bringing you useful and worthy information. I must admit, at first I thought that maybe I would uncover something miraculous, some untold training method which was being kept secret from the masses, something that was only ever practiced by world champions and for the first time ever I would be exposing the truth about how the “other side” do it. Actually, I have done just that... just not in the way I expected. In fact after speaking at length and on many occasions to my team of top coaches one great big shining message came across to me consistently - loud and clear. The truth is that there are no such magic methods to report from the world of the world champions, but there 5

is one huge great difference which stands out a mile, and that’s this: the elite boxers of this world all realise just how fundamentally, vitally and crucially important boxing footwork is, they know it can make such a difference that they never ever stop practising it no matter how good they get. They never get so arrogant that they think they’re too good for it – they just make it a regular and systematic part of their training programme just like the bag work – the running – the diet etc. Ever wondered what you’d see if you walked in on the British Olympic team as they were training? BASIC FOOTWORK DRILLS... You bet your bottom dollar they do! Just like you could bet your bottom dollar that Tiger Woods still spends a good few hours of the day practicing his drive. (And you will be learning the same drills used by our Olympic team in the series that accompanies this book). So being as it is my job to act as the messenger between you the budding boxer and the best boxing coaches in the land I would be a fool if I ignored their advice or failed to pass on this crucial message. So this book does not contain a magic pill “guaranteed to remedy all your footwork problems in 24 hours or your money back...” it is actually a master class in the basics of boxing footwork direct from the best coaches in the world, and most importantly a giant reminder to you NEVER to overlook the footwork again in your training. 6

Sure there are plenty of advanced drills which I will share with you in due course but I can assure you that they are all pointing back toward one thing... (It’s written above... here, I’ll copy and paste it for you)... “...an ability to move smoothly and swiftly in all directions without over commitment whilst maintaining a rock solid base so at any given moment you are able to execute powerful punches with good balance and firmly planted feet.” And that’s all there is to it… I hope that I have managed to get this across to you – it comes highly recommended with a big gold ribbon around it straight from the top. Believe me if you take notice you will be doing something that 99% of boxers fail to, and that gives you a much greater advantage. Neill Ryan

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1) The Stance A good stance is important in many ways. Your stance relies on a number of factors dependent on your boxing style, your size and your temperament. The stance should always be comfortable and relaxed enabling you to attack, defend and counter punch without being rigid. You should also minimise as much of the target area from your opponents view as possible by pointing your shoulder towards them instead of standing square on.

Southpaw

Orthodox

The feet should be approximately shoulder width apart, a stance that is too short will be much more unstable having a negative effect on punching power - think about how little power you could achieve with your feet together.

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A stance that is too wide will be stable but is a hindrance when it comes to moving around. With feet already too wide, a step in any direction will result in over-stretching, loss of balance and a sluggish recovery. Your feet should not point in the same direction as you are facing they should make an approximate 45 degree angle in relation to your shoulders. Imagine yourself standing in the centre of a big clock with your opponent stood at 12 o’clock. With your leading shoulder pointing towards him your front foot should be pointing approximately to 1 o’clock (orthodox) or 11 o’clock (southpaw). Your back leg should be pointing to 2 o’clock (orthodox) or 10 o’clock (southpaw).

Orthodox

Southpaw

The rear foot should be offset from the front foot to maintain a rock solid base for punching, (notice how the rear foot is not on the centre line between 12 and 6 but off to one side) you would never be able to maintain proper balance if you were boxing on a tightrope. 9

The shoulders by comparison should take this line as much as possible so that the target is minimised to your opponent, although this can be dependent on style – a smaller boxer may favour a squarer stance in order to get underneath on-coming punches and counter on the inside. It is no accident that a boxer’s feet are turned slightly inwards; this is the basis for the pivot and rotation. If the feet are in a straight position or turned outwards then the ankles will limit the amount of pivot available therefore limiting power and technique of pivoting shots such as hooks. The front leg should be slightly flexed with the sole of the foot on the floor. The rear leg should be bent with the back heel off the floor to enable maximum drive and pivot. The bends in the legs allow you to push off when you need to move and also provide the source of the power in the punches. By bending the back leg further you can “ride” a punch from your opponent without stepping out of range. Body weight should be evenly distributed between the feet or slightly to the rear leg with the taller boxer.

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2) The Movement In a stationary position there is not much skill required to find a well-balanced base, the key to success in boxing is the ability to attack and defend at speed whilst on the move. A boxer therefore must acquire the ability to move his feet and body quickly in all directions without loss of balance at all times, you should be in a position to punch with either hand without losing that rock solid base. All basic footwork movements should be short sliding movements, when the front leg slides forward three inches the back foot slides forward three inches to maintain the solid base. Whatever direction you are moving in, its always the foot nearest to that direction which moves first. One foot should always be in contact with the floor, and at no time should the feet cross each other or come together. The front foot is the boxer’s range finder; the rear foot provides the drive and the power. Although the angle at which you will be moving can vary, there are only four possible directions in which a boxer can move.

