Boxing is clearly one of the most exciting combat sports today. We love the heavy punches, the counter-punches, and the mouthwatering knock-outs.
However, there is one aspect of boxing that doesn’t get enough attention: footwork. Just like in mixed martial art, which punters engaging in crypto mma betting are profiting from, a boxer’s footwork is key to evading his opponent’s attacks and giving him the befitting poise to counter-attack.
In this article, we will learn expert tips on how to substantially improve your football in boxing.
Practice walking
Sounds too simple? Of course, you walk every day, but is it the same as walking in the ring? Well, it depends because, in this case, walking can be a solid tip to help you improve your legwork.
We know coaches may scream at you not to walk in the ring, but the thing is, when you walk correctly (keeping your upper body relaxed while your lower body is properly balanced on the ground), you can save energy while evading your opponent’s attacks or stalk them.
When practicing walking, try not to jump or take long steps. The goal here is to keep your upper body relaxed as you take quick, short, and balanced energetic strolls around the ring.
Use Your Core
You might think footwork solely depends on your foot, but nope, it doesn’t. To quickly improve your footwork in boxing, you need to use your core.
Your core includes your stomach, pelvis, lower back, and hips.
When doing something that requires physical energy, you need to think of your body as one component and not separate components coming to form a being.
For instance, you would use your core when walking, running, or even when you want to let out a power punch. If you don’t use your core when practicing your footwork, you will always run out of energy fast, evade attacks slower, and have less stamina.
Stand upright
Standing upright increases your balance. And that is exactly what you need when practicing your footwork. The spine, in its natural form, ought to be straight.
It being straight increases your stamina and keeps you firmly grounded to the soil even while doing your footwork in the ring.
The moment you tilt your spine or stand in a bent position, you have lost balance and can be easily swayed off your feet. Although this doesn’t mean you should stand like a stick, maintaining proper posture can be helpful in getting your footwork right.
Exercise with a skipping rope
If you have been seeing skipping rope as something fun for children, it’s time to think otherwise.
To get your footwork done correctly, you should start practicing by skipping ropes. Skipping rope is a great exercise known to help with leg coordination and conditioning.
It is one way to learn how to use your legs perfectly without overthinking.
When using skipping ropes, just like every exercise, do well to start at a bearable speed and adjust the length of the rope to how much you can handle at the moment.
Remember not to rush things. This is not a sprint. You are teaching your brain how to better use your legs. It’s a gradual process.
Learn to take small steps
One mistake newbie boxers always make taking big steps too rapidly. Guys, you are not in the sprints. This is boxing, and you are here to score points for the punches you throw, not by how far you run.
The disadvantage of pushing yourself into a far distance is the reality of you putting yourself into your enemy’s zone too soon and deeper into his range.
Realizing you are in too deep and in trouble, pulling out quickly might become a problem as regaining balance might be slow.
This is why it is always advisable to take small steps. This saves you energy, keeps you safe and alert, and helps you have enough balance to quickly throw a punch or evade.
Wear shoes meant for boxing
If you are going to box, don’t stroll in with a pair of basketball or tennis shoes.
This is because no matter how hard you try to perfect your footwork, they will never come close to being good. Just like basketball, tennis, and football, boxing is a sport and has its own gear that is uniquely designed for boxing, including shoes.
Unlike other sporting shoes, boxing shoes are thinner and featherweight in weight and thickness. It is designed so to help your toes have a firmer grip on the ground.
This means you will have fewer soles and no curve, which helps your feet gain full balance. You should like you are wearing a pair of socks rather than a boot.
Three Boxers With Remarkable Footwork
In this section, we will highlight three boxers who stunned their opponents with their spectacular footwork.
Muhammad Ali
The late American boxer Muhammad Ali is popularly known as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers to have ever walked the earth.
He holds many awards and honorary titles that are usually uninterrupted in a row. Also, he has tons of accolades acknowledging his excellence in boxing.
Muhammad Ali showed outstanding technique in every aspect of boxing, including his footwork.
He was known to be light on his feet as he quickly shuffled them forward and backward, and side to side, enough to distract his opponent and also help him evade any attack quickly. His footwork quickly gained popularity and was coined “The Ali Shuffle”.
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Former American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. stands as one of the best boxers who competed in the Lightweight, Welterweight, Light welterweight, Super featherweight, and Light middleweight boxing divisions.
He has a long list of titles to his name and has won tons of awards. His professional boxing record is outstanding. He has been in 50 matches and has never recorded a loss.
Speaking of footwork, Floyd Mayweather Jr. shows amazing skills at his footwork too. His footwork is rapid, and they alternate quickly. When it comes to full body balance, he is a pro at it, as he knows just when to keep his feet apart to land a powerful punch.
Guillermo Rigondeaux
Guillermo Rigondeaux is one Cuban boxer who packs a punch. He is widely recognized as a World Champion in two weight divisions. Guillermo Rigondeaux competes in the Super bantamweight, Bantamweight, and Super featherweight boxing divisions and has an impressive list of titles and awards to his name.
Guillermo Rigondeaux’s footwork is also something to rave about. He effortlessly moves around in the ring, swaying his opponent with his fast yet balanced footwork.
Guillermo Rigondeaux shows great foot coordination and is regarded as one of the best at footwork.
Conclusively, improving your boxing footwork is not something you can do overnight. Relax, study, and practice.
These great boxers listed above never had excellent footwork abilities overnight. It took an incredible amount of time to get there. Trust the process.
