Tension

Hello all,

My question is tension of the whole body, but mainly the upper body. I try to keep loose in the hands, arms, shoulders and back, yet I still feel like I can't get loose.

Either I ease the pressure in my hands so much that my wrists bend and create bad form, or I feel like I tense up right as I'm about to throw a punch and feel like it's telegraphed. Also, what should tension in the legs be like? On the balls of the feet all the time or just back heel raised slightly?

I watch old fights of Ali, as he looks the most relaxed to me in the ring. Feet so light and bouncy, flicking the jab, with the counstant circling.

I on the other hand feel like Frankenstein taking mummy steps and arm punching or something.

I'm just down on myself because I have been boxing over a year and feel like I have hit a plateau and don't feel like I'm on the same level as guys at my gym who have been there about the same time. :mad:

Unless you'rein a clinch, defending a shot or throwing a punch as it makes conact you should be relaxed.

Think about whipping someone a towel, when you through the towel out it is loose and relaxed... it travels quickly through the air, when the towel makes contact you tug on the towel... creating tension through out it, and *SNAP* it makes a whip and makes who ever it's hit yelp/scream.

If you throw out the towel and don't tense it... it eill harmlessly flap at the target... if you tense it as soon as it's moving it'll do nothing but make a dull thud.. there needs to be a snap.

and this is the same with punching. Relax... Snap *BANG*

If you conctentrate on moving correctly and tensing at the point of impact then the rest will follow, it's all about transfering force, it gets generate from the floor upwards, begining with the torque of twisting and pressing at the ankles, knees, hips waiste and shoulders, your arms are mrely transfering the product of that.

Iv been using a squash ball with a small slit cut in it to practice snapping the hands out quickly during shaddow boxing.

Just put the ball in your hand holding is softly and throw the punch as normal, as soon as your almost at full extension (just before impact) squeeze the ball( you should hear a hiss) then relax the hand again and snap it back to guard.
Do it slowly to start out as it can be a little odd at first then slowly speed it up.

It has helped myself it may help you relax the arms/upper body before teeing off

Good training device aussie egg, think im going to make one of these myself, i love homemade devices such as these can often be very effective and very cheap. reps

hey skinny my advice to you my friend is dont worry so much about others during training, concentrate on yourself just make sure you are progressing rather than others, if i was you i would take a camera and record yourself when you train you will see yourself and any mistakes your making will show up, but at the same time you will see your progression, i believe that is a big part of boxing is seeing the progress your making yourself, that is what tells you the training is working and that is what will drive you to continue, it will build your confidence. just make sure when you watch your trying to correct somthing your doing wrong in the next training session when you watch the next training session hopefuly you will have started correcting things and you should see progression every few sessions. it seems like your losing confidence in yourself i think if you video yourself itll give you a big confidence boost.