9 most common boxing mistakes

1. Boxing Mistake #1- Don't leave your boxing stance

Experienced boxers can get away with it, look at Prince Naseem Hamed or Roy Jones Jr. Fighters with a very unorthodox boxing stance. Don't be tempted to box this way when you're just starting out. These boxers rely on their reflexes. The boxing stance, better known as the neutral position, has not been named for nothing. Whatever movement, attack or defense you use, you always end up in this boxing stance! We teach everyone a classic boxing stance, and once you master this stance, you can develop your own style. Read more about boxing techniques. The boxing stance is the position where you are the most stable, can react the fastest to situations, and have the greatest range. Without a stable base, it is impossible to shift your weight in the punch, which is essential if you want to hit hard.

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2. Boxing mistake #2- Wrong placement of the feet

A common mistake in boxing is the incorrect placement of the feet. Some people with a background in martial arts tend to adopt a narrow boxing stance, where they stand unstable and place their rear foot too close to the front. It's important to remember that balance is key in boxing and that you should always stand stable. You should be able to kick a soccer ball with your rear foot without hitting your front heel. While this narrow stance provides a greater reach for the jab, it actually lacks reach for the cross. It's essential to adopt the correct boxing stance and focus on maintaining balance. Resetting your position after a movement is often forgotten, while determining the proper distance from your opponent is a crucial part of boxing. Boxing is a physically and mentally challenging sport where you are constantly in motion and should not lose sight of your technique, even when you start to get tired and have to respond to instructions from your trainer or opponent.

Boxing mistake #3 - Weight on your heels during boxing stance

As a boxer, it's important to keep your weight on the ball of your rear foot and not on your heels. There are many opinions about moving with flat feet, as there are many situations where you would prefer to have the weight on your front or back foot. However, during the neutral position, you should evenly distribute the weight or have a 60/40 split between both feet on the balls of your rear and front foot. Your front foot's heel doesn't have to be off the ground. This allows you to quickly rotate your lower body when punching and react faster to situations. After performing a step-jab and moving your front foot 20cm forward, you should ensure that your rear foot covers the same distance. This also applies to moving backward and sideways. Without resetting your footwork, your legs will become spaghetti-like, flying in all directions. This puts you quickly out of balance and makes you very vulnerable to your opponent.

Boxing mistake #4 - Loading your punches from your arm.

At the beginning, the jab may feel like a punch that's hard to put power behind, and many beginners try to compensate for this by loading it up. Taking a run-up with your jab makes it very easy for the opponent to see when you're going to use it. Additionally, your punch takes longer to travel, leaving you vulnerable to counterattacks.

Boxing mistake #5 - Leaning forward during punching

To bridge the distance to your opponent, it is often necessary to take a step forward. Some beginners try to bridge this distance by leaning their upper body forward in the punch. When you walk into a punch in this situation, the likelihood of getting knocked down is very high. You never want to move against the direction of your opponent's punches, but rather with them to soften the impact.

Boxing mistake #6 - Giving signals

In addition to loading the jab, there are many other practical examples where you give signals to your opponent. For example, many rotate their elbow outward before throwing a punch. During the execution of a jab or cross, it is important that your elbow comes straight up without veering outwards, making it difficult to read. Additionally, you should be careful that certain combinations don't become a habit, creating a pattern that gives away your intentions. If someone sees that you give a hook every time after a cross, it makes it very easy for them to counter with a roll and hook to the body or head.

Boxing mistake #7 - Retreat, protect yourself at all times

Are you tired? Do you feel like giving up but not quite sure? Take 8 seconds and sit down on the ground but never drop your guard. Some boxers are put under so much pressure during sparring or fights that they panic. They may keep their chin up to stay out of range of punches with their hands stretched out in front of them. Retreating in boxing is rarely a good idea. There are many examples of fighters suffering heavy knockouts by being careless in this situation. That's why every referee starts the fight with the words: Protect yourself at all times.

Boxing mistake #8 – Slipping in the wrong direction

Slipping is a defensive technique where you rotate your upper body so that the punch misses you. During slipping, you almost always want to slip to the outside of your opponent. For example, if your opponent is standing with their left foot forward and throws a jab (left hand), you want to slip to your right side. This way, your opponent cannot use their cross and you create counter opportunities for yourself (body or head hooks). If you slip to the left in this situation, you expose yourself to their cross.

Boxing mistake #9 - Manage your energy

Apart from the technical and tactical aspects, boxing is also a game of endurance. If you exhaust yourself too quickly, you'll have a big problem. Your opponent won't stop attacking just because you're tired. Many boxers tense up all their muscles while moving around the ring, which uses up precious energy. Try to move around the ring as relaxed as possible and use your energy very carefully. Also, not every punch needs to be hard. In Olympic boxing, scoring points is the main goal, and relatively fewer fights are won by knockouts than in professional boxing. However, there is much more action because Olympic boxing matches are only 3x3 minutes instead of title fights of 3x12 minutes. Make sure that your last punch in the combination is the hardest. You can't throw a six-punch combination where you put your entire weight behind each punch. This takes too long, uses too much energy, and you'll quickly lose your balance.

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