Im trying to learn the optimal way to rotate the foot and hip for power punches, and Im really inconsistent, sometimes its powerful and fast sometimes its weak. Do you know of any ways or pointers to be able to get/ understand/learn this initial movement? Ive heard the advice turn the foot like you are grinding out a cigarette this produces a weak punch for me. Ive heard the advice think "turn the heel out" this gets me my most powerful fast punches but im inconsistent and dont really know why it works when it does work. Ive heard one famous boxer say turn the knee inward this gets me sub par power compared with turning the heel out. I heard one guy say internally rotate the foot/leg but sometimes this is weak sometimes this is powerful. This is so fundamental, but its so hard for me to get, can you give me some pointers? How is it done? Do the pros have different ways of doing this?
Watch Tito Trinidad to learn the technique for a perfect left hook. Also check out Tommy Hearns to learn all about the perfect right cross. that's my advice
Yup, endless practice combined with watching an imitating the greats and picking out what you see and mixing it with what feel natural for your own style. Practice throwing shots and combinations in front of a mirror, preferably a full mirror so you can watch every minute detail in your own execution. Tommy Hearns was obsessive about rehearsing his shots in such a fashion and it was one of the critical parts of training in the 1950s. It seems to have fallen out of practice lately. I used it to hone my form. Granted I've never fought amatuer even but used to spar quite a bit and it was amazing how much I picked out and fixed in my game by throwing punches at a mirror.
Nice post thanks mate! Thats exactly what im doing wrong turning the torso before the hips. Everyone has a different method some say rotate/grind the ball of the foot, some like in that video say rotate the knee in, some say turn the heel out, some say push 1st and turn 2nd, some say turn 1st and push off second, and it goes on and on, it seems theres no uniform way.
Alot of practice and start from the base up. My main problem is when throwing a right hand I twist my ankle too much of an angle and lose balance.
The Power Hip Trainer has worked well for us. One of our guys increased the number of hip rotations he could do on the PHT in 20 seconds from 18 to 59 after working out for four months. That's a 300%+ increase in hip speed. You really feel it when you get tapped by someone with hips going that fast. And a short 6" punch to the body can leave you sucking air.
Honestly, this is the wrong place to learn. You can't learn to swim by reading an instruction book, it's different once you get in the water. Have your coach watch you shadow box, slow it right down and focus on throwing the punches you want to improve your 'rotation' on. Have your trainer correct your foot positioning (Angle/width) posutre (Are you too straight? Too hunched?) etc. It'll serve you much better than this pal.
My coach used to tell me not to worry about speed/power and to focus on form. If you are a beginner, it will feel awkward and unable to generate power/speed. I will suggest shadow boxing a lot and once your body commits it to muscle memory, you will feel more natural and from there you will begin to see increase speed as well as power.
