Jab improvement

[walkersmith]

hi and happy xmas to all, i have a question about improving my jab- how should i train to do this...? any drills etc? my technique is ok i think its probably more getting the timing and also endurance and strentgh in the jab. my coach has a drill where we get in rhythm and hit the floor to ceiling ball in and out with jab for 1 min x3 with 30 secs rest between the 1 min rounds just started this last week and i can see the endueance benefits but will it make my jab slow as i am jabbing slower when tired?? any help regarding the jab would be great

[Von Milash]

no I don't think it will slow it down. Jabbing the DE bag all out for a few rounds will do you good.

IMO, it's actually quite difficult to work on your jab. You can do push ups, but IMO you have to tuck your elbow in when doing them to try to use the same muscles in the same proportions.

you can also do chest passes with a medicine ball... again, keep the elbow down.

I also "invented" a little gadget to work the jab muscles. I strapped a harness to my elbow and a bungee cord from the harness to a low point on a wall. Then just jab as though you were shadow boxing. It works the shoulder muscles incredibly well. You'd be surprised at how much resistance bungee cord will offer, especially when doubled up.

You can also do the same thing with the strap connected to your wrist to work more the tricep area to get that SNAP.

I think somewhere in the stuck thread or the subforum is a thread I started a couple years ago showing a pic of what I came up with.

[walkersmith]

thanks Von M i suppose nothing will improve it like repetition, repetition, repetition! like my coach always says

[Youngblood]

Merry christmas walker...I boxed for 9 months before my first fight. my coach at the time wouldn't even teach me anything else but to jab right up until it.

Step jab, snapping it etc . elbow tight to body. Guard in right place when throwing it. And yea, a ton of repetition. I am fairly sure my jab was better then, then it is now...since I learned all this other stuff and began developing a style.

Am probably due for refresher on how to jab again. Your coach sounds like he knows what he's doing.

[walkersmith]

thanks Youngblood i def think my jab was better when i spent time on it in thr past i suppose you can sometimes lose track of the very basics when there is so much to learn

[Von Milash]

Walker,

Don't mention it. One thing to keep in mind, when you jab the DE bag and you get tired, don't let the fatigue ruin your form. ie, bring it back nice and high. A lot of guys when tired will jab and bring their hand back low. It opens you to a nice right hand counter.

[Douglas]

hi and happy xmas to all, i have a question about improving my jab- how should i train to do this...? any drills etc? my technique is ok i think its probably more getting the timing and also endurance and strentgh in the jab. my coach has a drill where we get in rhythm and hit the floor to ceiling ball in and out with jab for 1 min x3 with 30 secs rest between the 1 min rounds just started this last week and i can see the endueance benefits but will it make my jab slow as i am jabbing slower when tired?? any help regarding the jab would be great

Whether it be shadowboxing, on the bag, or on the floor to ceiling ball, do about a hundred jabs, nonstop. And a hundred GOOD ones (make sure youre technique's good, etc.)

[BoxingDude66]

I have a very nice Jab myself and technically, it probably is my best punch.


What these guys say about repetition is very true, practice makes perfect. However I have some slight tips to give your Jab a little more "oomph" to it.


My first suggestion would be to turning your left hip to the right slightly when throwing the Jab. This will increase the power of your Jab. It may sound a little confusing, so I'll show you a clip of a Jab with hip movement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0msCCnzmNA
His front foot isn't correct and he's twisting his hips too much, but you get the idea. It should be a slight twist of the hips, not putting the whole hips into it, it should be a short twist. Twist too much, and you will compromise the right hand.

This is a good Jab, there is the hip twist and the slight angling off of the head:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk7l4...e=channel_page



My last suggestion would be to move in with the Jab. Boxing is about moving in and out and angles, a boxer can have great punching power, but if he can't move well when he punches, he loses A LOT of his effectiveness. Moving in with the hip twist Jab also sets up well for the Cross in the standard Jab, Cross. When you move in with a Jab, it will be strong because you're putting your whole body into it. It is not a "power punch", but it has a lot of power to it. So practice stepping in with a Jab and side stepping (do not go straight back after throwing a Jab)

[Zelley]

Mixing up the number of jabs executed is very important
therefore pracrice single, double and triple jabs.
Practise power jabs, by feinting with the right hand.

Practise all the possible defences for the jab including
blocking, slipping, bobbing and weaving etc.

Learn to counter a jab with a jab.

Of all the punches, the left jab is likely the most important. And it is possible to win fights with just the jab, and good balance, footwork
and defensive skills.

[jujulio]

I tried the search feature to find the post where it dealt with the position of the fist when connecting: horizontal or vertical; but it seems that the search feature won't work for me any idea? Anyway i will post here, I didn't try it often but one thing i liked with turning the fist all the way to 6' is taht it can allow you to pierce easier a defense since the there is less width this way.but then i have to enage my shoulder in such a way that i tend to bend my body a bit downward...is this wrong? Never tried this, but this could allow me to duck under a counter afterwards (on the outside) since I'm already bent and go for a right hook to the body? Next session I'd give it a try but what's your take?

also i use the "perfect push up" maybe you're familiar with them, rotating handles to do push up, since the motion is basicaly the same as a jab, is it a good thing for muscle memory? the thing is the rotation might occur too early compared to a snapping jab....

[Chris Nagel]

I'm not sure what you're saying, but based on what I've read turning your fist over, palm-down is the smart way to go. You should avoid bringing your elbow up too soon as that can damage your shoulder over time.

One drill that you can do is to stand next to the wall, with your left shoulder, elbow and hand against it. Jab while turning your fist over. This will pevent you from bringing your elbow up.

[jujulio]

What I'm saying is that at the end, the thumb is downward, to do so the body is bent to the right and the left shoulder rises high. Does stretching prevents this? Is it the same as a tennis elbow??