Boxing is a full body movement which includes how you move your head matters too. Even a slight inch of moving your chin down, left to right, right to left can help you a little more with how you throw a jab. I remember my first few sessions in the beginning starts with head movement that I was not expecting. I found a few ways that I add in with practicing my boxing drills head movement that you can do it in between sessions.
There are few tools you can find in your house to use while doing this few ways.
YOUR CLOCK TIME
You are not literally going to need a clock to see a time. You need to imagine the number 11, 12, 1. This is a point where you will be moving your head. 12 is where usually my head is at. I use this when I do a slip (11,1) instead of thinking right and left because when I move and right and left, I move way too much than I need to. This is one of the ways one of my coach helps me understand this part because using 11, 1 helps me save me energy by moving my head just an inch.
Try this method of when doing your head movement t drills, it has worked well for me for years when I do my slip. This helps me to not lose my balance because I am not shifting my weight on my back foot that might lead to losing balance. If you always lose balance, you might want to work on your basic footwork instead of head movement. I wrote about that post here.
SHOE STRING & KEYS
Another simple trick I was taught when going to a gym is not an option. Use any of your shoe string and it to a bunch of keys. Find a pull up bar and hang the shoe string, let the keys hang. So I throw the keys forward aggressively, quickly bob and weave. This makes you to speed up with your head movement too. Imagine the keys swinging from the back of your head fast and hard.
If you miss moving or your head stay straight at 12o’clock, those bunch of keys is going to SMACK the back of your head. OUCH! First time I did this, my fear of that key swinging kept me moving my head faster. This trick makes me think at lightning speed to move my head, hence what the usual term means “reflex”. This is one the tricks that I keep when I notice my head movement lose the speed that I prefer to be at.
Another alternate to shoe string is lanyard that you might have got it from any concert that has tag.
SLIP LINE
Use any long string or one hand wrap and tie it between 2 walls. Make sure it is long enough distance like you are in a boxing ring. This line is your center focus. You can either slip right and left, bob and weave, lean back, forward. I prefer to one movement from one end to another and change to another movement coming back. This way it keeps me consistent to stay with one movement one way.
Again, I prefer to learn one thing at a time to give my body and mind understand, learn and remember the movement. Another term to simply describe is muscle memory. This gives your body and mind to know what to do since you have the hand wrap as a center focus as if your opponent is there.
PICK A SPOT INFRONT OF YOU
This is not popular but this is what works for me. I use this when I am in for boxing class without any buddy workout or only have a short time for shadow boxing. Pick something in front of your vision as your opponent. Use this spot and focus on any of your combination while moving your head. This keeps my mind visualizing my opponent in front of me. Head movement is more tricky because you have to fully focus on that spot while you move and throwing your jabs, slipping, shadow boxing.
I remember always feeling awkward and end up looking left and right as if I am doing something not right. Then I focus on one spot keeping in mind to keep my chin tuck in. I care less if anyone else is doing this or not but it sure helps me to ahead while I do my head movement.
KEEP YOUR EYES ON YOUR TARGET
Set your eyes where you want to hit. Where is your target? Body? Chin? Head? I remember being told that I should not be looking at mitts but at someone shoulder. I never thought to look at where I want to hit since I was only hitting only mitts. The longer I box, it makes sense to look at where I am going to hit. Like the saying:
IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE YOU GOING YOU MIGHT NOT GET THERE
YOGI BERRA
Just like how much many do you want to earn and save, how are you going to do that without a target? There should be a target so that way your head movement makes sense. You tell your mind where the target is and your head, hands will know exactly where to go!
So this is all my tips on head movement drills, which one do you like or will try out? If there is more specific that you been doing for head movement drills that has worked, comment below and let me know which one.