Despite what you might believe, boxing is a lot more than throwing wild haymakers with the hope of one of them landing and knocking out your opponent. Quite the contrary, boxing is a very precise, skilled sport that requires you to have the utmost understanding of the fundamentals. Below, we’ll talk about 7 crucial punching tips to remember for increasing the speed, accuracy, and power of your punches.

Punching Tips: #1 Relax

Being relaxed will help you conserve energy as well as help you punch harder. You muscles must be fluid and calm, allowing energy to flow from your lower body to your upper body when throwing a punch. During a Portland boxing spar or match, being tense will hinder a lot of your power.

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Punching Tips: #2 Aim

This goes without saying, but keep your eyes on your opponent. Don’t look down and don’t look past them. When you throw a punch, be sure that you already have a target pre-selected. This will help increase your overall precision in the ring.

Punching Tips: #3 Exhale on Every Punch

This is a very popular Portland boxing punching tip to remember: when punching, exhale for more explosion. Just make sure that you don’t exhale all of your air during one punch. Exhale small amounts on each punch so that you can exert power throughout the entire combination rather than only a single punch.

 

Punching Tips: #4 Use Proper Timing

Make sure that you’ve timed the punch so that your hips, feet, and shoulders are aligned with the punch. If any of these elements are even slightly off then the punch is going to lack power. Boxing is all about developing proper timing in all aspects of your game.

Punching Tips: #5 Don’t Throw Off-Balance Punches

Always be aware of your balance before throwing a punch. If you attempt to throw a punch while you’re off-balance then you will be much more open to an offensive strike. Portland boxing is all about keeping your balance while you’re defending as well as while you’re striking.

 

Portland Boxing: How to Wrap Your Hands

 

 

Punching Tips: #6 Cover with Your Opposite Hand

Whenever one hand is attacking, the other should be defending. This is a punching tip that you should always remember. During practice, make sure that you pay particularly close attention to keeping one of your hands defending your face while the other is attacking.

Punching Tips: #7 Recover

Whenever you throw a punch, always get ready to recover to a solid position. This is truer if you miss, but even when you land a punch, you could still be vulnerable to a counter attack. After punching, recover to a solid position as quickly as possible.