Using your height to your advantage in boxing is of great benefit when maintaining distance and frustrating your opponent. Height, however, can also be used when fighting on the front foot and applying pressure. In this article, we will explore 5 themes every tall pressure boxer should consider when in the ring.
5 Tips For Tall Pressure Boxers:
- Stiff Jab
- Cut Off The Ring
- Defensive Responsibility
- Dictate The Pace
- Counter Punching
First off, pressure boxing requires that you must be in great shape and be light on your feet. You must have the stamina to wear out your opponent. These themes are relatively easy for you because you have a longer reach. Now, let’s check out each one in some detail.
1.Stiff Jab
The jab is one of the most fundamental boxing techniques. It’s not as powerful as an uppercut, or some other punches, but it’s the mother of all punches. In fact, Mohammed Ali used it most of the time. It’s a tool for probing your opponent’s distance and range, and so it’s great for setting up more powerful punches. It’s easy for tall boxers because they have longer arms. They can use stiff jabs swiftly to upset their opponent and set up more formidable punches. As the name suggests, it’s a hard, straight punch that’s executed with lightning speed. Savvy boxers know there’s danger coming after most jabs. So don’t be predictable. Feign moves. “Dance” like the “greatest”, as you leverage the stiff jab to set up more lethal punches. It also helps you gauge your opponent’s dexterity.
2.Cut Off The Ring
It’s great that you’re fast, can punch well, and can defend yourself. But, if you want to excel, you must learn how to own the ring. You must use it to your advantage. The goal when you cut off the ring is to reduce the space within which your opponent can operate. You want to reach a point where you’ve trapped them such that they have no place to run. It’s a more efficient way to approach a fight. Instead of chasing them all over a big ring, get them trapped in a corner. That way, you can unleash more lethal punches. After all, you’ve constrained them.
So, how can you cut off the ring?
Don’t chase ‘em. That negates what you’re trying to do. Naturally, they’d keep running if you’re chasing them. Set a trap for them, by positioning yourself in such a way that they’d have restricted space. You should move sideways, instead. They’d most likely move backward, you keep moving forward and trap them along the ropes. Mimic their moves: If they move to the right, do likewise. If they move to the left, do the same. Psychologically, this makes them feel crowded and takes you closer to them.
You can also bounce in and out while retaining the ground you’ve gained. You lean in, throw some jabs, and then lean back to protect yourself, while you’re gradually edging toward them and ensuring they can’t reclaim the space you’ve “conquered”. Don’t rush, don’t be aggressive. Leverage jabs and then unleash a flurry of power punches.
3.Defensive Responsibility
You can’t excel at pressure boxing if your defense responsibility is weak. Defense and offense are not two disconnected things. They are complements. So, it’s not enough to be a master of deadly punches. If you don’t close your guard. If you leave openings that your opponent can easily take advantage of, a shorter, stockier, more calculated, and perhaps less-skilled boxer may overwhelm you, if they see a great opening. So, you can’t think that the offense is superior. The truth is, both offense and defense must be coordinated.
In fact, one of the goals of great defense responsibility is to set up a great offense. So, as you’re attacking, you must be fluid, speedy, and smart with your defense. What are some of the most effective defenses you can employ? They include Footwork, rolling, slipping, parrying, countering, and blocking. Let’s look at each one.
Footwork entails coordinating your movement, such that you can evade most of the opponent’s offense. In fact, apart from dodging, there are times you have to flee. But it’s also great for tiring out your opponent. Ali was exceptional at it.
Rolling is about deflecting the punches even when they land. The truth is that a lot of punches would land. Rolling is a proactive way of minimizing their impact on your body and head. One of its upsides is that you can counter punch while you roll. The shoulder roll is probably the most widely used.
Slipping entails evasion. You avoid the oncoming punches and at the same time position yourself for a counter punch. It’s super-effective when you can execute it well. It requires tons of training to get right. So, you can be punched badly if you miss.
Parrying has the same aim as blocking — you don’t wanna get hit. It’s unlike the roll, where you act as if getting hit comes with the territory. When you parry you use your hand to deflect the punch lightly. Kinda like brushing it aside. It can be highly effective. It’s also a great way to wear out an opponent. But you’d have a hard time if your opponent is super-fast with their punches!
Countering is something we all learned when we were kids. “Offense is the best defense.” Here the goal is not to defend yourself passively. But to attack as you defend. You’d have to be very good at it to make it work, because each time you attack, you’re also making yourself vulnerable. But it’s great if your timing and coordination are superb.
Blocking is self-explanatory. You block the punches. It’s probably the most basic defense in the books. It requires being alert, nimble, and strong. If you’re not strong, it’d be hard to block. But blocking is a must if you don’t want to be damaged. If you can wield it well, you’d be able to prevent a good number of the punches directed at your head and body from reaching you.
But which technique is the best, you might ask. There isn’t anyone that’s ideal for all scenarios. You have to read the trajectory of the fight and decide in a jiffy. The best boxers don’t use these defense techniques one at a time. Oh, no. Their power is heightened when you chain them together.
4.Dictate The Pace
The pace is a measure of how fast or slow you’re delivering punches and controlling the fight. It’s a vital measure because all things being equal, the dude that dictates the pace is likely going to be the winner. If you’re slow and being a follower, you could be sucker-punched by someone who’s swift and powerful. Hopkins and Mayweather are great at dictating the pace. Technical superiority, power, footwork, and speed are some vital variables to pay attention to in dictating the pace.
If you can throw 5 punches in 10 seconds, while your opponent can throw 20 power ones, it’s obvious that you’ve got your work cut out for you. If you’d like to dictate the pace, you want to be the predator, not the prey.
5.Counter Punching
Counter punching is an advanced skill. So, you’d need to devote enough time to get it. It’s the very opposite of waiting passively in a defensive position as a brawler or pressure boxer unleashes a flurry of blows at you. When you’re hip to counter punching, you’re studying them and looking for loopholes in their offense, so that you can counter (retaliate). To be effective, you need to be nimble, such that you’ve known the path of the punch before it lands, and you’re almost automatically meeting it “midair.”
You can see that it requires a lot. No matter how formidable your opponent, each time they attack you, they leave an opening. Effective counter-punching is about exploiting those openings. And, you’re also using the distance to create openings for yourself. You’re joggling ring intelligence, patience, timing, the accuracy of punches. Counter punching is highly involved and yet, it’s a must-know skill if you don’t want to be mauled.
There’s a lot to effective counter punching that it’s better we explore it in a dedicated article.
Before we call it a wrap, let’s also check out something that’d be awesome for tall pressure boxers. Your height and long arms are a blessing. No doubt. But don’t become cocky. As you probably know, our strengths can also be our weaknesses. It’s a function of the context. So wield stuff you’re good at, but don’t forget to work on those that need improvement. You don’t want any to prove to be your Achilles’ heels when you’re in the Octagon!
I’d suggest that you work on the following. Some tall dudes suck at them.
They include:
- Endurance
- Punch recovery
- Coordination
- Speed
- Power
- Balance
- Agility
Work on ’em and take your pressure boxing to a lethal level.