Need a stronger, quicker jab

[Nothing 2 Lose]

I boxed for about two years ages 14-16, had to quit due to injury (broken left wrist) and never got back into it. Now, I'm 20 and thinking about fighting again. Been working the speed bag, heavy bag, mitts, jump roping, running, lifting, etc.

My jab has completely gone (thumbs down). Any body have any tips on what I can do to increase the speed and the strength of my weak ass jab?

Thanks.

[cambay411]

I cant help but think that your problem is in your form. Do you have anyone around to critique your form? Is your problem that your wrist is weak from where you broke it?

[the killer]

Speed push ups and work on your form... your jab will be like your sparring partners right

[Scrap]

The line muscle tendons and the nerves going to the 4th and5th vertabrae was damaged by shock and compensation. You need a good stretch program, to put things right.

[iceman]

Scrap = Yoda, help you he will....stretching is very very under rated for PRE-hab...it also should be a part of re-hab for all injuries that keep a portion of your body from moving its full rom.

[the killer]

Stretching only?!? i stretch before every workout. are you saying that is all it takes?

[COUNTERintuitive]

Technique will largely dictate your power, there are many types of jabs and thus many techniques: snapping the punch, underhand, vertical fist to split guards, only partially turning it over to reduce telegraphing with the elbow, and more. The technique Ive found to really increase how stiff my jab is is this: Turning the shoulder of course, having it set and slightly leaning forward.

-Setting the shoulder forward like the top bit of a pushup, using your serratus.
-The lean forward is like you where doing a db side bend is probably the best way to discribe it in text.

So turn the shoulder, set it (both simultaneous) and near the end youll be leaning forward (side bend) a bit and connect. Connect too soon and you lose alot of power but get the timing of everything right youll feel the hit all the way down your body because there is zero give.

Other than technique start spending in the neighborhood of 3 rounds just working your jab on the heavybag after your regular rounds. I will switch from doing singles to doubles for 30 second intervals and occasionally triples. Remember to circle to both sides and always strive for perfect form. I prefer using the heaviest bags in our gym (150lbs I think....) for this.

And theres Ross's isometric punch + med ball punches. That plus speed drills.

[WayneFlint]

Stretching only?!? i stretch before every workout. are you saying that is all it takes?

Not just basic stretching lol like iceman says scrap is like the Yoda of boxing you will do well to take any advice he gives, look at scraps stretching guide, to put it in laymans, its strength, conditioning, stretching, and recovery all in one. its like advanced stretching but with a fucking turbo on it tbh lol. usually a few well known quite advanced strength building principles thrown in with the stretches mixed with pro-receptive work, static contractions, and a tonn of other well known training principles i cant remember the names of, i really dont have time but i could go on and on believe me theres no end to the benefits of the stretches you will find in scraps guide, and theres loads of them so they dont get boring and keeps the mind happy and brain working as it should which is probably more than half of the game or at least thats what im starting to believe as i go on..

So turn the shoulder, set it (both simultaneous) and near the end youll be leaning forward (side bend) a bit and connect. Connect too soon and you lose alot of power but get the timing of everything right youll feel the hit all the way down your body because there is zero give.

Losing power is almost a certainty if your leaning on the front foot your probably pushing rather than rotating, given the feet and knees are used properly, weight distributed evenly, elbow travelling direct and shoulders rotating properly your only leaving 1 joint the force can escape and thats the wrist, however good elbow placement will ensure your strongest forarm muscle is supporting it instead of the weakest like most do and this is important to get the most you can from your punches in regards to overall effectiveness of the strike, if you roll your wrist regular or maybe once in a blue moon on the heavy bag due to miss judging your range its a good indicator your elbow movement isnt economically sound.

Good elbow placement will also give you a bigger 'sweet spot' as i call it or a bigger allowance in range if thats easier to understand, asin the shot wont be nullified by a glove or whatever quite as easily and for a larger percentage of the shot even if an attempt is made to smother the shot the bones are in a good position for leverage to work its magic and you have the strongest muscle in the forarm supporting the wrists throughout which now makes sense and will help prevent rolling of the wrist and give a much, much bigger allowance in terms of range aswell as a much stronger and faster shot using far less energy and your jab turns from an arm punch into a full body punch.. now you have a jab.

Theres countless useful threads and posts on saddo going into greater detail with the jab, use the search function mate itll help you loads.

[iceman]

Wayne ya lost me on the elbow placement, any chance you could post a pic of proper as you are saying and the most common way to do it wrong? this might help a lot

[the killer]

wow, ill have to check these stretches out! ide give at least one of my balls to not have to do as many push ups...

[Zelley]

an important point is all jabs do not have to be strong jabs and fast jabs -
as the old saying goes - "variety is the spice of life" - so a liitle spice in the jabbing is a winning ingredient which should have
you cooking and not left looking.

[WayneFlint]

Iceman the elbow should travel in as direct a path as possible from guard to its target and back down the same path, basically dont flare the elbow on straight punches, if your flaring elbows you will see that the path the elbow follows to full extention will be quite a strange curvey path rather than a direct path, this isnt good economy of movement and aswell like i tried to explain it leaves greater potential for force to escape from joints due to the weaker muscles being the ones supporting the shot, this is mainly a problem when having range messed up, range being miss judged or timing wrong or the shot gets smothered, whatever can happen in the ring, elbow traveling in a straight line gives the joints of the arm support from the strongest muscles, is a lot quicker as its a more direct path thus wastes less energy and gives greater potential for a stronger shot through a larger range of motion of the strike.

Hope this makes sense now lol, i just like to explain why good technique is used it helps me work things out in my mind and sometimes writing it down helps me think things through in more detail, itll also teach you a principle to use and why to use it rather than just help you with one specific punch your having trouble with.

[iceman]

ok so it should travel like a piston straight out and you can rotate the fist over as you hit,not bend the elbow up and out then throw...that's what i thought

[Preme]

I was reading an article by a former trainer in the mens Holland's & Barretts health mag about this.

They mentioned things like push ups & medicine balls, but also shadowboxing/jabbing with very low weight single hand dumb bells is meant to help a hell of a lot?

[cambay411]

Who doesnt need a stronget quicker jab lol, anyway shadow box for form because form is very very important in all punches also get on the heavy bag and have a few round where you throw only jab, but make sure you keep perfect form. Streching will to.