Please critique my bag form (boxing)

Chin definitely needs to be down, but I think you lean forward at the waist a little bit as you come in. We've got a thread on cuban boxing fundamentals that could be useful to you - also it'd be worth looking at this:


Thanks, I've had a skim of the cuban fundamentals thread, it's looking to be quite the resource. This guy on the video you showed me, I've seen a couple of his tutorials before. He's great. And his stance is alot narrower than mine.
 
Please do not put headphones on when boxing. It really looks like posing and not respecting the sport and your own work. You are not running for example, although I would not put headphones when running or lifting weights either. I personally have the need to hear what is going on around me and myself breathing.

Really interesting, your view on headphones. I don't know where you're from, or what boxing culture is like there, but here it's really no big deal to use them while doing bag work on your own. It actually helps with training IMO. Of course I wouldn't wear them doing an official training session though.
 
Really interesting, your view on headphones. I don't know where you're from, or what boxing culture is like there, but here it's really no big deal to use them while doing bag work on your own. It actually helps with training IMO. Of course I wouldn't wear them doing an official training session though.
Ilk's a USSR style guy - they're a bit more hardcore
 
If you want to listen to music through your headphones then do so.

Next what is the neck issue?

If you want to switch hit then do so there's no harm in it. I prefer my guys not to but it's not as serious as others make it out to be.

Stance is wide chin is high others have touched on this so I won't say anything about it.
 
You also tend to plant both feet just before you throw - this is okay against a stationary opponent (one you have against the ropes for instance), but is going to be a problem against a boxer with good movement (think of trying to hit say Mayweather like that). If one foot (typically but not necessarily the lead) moves even an inch it'll change the way you react to a moving opponent, allowing you to automatically adjust to their movement with your feet rather than leaning over to get extra inches.

You can find tapes of guys like Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvin Hagler (to take guys about your size), watch what they do with their feet as they punch - always at least slightly in motion unless the other guy is really caught against the ropes, and often even then.

Thanks for the feedback, I've never consciously thought about how 'set' I am before I throw - I wonder if it's because I'm in front of a bag or a habit I have in sparring as well. It's really something to think about, as well as adjusting with feet rather than leaning.

Also the camera angle is a bit probably a bit misleading, I walk around at about 140lb. But yeah Hagler's foot fluidity is amazing, plus his switches. Haven'y yet looked closely at what SRL does.
 
What is the neck problem? It's a bit of a red flag when people start with a list of disqualifying statements. I had bad neck problems and never switched stances, neck issues are usually posture problems

I injured it in a wrestle. Not that badly, but I did nothing about it, plus occupational hazards - until it became something chronic on the right side of my neck. I've been seeing a chiropractor for the last 6 months for it. General physical activity helps, but boxing southpaw makes it worse. I can work a few rounds and it's fine, but if I spend a whole training session there I'll regret it afterwards.

Since you mentioned posture, do you mean posture within the boxing guard, or daily posture? I ask because I saw a video you posted, where you talked about having your chest out. I thought this was interesting because my assumption was that a concave chest would make you smaller, and therefore harder to hit.
 
If you want to switch hit then do so there's no harm in it. I prefer my guys not to but it's not as serious as others make it out to be.

I hear alot of people say switching gets you knocked out. Aside from switching in the middle of exchanges, I wonder why in particular it's considered so dangerous.
 
I hear alot of people say switching gets you knocked out. Aside from switching in the middle of exchanges, I wonder why in particular it's considered so dangerous.

Switching doesn't get you koed. Mistakes get you koed.

It's true that the rhythm of a South paw and a righty are different each stance presents different pros and cons.

It takes time to become good in one stance it takes double that to become good at both.
 
Really interesting, your view on headphones. I don't know where you're from, or what boxing culture is like there, but here it's really no big deal to use them while doing bag work on your own. It actually helps with training IMO. Of course I wouldn't wear them doing an official training session though.
Well if I do this and my coach sees my he will slap me behind the head and shout at me to concentrate or leave. It was the sane in soccer. If you bought a cool shirt of some famous football player and came on practice with it you are politely asked to get the clubs shirt or go train for Barcelona. If I have smoked before boxing I am asked to leave and other examples. People here expect you to respect the sport especially if you are coached. Of course fitness gyms are different but I am giving you examples of what is expected when you work out.

A lot of people record their work outs we are asked to not to record anything. It is either train or go home.
 
I injured it in a wrestle. Not that badly, but I did nothing about it, plus occupational hazards - until it became something chronic on the right side of my neck. I've been seeing a chiropractor for the last 6 months for it. General physical activity helps, but boxing southpaw makes it worse. I can work a few rounds and it's fine, but if I spend a whole training session there I'll regret it afterwards.

Since you mentioned posture, do you mean posture within the boxing guard, or daily posture? I ask because I saw a video you posted, where you talked about having your chest out. I thought this was interesting because my assumption was that a concave chest would make you smaller, and therefore harder to hit.

Nooooooo...a concave chest makes it so your spine isn't in position to absorb any impact, therefore the burden falls to the shoulders and neck. Which if you're pushing your shoulders forward (and in order to concave the chest, you MUST be), you're going to make the neck problem much much worse. Fix your posture, in all aspects of life. Your neck and your boxing will thank you later. This is a boxer with good posture:

 
Nooooooo...a concave chest makes it so your spine isn't in position to absorb any impact, therefore the burden falls to the shoulders and neck. Which if you're pushing your shoulders forward (and in order to concave the chest, you MUST be), you're going to make the neck problem much much worse. Fix your posture, in all aspects of life. Your neck and your boxing will thank you later. This is a boxer with good posture:



 
I would recommend listening to Sinister. You are young and sorting out the neck issues should be the priority.

