One of the reasons Sugar Ray Robinson is remembered is because of his ability to box moving backward. Knowing how to shift your weight is an integral part of boxing and will help you out of sticky situations in the ring. Proper footwork and stance are fundamental and cannot be stressed enough.
To box off the back foot successfully, you will need to learn how to keep your legs straight, stand tall, rotate on the balls of your feet, lower your center of gravity and create space.
In boxing, fundamentals are the basis of every move you make. With these basics, you will be able to fight comfortably in situations that require you to shift your weight to your back foot, such as when moving backward, pivoting, and countering.Read on to learn how to box off the back foot to improve your chances inside the ring.
How to Box off the Back Foot
Suppose you are leaning back while boxing; you keep your distance from your opponent. It is excellent for beginners and experienced fighters alike. If you like to fight defensively or use counterpunches, then this is the ideal fighting style for you. You can keep your opponents away using jabs and hooks, and placing weight on your back foot pulls your head off-center, making it harder for your opponent to hit. You can also block their right hand with your left shoulder.
Moving ‘in and out’ is an essential skill that all fighters must master. Boxing depends on understanding and manipulating your position in relation to your opponent. Back foot boxing helps control range, which in turn controls the pace of the bout.
- Keep Your Legs Straight
Typically in boxing, you bend your knees. It allows you to spring up and deliver explosive punches and moves forward to close the distance with your enemy quickly. However, when boxing on your back foot you are adopting a more defensive and elusive stance.
You want to avoid getting hit by stepping back from your opponent’s punches and continuously moving around him. Muhammad Ali was a master of this technique, and a cursory glance at his fights will show that he mostly kept his legs straight while dancing around his opponents in the ring. Keeping your legs straight will allow your body to move more efficiently.
- Stand Tall
The spine is the axis of movement in the body. If you stand upright and tall, it is easier to shift your weight onto your back foot. Note that the spine is not the ORIGIN of movement, but it is a POINT of action. So, don’t hunch your back or tighten your shoulders too much. It’s crucial to remain loose and relaxed, so you can push off of your back foot and attack your opponent or shift the weight back onto it whenever necessary. A rigid upper body hampers the movement and flexibility of your lower body.
- Rotate on the Balls of Your Feet
To move gracefully, you should distribute your body weight on the balls of your feet. This type of ‘rolling’ movement is the most efficient for back foot boxing as it allows you to shift your weight to move around or away from your opponent in a fraction of a second. When pushing backward, push off the ball of your foot. It forces your body away from its original position with more power than if you had stepped back with your heels first. Stepping on and off of the metatarsal bones in your feet generates power, increases your agility and the control of your movement.
- Lower Your Center of Gravity
If you watch recorded footage of boxers who like to fight on the back foot, you will notice that they tend to drop their front hand. You will also see that their head will lean towards the direction of the foot with more weight (back foot). Both the hand and the head positions are a result of the distribution of their body weight. It is because lowering your hand(s) helps you maintain balance. It also allows you to move your head and body more. You don’t have to lower your hands down to your sides. That would leave you defenseless. Dropping them down to chin or chest level is enough to do the trick.
- Create Space
Whenever your opponent starts to attack you, create space for yourself by stepping back or moving out of the way. The objective is not to run but rather to position your body just outside his striking range. Not only does this frustrate your opponent, but it also allows you to study his movements, have some breathing room, and set him up for a counterpunch.
How NOT to Box on your Back Foot
Apart from covering up, everything else in boxing comes with its risks, mostly when not done correctly. Here is a list of mistakes to avoid when boxing off your back foot.
- Don’t Run
As explained above, running is not the goal of back foot fighting. It might seem like the easy option, but it’s not very useful unless, of course, you are far ahead of your opponent on the judge’s scorecard. If you are too far from your opponent, you’ll waste valuable energy trying to close in and hit him with counterpunches.
- Don’t Fight on the Inside
Fighting on the inside puts you up close with the enemy. The objective is to keep some distance between you and your adversary, not too close, not too far. You should be just outside your opponent’s striking range. After you’ve worn him out by continually moving around and stepping back from his attacks, it can be tempting to close the distance and assault your enemy with a flurry of head and body shots to achieve a quick knockout or knockdown.
DO NOT do this. Back foot fighting relies on defensive and evasive maneuvers.
- Don’t Drop Your Guard
Fighting on the back foot and relying on counterpunches doesn’t mean you get to neglect your defensive boxing skills. Never leave your head or body unprotected. It only takes one good head or liver shot to end the fight. Use a high guard to protect your head, and drop your arms or roll your body to defend against combos to your body and head. Keep your enemy at a distance but watch his fists. Don’t let him catch you when you’re vulnerable.
Remember to keep a clear line of sight between you and your opponent so you can see what he’s doing. Distance only diminishes the threat; it does not eliminate it. Just keep your head down close and keep punching.
- Don’t Be Predictable
You can retreat and dance around your opponent all you want. In the end, you won’t defeat him if all you do is telegraph your punches by throwing jabs at him when he gets too close. Mix up your attacks and counterpunches with a variety of jabs, crosses, and uppercuts.
Advantages of Boxing off the Back Foot
Shifting your weight to your rear foot comes with its advantages. Here is an in-depth look at some of them.
Conserve Energy
Back foot fighting allows you to save your strength and stamina for counterpunches. If you do it right, your opponent will be swinging at air, tiring them out. This technique also works to frustrate them and their strategy.
Protect Yourself
Staying out of range or just outside the range of your opponent means you can avoid getting hit. Keep them at bay with jabs and hooks and dance around them when they move in for the attack. Muhammad Ali’s “Rope a Dope” tactics utilized this tactic to maximize efficiency. By allowing his opponent to exert himself by pursuing him and swinging at a target he just couldn’t hit, Joe Frazier got defeated. In simple terms, your opponent can’t hurt you if he can’t hit you.
Study Your Opponent
Keeping your distance from your opponent lets you study his movement and anticipate his next attack. It also allows you to set him up for a counterpunch.
Improves Timing
Back foot boxing teaches you to perfect your timing when delivering counterpunches and retreating from attacks. The ability to read your opponent’s body language and anticipate his next attack lets you plan for counters and gives you the edge when it comes to knockouts or knockdowns.
Leave Your Opponents Stunned
Back foot boxing is perfect for defensive fighters and counter punchers. It conserves energy, helps you control the pace of the bout, and the distance between you and your opponent, sets them up for counterpunches, and it gives you some breathing room in the ring. This fighting style is ideal for beginners and intermediates alike.
This elusive and flamboyant fighting style was popularized by boxers such as Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali. They were experts at dancing around their opponents and wearing them down by evading their attacks and frustrating their game-plan.
The best fighters are experts at the basics, and if you want to be a good boxer, you will have to master fighting on the back foot. Practice with your sparring partner, have him attack you relentlessly in the ring so you can practice stepping back from and stepping around his attacks as well as delivering counterpunches.