Reading An Opponent

[Brand NOOBian]

I've recently started to try and pick up on the way guys move, so I've been trying to throw punches toward where I think they're gonna be and not just where they are at that exact moment. Or I'll try to feint in a way to get them to move in a direction I think they'll move in to set up my punches. I'm a little off at times, but I think I'm getting better at it. I still have trouble trying to read the way my opponents punch, though, and I get hit quite often with shots I shouldn't be getting hit with. If I'm able to block/slip/duck a punch, it's mainly because I'm reacting to it at the last second, not because I'm able to read it before it's thrown.

What are some tips on reading your opponents and picking up on their tendencies, both in their movement and their punches? What do you look for?

[markiepoop]

yup similar to yours, the first minute i usually jab jab and figure out how he slips/parries my jab. Usually the other fighter will have a pattern of slipping or when he parries, there will be a leak in his defense.

Then after i get confident with my reads, i go in for a jab right uppercut or jab left hook

[boxbible]

If you wait to read what he's going to throw, an experienced or smart fighter will fake the shit out of you and hammer you all the time. You'll always be one step behind if you're waiting to react.

Better to be the one with the constant head movement and feints so you make him try to read you instead. And when someone is under pressure like that, they will resort to their instinctive moves. Once you got their instinctive reactions sorted out, you own them. But, you gotta force them into their instinctive moves.

[greynotsoold]

If you think about it, there are only so many punches in boxing, and a lot of people have very similar ideas on how and when to use them. So if you throw a b combination of punches, and figure that, since you would counter yourself with a left hook, for example, in about 90% of the cases that is what your opponent will be coming back with as well.
Now, suppose you want him to throw a right hand, so you can counter off of it, what do you do? You practice in front of a mirror, doing things that look, to you, as if there is an opening for a right hand, so you know what he is seeing when he looks at you. So you create that thought in his head, and then it gets much easier to avoid getting hit, because you are making him throw the punches you want him to throw.
This is why you'll sometimes see a good boxer have some trouble with a guy that doesn't know how to fight. The unskilled guy doesn't know what he is supposed to do, so you have to educate him, so he becomes predictable.

[Brand NOOBian]

Originally Posted by boxbible

If you wait to read what he's going to throw, an experienced or smart fighter will fake the shit out of you and hammer you all the time. You'll always be one step behind if you're waiting to react.

Better to be the one with the constant head movement and feints so you make him try to read you instead. And when someone is under pressure like that, they will resort to their instinctive moves. Once you got their instinctive reactions sorted out, you own them. But, you gotta force them into their instinctive moves.

I definitely don't wait for them to punch to try to read them. The reason I asked is because I've been getting surprised by some overhand rights and lead left hooks lately in sparring. Sometimes I'm able to react fast enough to block them, but they catch me off guard. I'd like to be able to see these specific punches coming before they throw them so I can bob/weave and counter instead of just blocking.

Originally Posted by greynotsoold

If you think about it, there are only so many punches in boxing, and a lot of people have very similar ideas on how and when to use them. So if you throw a b combination of punches, and figure that, since you would counter yourself with a left hook, for example, in about 90% of the cases that is what your opponent will be coming back with as well.
Now, suppose you want him to throw a right hand, so you can counter off of it, what do you do? You practice in front of a mirror, doing things that look, to you, as if there is an opening for a right hand, so you know what he is seeing when he looks at you. So you create that thought in his head, and then it gets much easier to avoid getting hit, because you are making him throw the punches you want him to throw.
This is why you'll sometimes see a good boxer have some trouble with a guy that doesn't know how to fight. The unskilled guy doesn't know what he is supposed to do, so you have to educate him, so he becomes predictable.

Makes sense. I watched one of Freddie Roach's Title DVDs that talks about this. If I remember right, if I throw a left hook, he'll most likely counter with a right hook, so I can duck under and counter back with another left hook. If I throw a straight right, he'll most likely counter with a left hook so I can duck under and counter with a right hook. Or something like that. I guess the problem is most of the guys I spar (and me as well) don't know what we're supposed to do yet. Lol.