And not to talk down on chiropractors but they have a very small area of expertise. Its mostly manipulating and thats it. Maybe look into other professions for professional help also. I have never experienced a chiropractors work to benefit patients if the origin of health issues are of chronic nature with a wide array of causations.
 
Thanks for the feedback, I've never consciously thought about how 'set' I am before I throw - I wonder if it's because I'm in front of a bag or a habit I have in sparring as well. It's really something to think about, as well as adjusting with feet rather than leaning.

Also the camera angle is a bit probably a bit misleading, I walk around at about 140lb. But yeah Hagler's foot fluidity is amazing, plus his switches. Haven'y yet looked closely at what SRL does.

It might just be in front of a bag (lots of people do so when they start out on the heavy bag, especially if they don't have a good coach). But the habits you develop on the heavy bag will follow into the ring or cage, much more so in fact than pads, which tend to be more choreographed - so work on it on the bag. It'll become second habit fast enough, and then you'll never have to think about it again.

You'll see the same thing BTW if you watch defensive backs in the NFL, or guards in the NBA - even when they don't know which way their opponent is cutting, they'll keep their feet moving in place rather than planting. Because it turns out the nervous system can decide to change directions much faster than it can go from stationary (planted) to moving.
 
Well if I do this and my coach sees my he will slap me behind the head and shout at me to concentrate or leave. It was the sane in soccer. If you bought a cool shirt of some famous football player and came on practice with it you are politely asked to get the clubs shirt or go train for Barcelona. If I have smoked before boxing I am asked to leave and other examples. People here expect you to respect the sport especially if you are coached. Of course fitness gyms are different but I am giving you examples of what is expected when you work out.

A lot of people record their work outs we are asked to not to record anything. It is either train or go home.
That's you're experience. If I am training and anyone slaps me in my head we will have problems.

If you want to talk about gym ethics make another thread.
 
Nooooooo...a concave chest makes it so your spine isn't in position to absorb any impact, therefore the burden falls to the shoulders and neck. Which if you're pushing your shoulders forward (and in order to concave the chest, you MUST be), you're going to make the neck problem much much worse. Fix your posture, in all aspects of life. Your neck and your boxing will thank you later. This is a boxer with good posture:



Nooooooo...a concave chest makes it so your spine isn't in position to absorb any impact, therefore the burden falls to the shoulders and neck. Which if you're pushing your shoulders forward (and in order to concave the chest, you MUST be), you're going to make the neck problem much much worse. Fix your posture, in all aspects of life. Your neck and your boxing will thank you later. This is a boxer with good posture:



Would you say it's common for boxers to have this spinal alignment in their guard? From most of what I've seen, I would say it isn't.
 
Just because it's not common for boxers to have that alignment doesn't indicate that the alignment is incorrect, just that a lot of boxers aren't taught correctly and get get away with it due to natural advantages etc.

Look into former Soviet country boxers and Cuban boxers - they've usually got the fundamentals down really well.
 
I would recommend listening to Sinister. You are young and sorting out the neck issues should be the priority.

And not to talk down on chiropractors but they have a very small area of expertise. Its mostly manipulating and thats it. Maybe look into other professions for professional help also. I have never experienced a chiropractors work to benefit patients if the origin of health issues are of chronic nature with a wide array of causations.

I'm 37. And my neck issue is largely resolved, posture in daily life is fine, it's jusy something specific to southpaw that flares it up. So I need to look into my spinal alignment in my boxing guard. Or it could be could be how I throw one of my punches, or hold unecessary tension in my traps - who knows. But at the end of the day rather than sideline myself I want to get some good training in while I sort it out, even if it's not my 'real' side. No one is the worse off for it.

Valid point re:seeing other kinds of professionals but I would consider the condition to be improving so I don't really think it applies.
 
Just because it's not common for boxers to have that alignment doesn't indicate that the alignment is incorrect, just that a lot of boxers aren't taught correctly and get get away with it due to natural advantages etc.

Look into former Soviet country boxers and Cuban boxers - they've usually got the fundamentals down really well.

I wasn't implying that at all, I know that majority doesn't necessarily=correct. But my first reaction to watching the vid was 'I don't see many boxers stand like that.'
 
It might just be in front of a bag (lots of people do so when they start out on the heavy bag, especially if they don't have a good coach). But the habits you develop on the heavy bag will follow into the ring or cage, much more so in fact than pads, which tend to be more choreographed - so work on it on the bag. It'll become second habit fast enough, and then you'll never have to think about it again.

You'll see the same thing BTW if you watch defensive backs in the NFL, or guards in the NBA - even when they don't know which way their opponent is cutting, they'll keep their feet moving in place rather than planting. Because it turns out the nervous system can decide to change directions much faster than it can go from stationary (planted) to moving.

I sparred yesterday with this in mind. I found that I didn't need to have my feet set to throw BUT if they weren't, my sense of defensive responsibility went out the window (chin up, guarding hand down). It was a good discovery.
 
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