Boxing is about skill and technique. It’s about hitting your opponent but also defending yourself and not getting hit. It’s about executing your game plan to the best of your ability. But what draws the majority of fans to the Sweet Science is undoubtedly the excitement that boxing brings, particularly the knockouts.
Knockouts are a beautiful thing. They are devastating and brutal to watch, but at the same time, poetry in motion. When a knockout sequence connects, it’s lights out and game over.
However, scoring a knockout combination isn’t as easy as just throwing your hardest punches. There’s a level of skill and technique that goes into it. Of course, you have to connect with power, but you also have to land with speed and precision. Do it right, and you’ll drop your opponents on the seat of their pants.
Some knockout combinations are greater than others. There are a handful of amazing and effective knockout combinations you can add to your game. They can be really damaging, and they can end fights in an instant. They can even bail you out of tough situations.
If you’re looking to diversify your attack with some amazing knockout combinations that can put an end to any fight quickly, you’ve come to the right place. This article is definitely for you.
Today, Evolve Daily shares three knockout combinations to add to your boxing game.
1. Jab-Straight + Hook(s)
The jab-straight is boxing’s most basic combination. It’s what the experts call the good old 1-2. While an effective combination on its own, it’s made even more amazing when you throw the hook just behind it.
The jab needs to be fast, quick enough to blind an opponent temporarily as the straight fires down the middle with force. When you throw the right straight, dip your torso slightly more toward the left, and use your momentum to come right back over the top with the left hook like a springboard.
In this instance, the jab-straight is used as a distraction for your opponent’s glove guard, while your left hook wraps around the side and connects on the chin. You can even switch things up and target the body as well, with touchpoints on the kidney or ribs.
Throw this combination with enough speed and force, and it can do some serious damage. Though easily telegraphed, this combination remains very effective and is hard to stop, so you can keep going back to it.
Quick Tips:
- Don’t just target the chin with your hook. You can aim for the ear or temple too.
- The faster the hook, the better the chances for a solid connection.
- Use a vertical fist instead of turning the hook over to wrap around the guard.
- Transfer your weight and momentum to add extra power. Really lean into that hook.
2. Jab + Slip Left + Lead Left Hook
The lead left hook is, without a doubt, the most powerful punch in boxing. It’s fast, compact, and carries a lot of weight and momentum behind the shot. However, the lead left hook is only an effective punch if you can connect with it. The problem is that it’s easily telegraphed, and opponents can quickly dodge it without issue.
The trick to landing that knockout lead left hook is by setting it up properly. To do that, you’ll need to learn the art of the soft jab, or jab feint.
To start off this sequence, you will need to throw a soft jab or a jab feint, and the purpose of this is to elicit a desired reaction from your opponent. That should bait your opponent’s right straight which you will then counter.
Once your opponent throws the right straight, slip it to the left, and unleash the lead left hook immediately with force. Target the chin and it’s game over.
Quick Tips:
- Slip left inside of your jab, as if you were expecting the counter right from your opponent. This makes the combination very fast and effective.
- Don’t slip too far left. Instead, dip just slightly and come back hard.
- If your opponent throws the jab first, you can skip the jab and just dip to the left in anticipation of the right hand, and then throw the lead left hook.
- You can skip the jab/jab feint if the situation calls for it. This combination was meant to be fast and explosive.
3. Triple Jab + Body Shot
There’s nothing quite like a body shot knockout. Whereas the chin is such a small target, and very hard to hit, especially against an elusive opponent, the body offers a big blank canvas for you to paint black and blue.
The trick to setting up this body shot is occupying your opponent with a plethora of jabs. Even a cross to the glove guard is good, as long as you’re drawing that reaction to bring that guard up high.
Throw jabs in rapid succession, in pairs or groups of three. Then when the timing is right, blast that midsection with a straight right hand to the solar plexus. That shot will surely suck the wind out of your opponent’s sails.
If the guy you’re standing in the ring with has a soft midsection or is not used to being hit in the gut, it could be the end of the night for him.
Most opponents are focused on protecting the chin and don’t want to get caught with a power shot early. In this case, a body shot can come completely unexpected and do some serious damage. If you don’t get that body shot knockout, you will at least sap a lot of energy out of your opponent.
Quick Tips:
- Maintain eye contact with your opponent. Don’t look at his body when you throw the body shot to prevent telegraphing the punch.
- Use your shoulder and your elbow to throw a fake like you’re aiming for the chin, then change levels and smack the solar plexus.
- Don’t bend your knees to change levels. Instead, you want to lunge forward and bend your torso slightly. Your forward movement can cause your opponent to raise his guard even more, and it also adds extra power to your body shot.
You may also like:
