Question about Counterpunching and range

[HerbM]

I could easily have written your post to describe myself -- and probably did write something similar to it a couple of times in the last few months.

One trivial difference is that my coach forced me to stop going forward, to wait for my opponents to close and then hit them (a lot).

He (at least partially) predicates this on my having longer arms than most anyone I work with -- generally he is telling the opponent they must work inside to negate my advantage of reach.

Even then, he is saying that you must almost always work left or right, or off timing punches, to get inside.

Now, I am a new boxer (5+ months now), so it doesn't MEAN anything, but the guys who are approximately at my level
just don't get to hit me very often -- sometimes not at all -- when I do this.

Sometimes I do initiate but I do it by getting back just out of MY range, then stepping up where I can reach but they still cannot, through a few punches and then retreating (usually at an angle so I can repeat the whole process.)

Remember, this is only against other beginners so I am not claiming any great skill, but the method almost seems like cheating.

I hit. I don't get hit (much).

This is effective enough that lately when we are doing shadow sparring, I can pretty well control most of my opponents WITHOUT hitting even though they are really trying to tag me (a bit harder than they really should, but like you I don't really mind taking a punch).

Even then, I get hit by very few even though they are walking through my jabs and when that wouldn't be possible were I really hitting.

For me now, it's all about staying out of range UNTIL I want to hit, getting in and getting out quicly as soon as I get my hits, or hitting him as he is coming into my range, moving left and right, holding the center of the ring even if backing up, good defense especially parrying with my right hand while jabbing a lot until my opponent moves his hands then using other punches and movement to work in close (if I wish.)

I will enjoy reading what the experts write on this subject....

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HerbM