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• Forward into an attack Push off with the rear foot and slide the front foot forward a few inches, quickly bring the rear foot forward into the original stance position. It is essential that all movements be in small steps so that you are never over-stretched at any given time. The larger the movement is, the longer you will have only one foot firmly planted on the floor and at this point you are less balanced and more vulnerable – keep it short. Below is an illustration of how the movement should look in 3 stages beginning with the normal stance. The man in the picture is orthodox (right handed). (Take note of the lines on the floor)

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The speed and the drive come from your rear foot and leg. Transfer your body weight forwards to the front knee, but not over the front knee or the base and balance will be lost.

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• Backward in defence When moving backwards the opposite of moving forwards occurs. The drive comes from the front foot with the rear foot moving back first, quickly followed by the front foot which catches up to form the original stance position to maintain the balance and solid base.

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• To the left When moving to the left the left foot moves first, quickly bringing the right foot across to maintain the boxers balanced base. This set of movements is the same for both orthodox and southpaw styles.

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• To the right Moving to the right its the right foot that moves first, quickly sliding the left foot into the original stance position.

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3) Always the feet first The feet should ALWAYS move into range first landing firmly on the floor before the punch is thrown. Although we are only talking a split second, it is absolutely vital that the foot has landed firmly on the floor in range before the punch stars to come out from the guard. If the feet are wrongly positioned or not planted, the punch will be much less effective. A boxer who has mastered this kind of split second timing will be well on his way to being a very good boxer. It is useful to be aware of and practice this kind of timing,

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boxing is all about having great timing – this is just one example.

4) Establishing Range Establishing your range is a crucial element in boxing although it is something that is not always talked about in much detail in boxing gyms. Being in range of your opponent is certainly the most dangerous place to be in the boxing ring however; you will never be able to score points without being there. Using the proper techniques below you can minimise this risk substantially. The front foot is the range finder, it is important for any boxer to understand when they are in range and when they are out of range. If your front foot is too far in range then it you will never get shots off with power. On the other hand, if you are too far out of range then you will find yourself overreaching and going completely off balance. Once you have made a decision to step into range then you must commit to it – a half-hearted movement is much more dangerous. Do not look at the gloves of your opponent - look at the target area – (the head and the torso), you are not in range unless you can hit the target area without over-reaching.

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Staying in range for long periods of time is a risky thing to do. It is not therefore recommendable to use big combinations when attacking; you will only be making yourself more exposed to the retaliation. In most cases attacking with a high punch combination of say 6 shots would rarely result landing all of them as scoring blows. The judges would be very unlikely to give the full 6 points; you would be lucky if you got 2 or 3. So for both reasons it is much better to phase that attack into 2 or 3 bursts with a retreat in the middle. Step into range with a short 2-3 punch combo and then retreat again avoiding the counter attack from the opponent who is now likely to fall short with you being back out of range. You can now quickly step back in to throw the second set of 2 or 3 punches. This is much more effective as an attack – you are not in the danger zone for as long and are likely to score more points – and its all down to knowing what to do with your feet. The most recent British National team that went to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games brought back 3 medals. They were under instruction from their coach Terry Edwards never to throw more than 3 punches in an attack. Larger combinations were always split up into 2, 3 or even 4 phases of attack with retreats in between. The retreat does not always have to be a step back either, at the more elite level it is necessary to mix up the angle of attack and retreat to further confuse and surprise the opponent.

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This whole strategy is fully dependent on keeping the base stance rock solid and moving cleanly at speed in the manner described in the previous points... Which brings me nicely on to the next point:

5) Changing the Angle of Attack and Retreat An elite boxer not only has the ability to move in and out of range but will also vary the angle of this in order to further confuse their opponents and avoid getting hit. After you have learned how to move in and out of range you will be ready to start changing the angles of attack and retreat. This will surprise and disorientate your opponent more than just moving in and out from the front. You’ll need to work this into your bag work and study the list of dedicated drills below (specifically numbers 2 and 7), which will help you develop and sharpen this skill.

6) The Sidestep Not only must a boxer be able to move smoothly and quickly in all directions around the ring but it’s equally important for them to be able to quickly change direction of their attack or to be able to launch their attack outside the line of their opponents attack (the safe side).

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Moving to the “safe side” gains a big advantage and is particularly effective when boxer is forced back onto the ropes or trapped in a corner. It is therefore essential for the boxer to master the step across which is slightly different to the normal step 1. The front foot slides towards the rear leg.

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2. The rear leg quickly steps to the right transferring the weight to the rear foot. 3. Pivot back into the normal stance position to continue the attack.

