Shadowboxing

Keep your hands relaxed but clench it into a fist as you throw. At the end of the day it just comes down to what you find more comfortable though.

 

Keep you jab fist closed, but not clinched. It's gotta be ready to fire at any second.

Your power hand is open and catching return jabs and covering incoming hooks. But when it's there.... you drop it in to his face.

Thumb is tucked under the fist with the thumb overlapping the first knuckle of your middle finger.

 

I recommend keeping your fingers loosely curled in a C-shape as you throw combos. Shadow boxing is not about generating power. It's all about perpetual motion and flow in and out of combos. Your hands aren't hitting anything so there's no need to clench up your fist.

I'm orthodox and often do the jab, jab, jab, right upper combo. When I combo into the right upper, it's just a short right upper inside close to the body, you get the hip turn. Do that over and over again and start flowing through that combo to get the technique right.

 

And another thing, when you're shadow boxing, focus on your footwork too. When you're doing the jab, jab, jab, right upper combo, be in a fighting stance, bend your knees, be lower to the ground. As your throwing the jabs, try gliding forward with micromovements, inching forward a little bit each time with your feet as you throw. You can let the motion of the jabs move your feet. You could also stay in place, but the point is, as you're doing the jab, jab, jab, right upper combo, make micromovements with your feet, inching forward, each time, like you're trying to find the range. You wanna get used to moving your feet as you combo.

And with the C-shape fingers, you can try doing it with the pinky sticking out a little bit if that is more comfortable. That may feel more natural, but keep the pointer, middle and ring fingers in the curled C-shape. You can have the pinky curled too or sticking out just do what feels best. And the Thumb just in a natural position, sticking out a little, but not all the way.

On the jabs sometimes I'll stick the pinky out as I'm jabbing, but with the right upper I'll have all 4 fingers curled. Just do what feels right for you but keep these tips in mind.

 

If you’re looking for help in boxing be careful what you hear (in general) this is your health you may play with.
I’m sure there are lots of posters here with experience, I’m not dissuading you to listen but I’ll point you towards guys I’d be certain to listen to for your betterment @Rockin1 @Pat M @greynotsoold These fellas have a lot of boxing knowledge be sure to listen.

 

@Saintpat for some reason I couldn’t tag you in the above post. To the OP reading this I mean all of the above to this man as well.

 

You’ve been covered here I think (I don’t know anything to be fair) but one thing to add Bob Fitzsimmons used to imagine grabbing a rope to save himself from drowning, Joe Louis used to “catch flies” closing the hand just before impact is the idea but I imagine it is very difficult to do on a live target and would require incredible timing.
I’d say keep your hands open at home to parry and what not - I find it may keep you loose keeping your hands open, no point getting tense.
I hope that helps answer your question even if it is a bit oblique.

 

What happens when you get rocked in a fight? You were cautiously escaping the corner, never even saw it coming, If you fight than you know the universes that your mind can just end up in when eating one that you never even saw incoming. Go ahead, train with an open fist. Believe me, when your mind is somewhere in that universe you'll do exactly as you've trained to do.
Go ahead, shadowbox with your hand open.

The ACME Plaster company President

 

I don’t advise shadow boxing with your hand open, I agree with you, I advise keeping your fist open enough to parry from your stance but when your shadow boxing you close your fists when you punch.