Whether you are a beginner boxer or you’ve advanced along your boxing journey, executing lateral boxing footwork to a super-high standard should be a primary goal for you. This video gives you 3 basic concepts that you can work today to use boxing side steps to seamlessly combine offense and defense.
Why Lateral Footwork in Boxing?
Using straight line footwork in boxing is fantastic, it’s a real fight winner.
The thing is, having a range of boxing footwork skills in your locker is always going to be a positive.
Mobility is king in the boxing ring.
Lateral movement, side steps, executed in the right way brings a whole new dimension to your fight capability.
It’s great defensively because you shift off the centre line, you are more difficult to target.
It’s great offensively because you can use it to apply pressure and open up new angles of attack.
In the video we work 3 boxing footwork drills and you get a ‘live action’ demo on the heavy bag (BTW, the speed I possess means the live action is as good as a slow mo replay 😀)
The Basic Side Step
The first boxing drill we use is the basic side step.
When you want to go right, push off the left foot.
When you want to go left, push off the right foot.
Don’t let your feet become aligned, always have that rear foot offset from the front foot, it’s far better for good balance.
Spice things up by adding a jab before the move and a back hand after it.
The Angled Side Step
The angled side step boxing drill is the same concept but with one difference.
Rather than pushing left or right in a straight line, add in a slight angle so that you keep the target in the strike zone.
You can build some pretty amazing counterpunching with a footwork skill like this.
A very silky boxing skill.
Retreat to Attack
The first two boxing footwork drills are focused on long range work.
The third drill is for close range – in the trenches.
This drill is all about creating space to unleash power hooks to the centre line of the opponent.
You give up ground to launch a devastating attack, hence the name ‘retreat to attack’.
In fact, this one always reminds me of Mike Tyson at his splendidly destructive best.
In Closing
That’s 3 really great boxing footwork drills.
Remember the principle of drills like this, work them slowly and steadily.
When you work them slow they are more likely to be smooth.
That old saying “Slow is smooth, smooth is fast”, that’s what we aim for.
Questions and comments always welcome, drop them below 😉
Cheers
Fran
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