The Straight Right Hand

[Walker Smith Jr.]

strictly sp.. i understood that whole thing with a strange clarity.. either you explain things real damn well, or the left handed think alike. kudos.

[greynotsoold]

Amazing....pretty damned literate for a bunch of punch-drunk guys!

[Sharla]

[size=11pt]REVIEW

[size=11pt]1. Body weight must be shifted directly over the straight left leg.

OK I won't pretend I am an expert on this topic but am not too sure about this particular point since it doesn't mesh with something another coach has told me before. I have been told not to bring your bodyweight up with punches as it's supposed to take part of the power away - I'd figure straightening the left leg would do this.

Also if you're left leg is locked straight wouldn't it be harder to mover after the punch? I've been told never to allow my legs to lock straight but to always have a little 'give' in my knees.

Also wouldn't having all the weight on the left leg mean you're taking the weight off of the rear leg - which goes against the idea of driving off of it?

Also as a bitter old women who's done er knee before I'd worry that locking the knees out -especially when throwing power punches - would increase the chance of injury.

Perhaps there's a simple explanation to all of this someone can give me......

[Trainer Monkey]

[size=11pt]REVIEW

[size=11pt]1. Body weight must be shifted directly over the straight left leg.

OK I won't pretend I am an expert on this topic but am not too sure about this particular point since it doesn't mesh with something another coach has told me before. I have been told not to bring your bodyweight up with punches as it's supposed to take part of the power away - I'd figure straightening the left leg would do this.

Also if you're left leg is locked straight wouldn't it be harder to mover after the punch? I've been told never to allow my legs to lock straight but to always have a little 'give' in my knees.

Also wouldn't having all the weight on the left leg mean you're taking the weight off of the rear leg - which goes against the idea of driving off of it?

Also as a bitter old women who's done er knee before I'd worry that locking the knees out -especially when throwing power punches - would increase the chance of injury.

Perhaps there's a simple explanation to all of this someone can give me......

Nope,Im with Sharla on this,the littany of bad habits that could develop from trying to throw it that way is endless
As I explained to Donny about the hook,hip not legs

[Scrap]

If the front is bearing weight the mechanics of the hip wont work the front big toe wont do its job to work the achillies both legs have a job to create balance and move the left shoulder.

[Sharla]

OK glad i'm not going completely nuts (although maybe I am already!) - CC for clarifying that Monkey and Scrap

[Trainer Monkey]

If the front is bearing weight the mechanics of the hip wont work the front big toe wont do its job to work the achillies both legs have a job to create balance and move the left shoulder.

To expand on that,you never,and I do mean NEVER, want your head going beyond your knee
It totally queers your center of balance
If you get caught with a cross,its only helping you down,and if you get caught with an uppercut,your actually doubling your opponents power

[donnydarkoIRL]

Guys I often throw a 1-2 then a second right hand.
The first right is textbook, but the second means i dip to the left a lot in extending the arma s much as possible.

I get a lot of power on the second punch but is it worth doing incorrectly?

[Trainer Monkey]

Guys I often throw a 1-2 then a second right hand.
The first right is textbook, but the second means i dip to the left a lot in extending the arma s much as possible.

I get a lot of power on the second punch but is it worth doing incorrectly?

Interesting timing,Feur is right now being drilled on not doing that
A) it telegraphs
B) you creek yourself open
C) your off balance

[donnydarkoIRL]

Guys I often throw a 1-2 then a second right hand.
The first right is textbook, but the second means i dip to the left a lot in extending the arma s much as possible.

I get a lot of power on the second punch but is it worth doing incorrectly?

Interesting timing,Feur is right now being drilled on not doing that
A) it telegraphs
B) you creek yourself open
C) your off balance

The point that clinched it was the balance part.
As for telegraphing, I throw it quick so I don't mind as it's ending a combo.
As for being open I can handle that.
But the balance I was worried about and I agree I'll have to alter to improve it.

[Scrap]

If the 1st is texbook the 2nd cant be longer from your centre of gravity impossible.

[ThomasTabin]

I have been told not to bring your bodyweight up with punches as it's supposed to take part of the power away

Is your coach instructing you to not use body weight in your punches? If the concept of punching is that of accelerated weight then how can what he is instructing possibly be correct? Do you agree that the goal of punching is to accelerate weight?

