Jun 27 2007
Three Special Variations to Shadowboxing
I’m a big fan of these variations to traditional shadowboxing. Try them out, I hope you like them.
Wear Sparring Gloves
Have you ever felt frustrated that your seemingly well drilled punches, footwork and balance went to crap when sparring? Join the club. There are probably a lot of reasons for this. One reason could be the sparring gloves affecting your balance.
Try wearing sparring gloves during shadowboxing. You might suddenly notice that the weight of sparring gloves is just enough to throw off your balance, structure and punch “snappiness.” This is especially true when you miss. Keep drilling until you get your balance back.
Wear Headgear Too
Does the tight defensive structure you worked on suddenly open up?
Try shadow boxing with headgear. Headgear sticks out and makes it awkward to rest your glove on your face. This can really throw off your defenses. Drill until you get over this.
Shadowbox Blind & Naked
Not really naked, but without gloves and a mirror. When your watch yourself in the mirror you’ll notice the punches flying at the mirror and have your attention on a number of areas.
When you go blind and naked, you’re looking through your guard at nothing. You’ll feel wide open as if there are huge holes in your defenses. It creates a natural urge to pull your elbows in tight and keep your hands up. Try a few rounds this way.
