The Theory of the Sweet Science
The Theory of the Sweet Science
My second personal favorite after the left hook, the straight right can be a devastating punch for anyone on the wrong end of it. Again I’ll be demonstrating this as an orthodox or right handed puncher, if you are left handed then you need to adjust accordingly. If you’re not sure then go take a look at The Jab article.
The straight right is a natural punch and for that reason I’m betting that you already know how to do it even if you have never boxed before – it’s just that you don’t realize it.
If you take a look at the basics of the movement we want, we’ll often see it in different and sometimes everyday situations, albeit in subtle and exaggerated forms.
So, the movement or a variation of it, can be seen when we:
So from that, in boxing we convert this simple reaching/throwing action into a punch.
You’ll start with your guard up and the same stance as you learnt in The Jab
And what you’re doing is moving your right hand towards the object (whilst keeping your left hand up to protect your jaw) you want to target WITHOUT moving your feet with ONE simple exception. The only foot that will move is your right foot with the heel coming off the ground as demonstrated below.
If you just punch without lifting your right heel what you’ll have is a typical ‘arm punch’ which is extremely ineffective. You will also find that you have very limited range.
So when you lift your right heel off the ground you’re achieving what?
What ‘s happening here is that your weight is being shifted forward and due to your right heel leaving the ground your hips will rotate slightly in an anti-clockwise direction, this is where the power is coming from. It’s being transferred from the ground to your legs then up to your ‘core’ which is your hips, abs, back, shoulders, arms and ultimately your fist. This is why it’s very important to have a strong core in boxing, it allows for efficient and effective transfer of power from the ground up without any energy being bled out along the way. If there is a weakness in the chain, it’ll show up in your punch
But forget about core work for now, this is punching 101, not exercises, so just concentrate on the movements at this stage.
When you know and feel reasonably comfortable in both the Jab and the straight right you can practice on a heavy bag by throwing a jab-right-jab combination. The object of finishing off with a jab is to get you used to getting back on balance and also into the habit of jabbing off of your oppenent but that comes later.
Don’t over balance and lean too far forward or you’ll end up falling over and/or you will be open to attack. Your weight should be under control at all times. So make sure you maintain balance and don’t over commit your body weight.
Having your feet spaced too far apart thus causing you to be easily knocked off balance and drastically reducing your potential to get power into the straight right punch. I've even seen seasoned boxers making this huge error. Make sure don't fall into this habit.
