About Boxing Footwork and Moving In and Out
Before looking at the video, ensure that you have understood the boxing stance. After looking at the video, be sure to read about the mechanics of moving in and out and to register for your 6 video mini-course of boxing drills.
Boxing footwork, rather unsurprisingly, involves using the feet to move in given directions, an aspect of which being moving forward and backward or more commonly described as ‘moving in and out’. Boxing footwork in the main involves some relatively simple physical movements in order to enable movement in and out of range.
So much of boxing relates to understanding your position in relation to your opponent, and we define this as “range.” A boxer can consider from the outset that he or she will be ‘in range’ (both for your shots to go but also for the opponent’s shots to land on you) or ‘out of range’. When the boxer is in range, this can be broken down further into short, medium and long range. To find out more on range, check out the article on range finding in boxing.
Having explained range, we should also understand that successful boxing relies on the ability to be ‘on the edge of range’, meaning that you are only very slightly beyond the range of your opponent’s punches. This means that the boxer is able, with a short explosive movement of the feet, to get within range land effective shots and move out again before the inevitable response from the opponent. Being on the edge of range and providing that threat of mobility is a method of applying pressure to an opponent and enabling control of the contest.
The Mechanics of Moving In and Out
Moving In
The mechanics of moving in:
- From the boxing stance, the first action is a push from the back foot.
- The front foot lifts very slightly from the floor, allowing the power generated from the push from the back foot to propel the body and therefore the front foot forward.
- Allow the back foot to follow it’s course, catching up with the front foot.
- The entire movement should be no more than 6 to 8 centimetres, and the boxer should retain the stance throughout.
Moving Out
The mechanics of moving out (unsurprisingly the exact opposite of moving forward!):
- From the boxing stance, the first action is a push from the front foot.
- The back foot lifts very slightly from the floor, allowing the power generated from the push from the front foot to propel the body and therefore the back foot backward.
- Allow the front foot to follow it’s course, catching up with the back foot.
- The entire movement should be no more than 6 to 8 centimetres, and the boxer should retain the stance throughout.
Common Faults When Moving In and Out
There are a number of common problems that can occur when developing the boxing footwork skills to move in and out:
- Often, the boxer will ‘step and drag’. For example, when moving forward, the front foot will step and the back foot will be dragged forward (vice versa when moving backward). This method of movement does not allow the speed required for the purposes of not getting beaten up!
- The distance between the two feet should remain roughly the same during the movement. This is a further reason why aiming to move only 6 to 8 centimetres is desirable. When the stance significantly narrows during movement, then the boxer is off-balance and less able to attack effectively or of more concern to defend effectively.
- The boxer will flatten one or both feet, hindering the freedom of movement required for effective boxing.
- The front foot will often point toward the opponent rather than retaining the 45 degree angle to the imaginary line, this cause problems with the balance. This is common but should be identified and resolved without delay!
- As covered when examining the boxing stance, it is during movement that the boxer may be likely to lose the line from the toe on the front foot to the heel on the back foot. This again has the effect of taking the boxer off-balance.
Developing the ability to make the feet, the body and the hands work together as one is the ultimate goal for a boxer. If you want to learn how to move like a true champion, register below for your 6 video mini-course. This mini-course will deliver to you exactly the type of drills that boxers cannot do without. Get detailed, no-BS advice on how to combine slick footwork with sublime body movement. You will not be disappointed!
As a next step, try mixing this boxing footwork with the boxing jab. If you’d like to stick with footwork, go with the side step
Cheers
Fran
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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
great site mate ive watched all of ur vids, they are very helpful.
i have one question – my coach always tells me to keep my palms facing eachother and my right hand by my right ear. left hand infront of left eye. i noticed you keep your hands close together and around both cheeks. firstly – doesn’t this prevent you from seeing infront of u when u have gloves on and secondly doesnt this leave you open to hooks? its certainly more comfortable 2 box in your style and i reckon u can simply pull the hand back to block a hook. also i know there are many different variations on the correct style but i was wondering what ur thoughts wre on this.