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7) Generating power The power in any punch starts off in your feet. You will only ever get full power by punching with your feet firmly on the ground. You’ll need to acknowledge all of the above points about stance and make sure that you do not attempt to throw shots unless you have adopted a rock solid base. Imagine you were pushing a broken down old car down the street. Your hands would be lunging out from your shoulders and on the balls of your feet you would be driving off the ground to provide the power to your hips shoulders and arms. If you could no longer rely on your feet to get the power (if you slipped for example) then it would result in immediate and significant loss of power. Exactly the same thing should happen when you throw a punch in boxing. It all happens so fast that you might not always be aware of it. The basic principle of generating power comes from the transfer of your own bodyweight and the direction of the transfer varies when throwing different shots. For straight shots drive off the floor with the ball of the back foot, (straightening the back leg slightly) the momentum transfers the body weight forward up your leg to your hips, which rotate.

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The rotation of the hips adds momentum and power by driving your shoulders. This is accelerated into the arm and fist. It is worth noting (as shown in the picture) that when a straight shot is at the end of its cycle, the chin, knee and front foot should be more or less in line with each other. If the chin is over the front foot then it means that you have over-reached (usually being too far out of range). If it falls short then you have under-driven - lacking power. With rotating shots such as hooks or upper-cuts the transfer of weight is different. With a hook to the head for example you would drive off the front foot and transfer the weight back. The same shot to the body and the weight goes the other way. So contrary to what people might think the arm and fist are the last things to actually move. They are just putting the finishing touches to a much bigger process. The whole thing happens in such a short time that to the on-looker it is barely noticeable at all. You will almost certainly notice that when you begin to connect your feet up to your shots your power will increase dramatically. 20

(Make sure that you wear good protective hand wraps so that your newfound power doesn’t result in injury)

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Drills Drills are repetitive set of movements designed to practise a skill set. Drills should ideally be practised for short periods and at the end of a gym session. You are more likely to remember very last thing that you do in each session. The whole point of doing drills (in fact the reason that drills are named drills) is to literally “drill” the movements into your brain so that they eventually become automatic. Not only do you possess muscle memory which helps your body adapt to learning new and different moves but you also have a very clever mechanism in your brain called the cerebellum which comes into play when learning complex new skills The cerebellum is the motor region of the brain and the part that is responsible for all the things we do on autopilot, requiring no conscious thought at all. A good example of the cerebellum at work is when you drive a car – during the time when you were learning it was hard to concentrate on the road ahead whilst thinking about your clutch, changing gears, breaking and so on. Eventually after lots of practice your cerebellum took over and you started doing everything without thinking at all.

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Suddenly the part of the brain that was doing all the thinking is now free to think about other things like holding conversations, listening to the radio etc. Now when you drive a car you can drift off in thought completely not giving a single thought to what you are actually doing to operate the machine. The same things are happening all the time when you practice a particular skill in boxing. At first it may feel a little bit awkward and strange but eventually you can do it without much thinking at all, this is how practice can make you able to perform more and more complicated techniques. If you look at boxers at the elite level they are able to perform complex and difficult techniques without really thinking about what they are doing – it’s just automatic or “drilled in”. It is certainly worth mentioning that doing footwork drills, (or anything for that matter), in a very repetitive way can become a little bit boring for some people after a while. It is always much better to practise your drills “little and often” using lots of different techniques in order to keep things interesting. Your brain will cope with smaller chunks of information much better too. Some of the drills are designed to get you doing the same thing but by way of a different activity. Accompanying this book are a series of 10 boxing footwork drills used by the British Olympic Team. You should practice a few of these every time you train. 23

They are specifically designed to get you comfortable with all of the techniques and movements mentioned earlier. As you practice them you need to be mindful of the basic rules at all times, so always maintain your basic stance, never cross your feet or over stretch etc. If you think it might not be necessary to practice these drills so regularly then just remember that elite boxers practice drills like these every time they train. The Great Britain boxing team of 2008 practiced them every day, including James Degale, (gold medallist), David Price and Tony Jefferies, (bronze medallists). Always make time to train your feet.

Here are the links to the 10 issues of the Boxing Footwork Drills Series: 24

http://www.boxingfootwork.com/olympic-boxing-footwork-drills-1.html http://www.boxingfootwork.com/olympic-boxing-footwork-drills-2.html http://www.boxingfootwork.com/olympic-boxing-footwork-drills-3.html http://www.boxingfootwork.com/olympic-boxing-footwork-drills-4.html http://www.boxingfootwork.com/4qbag.html http://www.boxingfootwork.com/circlines.html http://www.boxingfootwork.com/partnerwork.html http://www.boxingfootwork.com/stanceskip.html http://www.boxingfootwork.com/fbpads.html http://www.boxingfootwork.com/pushoff.html

Just click or copy and paste to your browser.

©Neill Ryan www.boxingfootwork.com 2009 25