Page 91 - Doug Werner Boxer's Start-Up

Punch Mitts

steady stream of punishment involved at the competi-
tive level, but that’s something else entirely and I’m not
going there.

To be specific,the worst I received during the semi-spar-
ring is a sore nose (not busted),a bruised rib and a slight
headache.The rib was a drag because it hurt for a week
and made it difficult to lie down. Compared to the pun-
ishment I’ve endured with snowboarding and roller
hockey, however, this ain’t no big thing.

Flinching
Flinching is a very natural reaction when you see the
missiles approach but a poor habit to acquire in boxing.
Work on keeping your eyes open and on your opponent
no matter what.

And flinching is more than winking eyelids. It’s also
pulling punches before they reach a target when you see
one coming. It’s better to finish the punch since it may
still land or at least disrupt the incoming missile.

Happy Feet
Happy feet are common in sparring. It’s especially
common to bounce backward and around and around.
It’s wise to block the back foot during punch mitt drills
to clip the tendency.

Hey, Relax
Boxing is about relaxation and explosive action. Boxers
must learn to relax between punches in order to con-
serve energy.Nothing takes it out of you like unrelieved,
tense muscles over the course of a round.

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