Also if you're left leg is locked straight wouldn't it be harder to mover after the punch? I've been told never to allow my legs to lock straight but to always have a little 'give' in my knees.

Well the central idea to having the weight end up over the left leg is pretty simple. As the body turns during the right hand what you are ultimately doing is moving weight. Specifically your moving it forward. So it *must* end over your left leg. It has no where else to go. The right hand gets all of its power from the weight being moved forward over to the left leg. This is because the weight is being carried within the right hand as the body turns. The right hand itself is doing nothing more than juts catching a ride on this weight as its being moved. As the body is turning, weight is being accelerated, and thus anything which gets hit by that weight as its being accelerated is going to absorb a lot of force.


If your stance is too wide or too bent at the knee then your front leg (which is your left leg) will not be able to fully catch the weight which you were moving forward; reducing power.

Also wouldn't having all the weight on the left leg mean you're taking the weight off of the rear leg - which goes against the idea of driving off of it?

Remember that the central idea in the right hand is to move weight forward. The arm is there to capture the essence of this acceleration of weight. The weight ends up over your left leg *after* you move the weight forward. The majority of your body weight should be over your left leg upon completing the right hand. This actually is in keeping with your idea that one should drive off of there rear foot i.e weight is being moved forward from the rear foot to the front foot.

In regards to having the left leg locked I agree I don't think the leg must be locked at the knee. I find that straight but some slight bend at the knee is good enough.

[Scrap]

While the heel is under the Glutes you can Generate most power. When the big toe goes past the line of the glutes you loose the ability to Generate Power

[Sharla]

I have been told not to bring your bodyweight up with punches as it's supposed to take part of the power away

Is your coach instructing you to not use body weight in your punches? If the concept of punching is that of accelerated weight then how can what he is instructing possibly be correct? Do you agree that the goal of punching is to accelerate weight?

Also if you're left leg is locked straight wouldn't it be harder to mover after the punch? I've been told never to allow my legs to lock straight but to always have a little 'give' in my knees.

Well the central idea to having the weight end up over the left leg is pretty simple. As the body turns during the right hand what you are ultimately doing is moving weight. Specifically your moving it forward. So it *must* end over your left leg. It has no where else to go. The right hand gets all of its power from the weight being moved forward over to the left leg. This is because the weight is being carried within the right hand as the body turns. The right hand itself is doing nothing more than juts catching a ride on this weight as its being moved. As the body is turning, weight is being accelerated, and thus anything which gets hit by that weight as its being accelerated is going to absorb a lot of force.


If your stance is too wide or too bent at the knee then your front leg (which is your left leg) will not be able to fully catch the weight which you were moving forward; reducing power.

Also wouldn't having all the weight on the left leg mean you're taking the weight off of the rear leg - which goes against the idea of driving off of it?

Remember that the central idea in the right hand is to move weight forward. The arm is there to capture the essence of this acceleration of weight. The weight ends up over your left leg *after* you move the weight forward. The majority of your body weight should be over your left leg upon completing the right hand. This actually is in keeping with your idea that one should drive off of there rear foot i.e weight is being moved forward from the rear foot to the front foot.

In regards to having the left leg locked I agree I don't think the leg must be locked at the knee. I find that straight but some slight bend at the knee is good enough.

I'm not sure I explained myself very clearly here so I'll try to elaborate. I've been taught to put my power into the punches. I've been taught not to straighten my knees at the end of a punch.

I've been taught to shift my weight in the direction of the punch which in my mind wouldn't be directly to the left but towards my opponent without breaking at the hips and facing the ground. For this to work well my distancing would need to be right not too far away.

I guess what I didn't complete agree with was the idea that to shift the weight was step number one. I think the weight needs to move in the direction of the punch with the punch.

I guess I'd also prefer to describe the weight shift in terms of a direction rather than over x leg because people with different types of stances (more or less square) will get different results that way.

[Scrap]

Ive mentioned before go for a walk do it in slow motion feel what muscle groups generate you forward its simple. Look where the transfer of weight occurs for balance and leverage remember the first thing athletic we do in life is walk and its self taught no two people walk excatly the same but balance is the same, Gravity gives direction to us all, well most.