Advice needed! Straight leading leg

[boxingbantz]

I have been training for about half a year now and have been told that when punching, I should have my front leg straight and be on the ball of my back foot. The ball of the back foot bit is fine, pretty standard, but a straight front leg? Is anyone else taught this? I have questioned this with my coach before and he says with your leg straight, your dont need to 'reach out' to land your punches. It's really starting to bother me as I feel as though I am not being taught correctly but, obviously, he knows best being my coach. Even when I'm on the heavy bag I am repeatedly told "straighten your front leg".

Does anyone else think this is the case? I, personally, find it very awkward and affects my mobility a bit. Surely the front leg should be bent, if only slightly?

[WayneFlint]

The only thing i think he could mean by that is to keep your lead foot pointing straight at your opponent, maybe when you jab and throw a right hand your over dedicating a bit and maybe that is what hes refering to with the straight leading leg and leaning comment you say he made. makes me think maybe this is the problem because over dedication and leaning seem to come hand in hand when technique isnt quite right. maybe your lead foot is pointing past your opponent on jabs and straight rights, etc and thats what hes picked up on?

If he is literally telling you to keep your lead leg straight and locked then i would maybe find another trainer because that doesnt sound right to me either, you probably know more than us if your trainer is any good but either way if your second guessing your trainer already then thats not really a good sign either, ask him to explain why the leg needs to be straight and what he means by it. if he has an explanation then please share if not, new trainer lol. good luck.

[boxingbantz]

No he definitely means keep the leading leg straight. I am not going to name him for obvious reasons but he is known. I questioned it and I have even become frustrated when punching because it feels so awkward. He says all my weight should be on my front leg and, if my lead leg is straight, it will keep me balanced. Just doesn't seem right to me as, watching tonight's action, EVERYONE bends their front leg even if slightly.

[iceman]

tho far from an expert i call b.s. if what you are saying is 100% weight on front foot. that alone makes you off balance and you have to shift just to move, this includes slipping ducking bobbing etc. most times i hear "sit on your punches" that requires a bent leg or two... unless your legs got different joints than mine. wow. i'd politely move along.

[Sharla]

Terrifying what some people will try to teach!

NO WAY!

It would feel like it's pushing you back when you're trying to punch wouldn't it?

The only solution I can think of - giving your coach the benefit of the doubt is if you put a short vid up of you doing some shadow work facing tha camera - wouldn't need to show your head if you don't want to.

Then someone might have another guess at what else he might be trying to correct that could be interpreted that way.

I always found when watching coaches who told me BS that they couldn't actually do what they were saying either - they just thought they did.

Might pay to ask him to demonstrate so you can see it ......

[boxingbantz]

Terrifying what some people will try to teach!

NO WAY!

It would feel like it's pushing you back when you're trying to punch wouldn't it?

The only solution I can think of - giving your coach the benefit of the doubt is if you put a short vid up of you doing some shadow work facing tha camera - wouldn't need to show your head if you don't want to.

Then someone might have another guess at what else he might be trying to correct that could be interpreted that way.

I always found when watching coaches who told me BS that they couldn't actually do what they were saying either - they just thought they did.

Might pay to ask him to demonstrate so you can see it ......

This is my main concern. It just doesn't feel right. There should be no debate really, your front leg SHOULD be bent but, I've even asked twice, and been shown that I should keep my leg straight. It really is awkward but I don't know if I should mention to him that I just don't feel comfortable or just find a different coach?

[Sharla]

Terrifying what some people will try to teach!

NO WAY!

It would feel like it's pushing you back when you're trying to punch wouldn't it?

The only solution I can think of - giving your coach the benefit of the doubt is if you put a short vid up of you doing some shadow work facing tha camera - wouldn't need to show your head if you don't want to.

Then someone might have another guess at what else he might be trying to correct that could be interpreted that way.

I always found when watching coaches who told me BS that they couldn't actually do what they were saying either - they just thought they did.

Might pay to ask him to demonstrate so you can see it ......