[boxbible]

Originally Posted by Brand NOOBian

I definitely don't wait for them to punch to try to read them. The reason I asked is because I've been getting surprised by some overhand rights and lead left hooks lately in sparring. Sometimes I'm able to react fast enough to block them, but they catch me off guard. I'd like to be able to see these specific punches coming before they throw them so I can bob/weave and counter instead of just blocking.

If you're being surprised by them, they may be feinting you first.

What you can do is train yourself to react at the last moment. That way, if it's a feint, you don't commit and leave yourself open.

Like, if you're slipping or parrying a jab, don't do it until its right in front of your face. Slip it with minimal movement, and parry with minimal movement. If its a feint, you can get back to good defensive position immediately for the next punch.

But there's a few other reasons why you might be getting nailed thoug, but there's not enough info.

[Pugsley]

Originally Posted by Brand NOOBian

I've recently started to try and pick up on the way guys move, so I've been trying to throw punches toward where I think they're gonna be and not just where they are at that exact moment. Or I'll try to feint in a way to get them to move in a direction I think they'll move in to set up my punches. I'm a little off at times, but I think I'm getting better at it. I still have trouble trying to read the way my opponents punch, though, and I get hit quite often with shots I shouldn't be getting hit with. If I'm able to block/slip/duck a punch, it's mainly because I'm reacting to it at the last second, not because I'm able to read it before it's thrown.

What are some tips on reading your opponents and picking up on their tendencies, both in their movement and their punches? What do you look for?

Well first off, I'll be picking up on how a jab cross will be able to connect. With some people, a good flicker into a cross cuts the defenses. Others, its Jab, slight delay then a fast cross. I do have a habit of throwing it prematurely but thats just the way I like it. Rhythm accounts for a lot of reading games, it just seems some people will counter within a given frame of time... or their combos have a very uniform output. it becomes much easier to deal with almost any kind of punch coming back if you have 'synched' with their timing or not. Often I get clipped by a stupid shot, not because I didnt see it, its because i wasnt looking for it at the right time... when I mean time, its in micro seconds of difference. What irritates me is bad uppercuts which are slow, out of their usual synch and doesnt do anything other than stagger my guard. Shit uppercuts which do nothing but cause a big delay.
Often using my own punches to 'fish' for theirs is the best, if they dont commit, I will go to the body. Conversely if I'm not landing, often its not because the punch speed was slow or was the wrong punch, I just did not give myself enough room to connect it (depends how fast they revert to their guard or leave that gap open).
Other stuff I look at: Waving hands (annoying little distraction), just punch them while they're about to settle into their 'taunt'. What's their bouncing rhythm (always shoot the rabbit when it hops up). Some people also like to strike from a fixed distance, so whenever you're THERE they either lunge in or start some kind of offense... the best is to tip toe to their favorite distance (this works against people who are of a bigger height difference than yourself though) and counter forward.
I dont like to be reading everything they do, its always better to use offense to control their movements, then everything becomes more easily read.

[Brand NOOBian]

^Thanks!!

[r1p00pk]

be the first one to jab, expect a counter back, if your looking at the chest, you'll be able to see the right hand, you wont have to worry about his jab if you're jabbing first. Jab first, he reacts, you'll be able to either see him jab back or throw a right. If he throws a hook, react with countering with another jab. All this stuff clicked in my head today sparring and i was able to counter over jabs, rights, hooks.

[Dark Sider]

I tried to be patient and counter today, and it worked less than a week ago against the same opponent. He was tentative, so was the other guy.

Also faced a bigger guy where only pure aggression and coming forward would make him back down/show respect.

I went from trying to figure the opponents out to jabbing and jabbing and jabbing.

[r1p00pk]

Originally Posted by Dark Sider

I tried to be patient and counter today, and it worked less than a week ago against the same opponent. He was tentative, so was the other guy.

Also faced a bigger guy where only pure aggression and coming forward would make him back down/show respect.

I went from trying to figure the opponents out to jabbing and jabbing and jabbing.

you figure out guys by just jabbing, thats the thing, it sets them up for a good counter. Boxing 101 is teh shit

[Dark Sider]

How can I get better head punches in on a taller spaz?

[123ko]

every time your opponent misses you ,,there is the opening for you ,,just make sure you have a counter punch to connect,,its as simple as that,,,don't try to hit whats not there