7 Ways to Nail Your Perfect Jab

We should always be looking for the perfect jab, and this boxing jab training video will help you find what you’re looking for. For me, the jab is the most effective and useful punch in our locker. You should aim to tame an opponent with your jab, control them, pepper them at will, take them apart in a systematic way.

This training video will give you 7 ways to find your perfect jab. You should not assume that this is a complete list and you should absolutely search out other tactics that you can adopt.

1. Vary the Speed of the Jab

Changing the speed of your jab is a great way to confuse the defences of an opponent. Throwing the shot in the correct way but at a slower speed can trigger a reaction in your opponent – maybe an attempt to block, or a lay back.

2. Vary the Angle of the Jab

By changing the path and therefore the angle that your jab takes to the target is another great way of foiling the defences of your opponent. Very often when facing an opponent it is very common to become embroiled in a long range jabbing chess match. You and your opponent can be feinting, testing capabilities, looking for vulnerabilities. Varying the angle of the jab is a really effective tactic to use in this type of situation.

3. Widen Your Stance

As you launch your jab, push off your back foot whilst keeping it in the same position and allow your front foot to glide forward. This very simply widens your stance and allows you to increase the range of your jab.

4. The Delayed Arrival

The ‘Delayed Arrival’ is a type of feint that can be really effective. You feint your jab and then immediately throw the actual shot. This introduces a slight delay and takes advantage of your opponent’s block response to the initial feint. By the time your jab actually arrives (rather than when the feint ‘would’ have arrived) your opponent’s blocking hand has returned to the start position and bingo, your jab lands. Clean, simple and effective.

5. The Jab Block

Whereas the previous tactic is quite high risk, this tactic is a much safer technique to use – it’s also incredibly effective. Combining a ramrod jab with a block will help in those situations where you and the opponent both throw jabs at the same time – a surprisingly common event. The block defends you from a straight shot coming your way (a jab for example). The act of throwing your jab and shifting your head from the centre-line provides protection from right hands and left hooks.

6. The Tap Jab

It’s really simple this one. Your jab simply ‘taps’ away, multiple times and with caution, peppering the face of the opponent. This has the effect of both triggering the opponent into a response and giving you an excellent gauge of range (if your jab is landing then you know that you can unload your back hand). The key really is using speed and ferocity in your follow-up power shots, this switch from teasing-taps to crunching speed and power is a real fight winner. To see a fine exponent of this (and indeed a fine exponent of varying he speed of a jab) check out the Roberto Duran Boxing Style Analysis.

7. The Hip Jab

Leaving your lead hand dangling down by your hip teases the opponent into leading off with their punches. You can draw that lead and perform a lay back followed by a jab. The lay back will take you slightly out of range and you can fire back with your own jab in response. Be relaxed and be fast when your own shot is going out. After all, you are taking a risk with this tactic so you need to be getting your pay back. Think also about your weight distribution across your stance.

A neat boxing jab training video to help you find that perfect jab.

Cheers

Fran

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