This is my main concern. It just doesn't feel right. There should be no debate really, your front leg SHOULD be bent but, I've even asked twice, and been shown that I should keep my leg straight. It really is awkward but I don't know if I should mention to him that I just don't feel comfortable or just find a different coach?

It's a very awkward situation and i don't envy you! Honestly I've struggled with coaches telling me not to pivot and trying to teach me things that just were not physically healthy.

I know I may have learnt some good things from these coaches but at the end of the day with something like this that changes the way you move I don't believe it's safe to persist. You'll get hit more and probably end up with back pain etc that is just not worth it.

I'd find another coach if you can. Maybe take a look around before you make your final decision but if he insists on a locked out front knee I'd run.

[WayneFlint]

I always found when watching coaches who told me BS that they couldn't actually do what they were saying either - they just thought they did.

Haha ive had one of those coaches before sharla, theyre the best arent they. not just boxing either kickboxing is full to the brim with the same thing, a so called kickboxing coach who could barely kick above waist height lol.

[Fran@myboxingcoach]

In the words of Father Dougal "It's a bit mad Ted!" By keeping the right leg straight, it means that the hips cannot rotate. The front leg simply must bend in order to accommodate the rotation of the body. Same goes for any right hand work and the inside slip. Without effective rotation, your long range work will lose length and the shot will lose power. Like farting in a lift...wrong on so many levels!

[donnydarkoIRL]

A straight lead leg was stock standard in old boxing technique.
This encouraged the "quarter turn" of the body with the jab and it was seen as a defensive measure.

[Scrap]

Ols saying, bend your knees, before the other guy bends them for you. Very true

[WayneFlint]

Ols saying, bend your knees, before the other guy bends them for you. Very true

I like that saying lol

[boxingbantz]

Asked AGAIN yesterday about it after being told to 'straighten that front leg'. I said 'I'm finding this way too uncomfortable - does it definitely need to be straight?'. His answer was 'yes as you are in your range to throw punches and you won't be leaning so it should be a straight leg'. Again I questioned this and he was just like 'fine bend your leg then...'.

Also, when practicing my hook, he is telling me to bend my wrists. Surely THIS is even more dangerous than having a straight lead leg for fuck sake. If I landed on someone's skull with a bent wrist, there only thing going to be 'damaged' is my wrist.

At my loose end tbh and very tempted to NOT go back next week.

[Sharla]

Two unhealthy things now - I'd leave.

In some gyms they have bred so much respect for the coaches that have come before them that they refuse to question or update anything they've ever been shown or taught.

Respect is a good thing but not if it means you just become a follower content to continue things that will ultimately injure people.

I had a cosh who didn't like us to drink at all between rounds when training because he still believed some crap that it'd damage your liver when dehuydration training in Australian summer heat is really reqally dangerous.

I had another coach who told me to delay breakfaast after a morning workout rather than refueling to help keep myself light when it's mroe likely to have the opposite effect.

I had yet another coach say to do exactly the same workout everyday - no periodization, no hard and easy days.

I went with the state team to the nationals where they had young boys running to sweat out 1 kg to be right on weight before they slept as they didn't ever bother to notice or check that it meant they were weighing in 700g under the next morning.

With most of these coaches age is a big thing - their body gave out on them completely at a certain age and when it did they just accepted it without asking what they could have done to prevent it etc. It's senseless.

They may be grreat people, they may even have done ok in their time but if they won't let go of their mistakes in a time when we have more information and resources to know that they are mistakes it's not healthy to take orders from them.

You don't want to be thinking every time he tells you something now - is this BS or should I listen this time? Imagine that in your coner in a bout against a tough opponent. Your opponent may have a half decent coach and have half your dedication yet a better chance of winning because you can't get clear instructions when you need them the most.

[ono]

Straight lead leg? That is ridiculous. Find a new trainer mate. Only thing you'll achieve by doing that is either a) - injuring your knee, or b) getting put on your arse because you're too off balance to move.