Quote Originally Posted by God.in.my.corner View Post
I have a big problem with telegraphing my jab. The problem is that my elbow flares while throwing the left jab. I saw a neat trick mentioned by Scrap about jabbing while standing next to a wall to help straighten it out. That has worked some, but here's my problem:

The lead arm should be vertical to the floor (or so I have been told). My flexibility in my shoulders and chest has always been kind of poor, so my lead arm always drifts to the right, I hold it about at 2 o'clock. When I hold it straight at 12 o'clock, I feel tension in my shoulder. Specifically the outer head of my lead shoulder. It dosent feel natural and my shoulders tire just trying to strain to hold it in this position.

What exercises/stretches can I do to help loosen the arm and make it more natural? I feel this will help keep that jab straight.

Thanks in advance for any help/advice.
Hey God in my Corner

Bit confused, I think if your lead arm is drifting right then you are southpaw? This doesn't matter to the following advice, I'm just curious really. Whilst this may well be a flexibility issue, I kind of agree with one of the earlier posts regarding a potential technical problem. I always get a little confused when people talk so much of shoulders during the execution of a punch, particularly a jab. I feel that the push from the front leg and the subsequent rotation of the hips around a central axis to point directly at your opponent is what enables a straight jab to be thrown, not what the shoulders are doing. Scrap's earlier advice on the use of a wall is always a goodun. An additional option is to place a piece of tape on a mirror (vertically) and from a static stance ensure that you are getting maximum rotation of the hips around the central axis (the tape being that central axis). It will feel awkward at first but do persist and you will be rewarded.

Cheers

Fran