thanks , dominic
Hey Dominic
I’m glad you’re finding the site useful. I’ll explain some of the logic about where I think hands should be held. You’re right, I demonstrate the stance with my hands at about cheek level. This isn’t to say that they’ll stay there at all times. For example, when working at close range, I’d suggest that the hands come up as high as the temples so that hooks at close range can be effectively blocked. I also like to see the hands kept fairly frontal to ensure economy when blocking punches; the shorter the distance your hand needs to travel when blocking or parrying an opponent’s shot, the more chance there is of the block/parry working (I’ll be posting some hand defenses such as blocks and parries in the near future, so keep an eye out!) Finally, I advise my boxers that the palms should be turned slightly towards yourself as this has the effect of bringing the elbows closer in to protect the ribs against body shots. But hey, this is just a way that I coach. Check out some of the styles of the top amateur boxers, e.g. the Cubans, Russians etc. Many of them hold their left hand a long way out in front of them, almost as a permanent jab. Have a number of options in your bag, and they’ll all be used at some point against some particular type of opponent.
Cheers Dominic, and thanks for the input!
Good post +video for me Fran cheers.Ive developed one of the bad habits that you mention in the video-namely getting my legs too close together and losing the gap in my stance.
I went to a new coach recently telling him that my sparring partners keep telling me I keep hanging my head into range making myself an easy target.My new coach noticed my fault +he thinks that losing the stance is the root cause of my problem in sparring.
I hope it works out with your new coach, it certainly sounds like he has a clear idea of how to sort out you ‘leaning in’ problem, a problem which can be quite common. A little tip, draw a vertical line up from your front knee. Focus on ensuring that your nose doesn’t go past this line, especially when throwing your right hand; this will bias you toward maintaining your weight centrally or on the back leg. Most importantly, enjoy your sport Dave!
Hey Fran,
I when I watched this I thought I had an epiphany and it would solve a great deal of my problems with “getting into range” and getting shots off. But I realized something sparring yesterday that has perplexed me, Every time I would move into range and try to punch with this technique he would use the same technique to move back and we would be at the SAME POSITION as we were before what should I do? (also we are in a cage not a ring so the option of cutting off the ring or cage isnt an option)
Malik
The age old problem eh! I’ve always found that a couple of things assist in this type of situation:
1) Use lots of feints, lots and lots (check out the feinting in boxing article if you’ve not already.) Feinting will cause the opponent to become hesitant and doubtful about what to do, this is always going to be helpful to your cause. Be on the ‘Edge of Range’ when you feint, that way you will only need to move inches to get into range (Check out the Range Finding in Boxing article.)
2) Use double attacks, particularly using the lay back. So, for example you might move in then jab/lay back/right hand, all executed as one move.
Hope this helps Malik. If anything is unclear, please let me know and I’ll try to clarify.
Saw this vid on youtube-Hope it complements the above post.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqqo9KzOaao
while moving in and out i feel pressure on my shins and calves. this has led to a minor shin splint. i take care of all the common faults mentioned above but still there is no improvement.
what do you think is the problem?
Kshiteej. Thanks for the comment. I think that we should roll back and look at the possible causes of your shin splints. This move in itself is not the kind of action that will generate the kind of stresses that cause shin problems. It’s low impact and all of the work is maintained in the calf muscles. So, you need to think about your other gym work and maybe running also. If you are wearing boxing boots to complete the majority of your session, don’t. Boots are entirely unsuitable for the variety involved in a modern boxing workout. Sparring and fighting, yes. Skipping, circuit work and sprints etc. no. A good pair of running shoes is much better. I prefer to see boxers that I work with only wear boots during fighting. Secondly, if you have this condition now, take a total rest from the gym. Let your shins recover then head back to the gym with your running shoes. If the problem persists, see your physician/doctor. Hope this helps.
Hi I was wondering if you could give me some advice, been following this site for a long time and reading your articles but now I’d like to tap into your experience on a related subject.
Moving in to punch with the jab.
Is it step and jab, or step in THEN jab? I have a habit of attacking from out of range, I always step in and jab and because of that it’s telegraphic, the step in gives me away.
Thanks for the question Craig. The two skills have to be combined in a controlled way. The mobility drills give some background into this and there are specific videos within the Boxing Training Foundation. One tip though, avoid thinking about ‘stepping’. Think in terms of ‘pushing in’ with the jab. Hope this helps.