Top 3 Counter-punching drills

Boxing teaches that keeping your arms close to your body while extending them undermines protection. Striking an opponent shows a weakness that may be exploited, while missing leaves you susceptible to a counterpunch.

The same is true for your opponent. It is critical for success to recognize chances to counterpunch when they miss. Drills that are repeated are essential for developing this skill. Training, on the other hand, might get tedious.

Including a variety of heavy bag exercises gives variety while avoiding monotony. While live partner training is preferred, heavy bag workouts offer a controlled setting for technique development. Movements become natural with the practice of successful execution in high-pressure sparring.

In this blog we’ll concentrate on counterpunching exercises. You should preferably have a partner or instructor to imitate punches with a long item. As an alternative, use your imagination.

The hook is a punch with a decent possibility of knocking someone out if you land it exactly where you want. The drawback is that it often leaves you vulnerable when you go full power and strike the air instead. This exercise uses that gap to drive your hook deep into the body of the opposition.

Here is a step-by-step guide to doing this boxing exercise:

1. Keep an eye out for the right hook coming your way. It will approach you from the left.
2. To go beneath the hook, lower your knees.
3. As you turn your body to the left simultaneously, load your left hook.
4. The right side of the “opponent”‘s torso will be seen since he just launched a right hook into the air. You are now well-positioned to deliver the counterpunch.
5. Put the body on the left hook. 
6. Particularly if the victim of the hook is still twisted, this response may be quite powerful. It’s because being twisted prevents someone from bracing their core against an approaching strike, leaving them vulnerable and unable to block.

This exercise may be performed from the other side.

Most of the time, throwing a right hook to the body requires getting close. The body hook’s mechanics cause the puncher to expose their head on the receiving side. They are now more vulnerable to a counterpunching fighter’s uppercut to the same side.

Told, a right hook prepares you for a left uppercut by opening up the right side of your head.

Here is a step-by-step guide to doing this boxing exercise:

1. Look for the right body hook, which will come from your left.
2. Keep your arms close to your body and twist and bend slightly to the left to use your left elbow to shield your ribs.
3. Additionally, the blocking stance packs your punch. Extend your left uppercut once the hook has landed. To exert power, twist your hips and shoulders.
4. From the other side, repeat the exercise.

Another boxing exercise that makes sense is this one. You are in the ideal position to load your punch and provide power as you move to protect yourself from the hook. Here’s how to do this exercise:

1. Cover your face and roll a little away from the hook to deflect an approaching left hook (coming from the right).
2. Twist your shoulders slightly to the left simultaneously to load your punch.
3. Finally, unleash the full power of your left hook.
4. There is a significant likelihood that the opponent exposed his head & left it open for a counter hook if he has completely committed to it. Even experts often drop their right hand while delivering the left hook, giving the counter a free look to the jaw.

Read More: Ready, Set, Defend: 10 Essential Defensive Drills For Boxing