Straight punches and the shoulder

I recently had an 'Ah Ha!' moment when the light bulb went off for me. A coach pointed out something I was doing while I was working the heavy bag.

He told me, with your straight punches, make sure the shoulder you are punching with touches you chin EACH TIME you throw. This is of course to provides you with protection against a counter (which I knew), but I learned 2 other things.

I got so much more power on my shots. I wasnt 'pushing' the shot, but rather driving the punch. I could feel my whole body weight strike the bag with each blow.

And I found that I was short changing myself on my distance. Especially with the back hand, my right. I found that I could punch maybe an extra 3-4 inches forward without reaching. And of course a few inches make all the difference in the world. I used to beat myself up on why my right hand wouldn't land as much, and I really think I finally solved it. I know that when you turn your punches over, this causes the rotation and extension in your rotator cuff, extending the arm to its maximum. I think in my effort to speed up my punches, I was barely even turning them over!

I can't wait to spar this week. Is this just a basic fundemental that I missed or neglicted??

Yes.
Congratulations.

Is strange how somewhat small changes in technique can have such a big difference. And also when 'a new set of eyes' watches your form and is helpful enough to spend some of his time helping you.

Remember when you spar- don't cheat the jab to land the right hand. Make sure and get it all the way out or the distance on your right hand will be off.

It is great isn't in when something clicks and makes a hell of a lot of difference. I remember reading on here to 'pull' my punches rather than 'push' and that made a huge difference to me.

Interestingly its harder to do with the chin down ;D. What moves the shoulders is the opposite shoulder, chin down tightens the psosses stops the turn as it should be plus the psosses engages the groin, cant win ;D

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Originally Posted by Scrap

Interestingly its harder to do with the chin down ;D. What moves the shoulders is the opposite shoulder, chin down tightens the psosses stops the turn as it should be plus the psosses engages the groin, cant win ;D

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so if you get hit on the botton with the chin tucked in, you're in essence going to feel it in your groin? :-X

No with the chin down, it stops the muscles that work the shoulders, from working, as they already have a response from the head, it changes the biomechanics of what you are attempting.

so you would keep your chin up? or can you lower the chin by sinking your stomach into your hips thus collapssing down bringing the chin down without lowering it and bringing the elbows in tighter as well? just curious what stance you would advocate

Chin in not Down, gives better Oral stability, therefore better nueromuscular balance. Makes everything work as it should, you dont block any pathways of energy. Or movement to stop do.

What's the view, should the hips rotate the same amount as the shoulders, with the front leg bending slightly to allow that rotation?

On its own, the hip cant move. There lies the problem, its a biomechanical impossability. What moves the hip is the backfoot moving the in the same direction as the fist. Without losing drive, a good way of learning the technique, as you are throwing the right imagen theres someone behind you, about to shove a red hot poker, up your arse ;D. It gives you the ability to control the coxxys for stability with the head.

Oh, what moves the right shoulder is the left shoulder, if that doesnt move the right cant.

Scrap. I'll give the poker a miss (already had a poker this week, and once is enough for even the greediest of us ;D), however, the final post on the shoulder is something that I can use. I have always coached hip and therefore upper body rotation for straight shots, and the initiator for this is as you say the back foot. One of the problems that I have encountered with boxers over the years is under-rotation when throwing the straight back hand (right cross.) The boxer under-rotates and as a consequence loses length and leverage on the shot. They lose confidence in the shot because they get caught when throwing it, and this loss of confidence causes more under-rotation and so on and so on. In the end, they can stop throwing the shot altogether.

Now, fixing this problem is where your shoulder tip comes in. I always make the boxer really focus on the drive from the back foot, but when trying to fix a problem the boxer can sometimes struggle with this. Your tip of throwing the left shoulder back in order to propel the right shoulder forward seems to me to be a useful method of emphasising that rotation, it's certainly something that I can use in the gym.

Good stuff Scrap, like that one.

Also Fran by moving or driving the left shoulder back, it helps the balance of the motion. Keeping weight on the back foot. Plus the poker thing, it closes your glutes and drives the Hip Flexus in making the coxxys stable, stopping the lean forward with the shot. Elbows where they should be, gives a great following Lefthook. ;D