I need some hlep with this. I know i can punch pretty hard when i let my hands go, but i'm having a problem in actually letting them go! It's as if i'm not relaxed enought to throw or that i think my punched won't do anything (yet i know i can hit hard enough). Any help/tips?
it's also a matter of timing. "pulling the trigger" is less important than pulling the trigger when you have an opening.
I had your problem when i first started. I thought when i opened up i would just get tagged to ****. The fact is, when you open up and keep your sparring partner/opponent occupied, punching in bunches, they are going to find it hard to hit back. Its all about believing you can hit them and hurt them just like they do to you.
Anticipation is half the battle and this will take a while to learn. You have to put in the sparring time, do your homework and know what you're opponent is going to do before he does it... then anticipate it and react...much easier said than done but this is the key to "pulling the trigger".
Alot of it is experience. When you learn your own range and distance properly you can more accurately judge when to let your hands go and you'll stop hesitating.
roach said if you see the opening and think about your response then your chance has already passed you by. keep drilling it. mind over matter until it becomes instinctive.
Sparring, sparring and sparring.... If you get your jab working too that will help because the shots will lead off it. Some guys will be good at spoiling your shots making it difficult for you to let your hands go.
try not to punch so hard all the time, you will never land if you load up every punch. Just focus on landing and dont worry about power yet. It all comes down to timing, try to use speed. what weight are you?
It is your cardio. Gassing creates the hesitation. My guess is that you have no problem letting your hands go at first. As the sparring goes on you find it harder to let your hands go. It is almost subconscious. Your body knows it is tired. It makes your brain keep second guessing openings. Your concious mind keeps saying "I should let my hands go, but nah I missed that opportunity. Next time..." Next thing you know the round is over. Boxing is weird that way. Do burn outs on the bag. No form. No time. Just X rounds as hard and as fast as you can. Build up and do it a few times a week.
I was the same way until recently. Honestly, alot of sparring helps you get over it, and sparring with the same people, that way you can anticipate what they're gonna do and you aren't so hesitant. Then, once you've learned to relax a bit and let the punches flow, it's much easier to take on a guy you haven't seen before.
x2 I could never land certain counter punches until I drilled the **** out of them. My favorite is knocking down the jab with the right hand (parry/flick of the wrist) and hitting them with a cross, it ends up being all 1 fluid motion and completely interupts your opponent. I pull that one off automatically now when Im being pressured since I drilled it a long time. Not just by itself but working it in with shadowboxing, bags, drills, and sparring, youve got to do it alot of different ways to get it automatic. You could do it 500 times in 1 day but 100 times in 5 days is better...aka consistency.
