Punching with the wrong knuckles

[hitmanhattonuk]

Before getting into boxing I did kung-fu for a year or so and never noticed any problem with my punching. Since starting boxing though I've noticed that I seem to get a lot of bruising inbetween the 4th and 5th knuckles (ring finger & pinky finger) and seem to land most of my punches with the 3rd,4th and 5th knuckles. When I deliberately try and land with the 2nd & 3rd knuckles (as you are meant to?) I notice that my wrist feels much weaker than when I punch normally. Can anyone give any advice here? Thanks in advance.

[greynotsoold]

Punches should land on the two large- 2,3- knuckles, it is said, though Archie Moore and Dempsey called 3 the aiming knuckle. The straight right and uppercuts are easy to land on 2,3; for the jab and left hook 2,3,4. Try punching straight from the shoulder,using the torque created by turning your hips to drive the punch. With the right landing on 4,5 indicates that you are swinging or pushung the punch. When you jab keep in mind to maintain a slight upward trajectory, keep your wrist straight to hook. With either uppercut rotate your fist inward to land on 2,3; otherwise the punch won't work.

[SalTheButcher]

i ALLWAYS hit things with the knuckle of my middle finger, its quite large from hitting things

[Heavy D]

I've actually got a problem where I've broken my knuckles/finger and it didnt reset correctly, so my index finger sticks out further than any of my other fingers when I make a fist. Because of that, I have to hit with my 3,4,5 knuckles on my right hand, or I hurt my index finger really bad. I just make sure I wrap my hands extra well, and I havent hurt those knuckles since then. I just cant torque my punches as much now ( Fist goest from | | to \ \ instead of being horizontal).

[GutShot]

you should only punch with the first and second knuckle (index finger and 2nd finger)...

this is for transferal of power.

hold your arm out straight, draw an imaginary line from your forearm right down to your fist, the straightest line is to those two knuckles. This is what you should be using when you punch as they have the full support of your arm behind them where as the 3rd and 4th (pinky) are off to the side and little support.

if you swipe at someone and hit with the 3rd and 4th knuckle you will know about it quickly :P

i have to punch through wood in martial arts and its easy when you know the body's mechanics,

[drgoodlooking]

I hit a guy with my 2,3 knuckle just right on the button and dropped him on the floor.

[alex w]

as has been said, your meant to hit the bag with the 1 and 2 knuckles, with straight punches aiming to land dead center.

it might be the angle of the punches your delivering. practice the "wideness" of your hooks and uppercuts slowls, each time twisting at the end and making sure that they land on the first 2 knuckles ech time. keep the wrist straight when you punch, otherwise you stand to do yourself alot of problems, and whip the punch through with your body rather than with your arm

[Andre]

You going to have to sort out your vertical fist shots from your horizontal fist shots, elbow down and elbow out, to land on the knuckles suited to the target.
I know in kung fu, southern china anyway, many straight shots are lined up with bottom 3 knuckles so its like thrusting a straight pole into someone and the wrist lines up automatically when the elbow is down and the fist is vertical.
Boxing is different cause its all arms all fists and the gloves set your aligment up different too as you know and shots with elbows out are frequent and sometimes varied to the extent that you can even loop some shots over an arm (unlike kung fu where if that opening exists you control the arm and them and kick or knee their ribs in ).Just like you having to adjust your reactions to that stuff, you have to also adjust yourself to wrist aligment as well.
The kung fu style doesnt suit big gloves much but its bang on for alignment and force when fighting off the two centre knuckles in ungloved combat.
Do you have elbow down in your hooks or elbow out or both probably depending on target?
IF you vary your hooks as in going elbow out to get over the top of the opponents arm etc you have to adjust your wrist to suit, same if your chasing a moving target and land just as they are retreating, you can expect to catch the little knuckle.You have to have those variations in mind when training if your going to vary your shots or the distance of your shots.A shuffle inwards with a hook can distance you,a turn of the back heel inwards .Use your imagination play around on the bags see what turns up.