England Boxing shadow boxing drills – week three

England Boxing Performance Coach Mick Driscoll and fellow England Talent coaches are putting together weekly shadow boxing drills that can be used to help keep fit at home during the Coronavirus pandemic – and here are week three’s drills.

With clubs and gyms across the country having been now instructed to close their doors until further notice, these regular sessions will help maintain sharpness while regular training is on hold.

“A lot of boxers of all ages have been training hard over the winter and we don’t want to let their efforts go to waste during this unfortunate and enforced period of club inactivity,” said Driscoll.

“These exercises are designed to help boxers stay strong and practise outside of their comfort zone. Be Adaptable, be Independent, be Robust, be Resilient; be AIRR with England Boxing.”

This week’s drills come courtesy of England Boxing Coach Educators Nick Griffin (days one and two) and Adam Haniver (days three, four and five).

By using these drills, boxers are doing this at their own risk and must ensure they have adequate and non-slip floor space in which to participate. They must also have no health concerns.

Day one

Day one and two are drills designed to focus the mind, but many require some detailed explanation by your coach.

The first number indicates how many foot movements, the second number represents the number of punches thrown after the feet have moved. Each round is one minute, followed by 30 seconds of recovery.

1. 2 – 1
2. 4 – 2
3. 3 – 3
4. 5 -2
5. 2 – 3
6. 1 – 1
7. 2 – 2
8. 4 – 1
9. 1 – 3
10. 3 – 1

Day two

The front foot moves as if to follow the shape of the letter of the alphabet indicated.

The punches are thrown in the number stated every time the feet meet a point where there is a distinct change in direction of the feet. Again, each round is one minute, followed by 30 seconds of recovery.

1. X 2
2. N 2
3. W 1
4. V 3
5. R 2
6. S 4
7. W 3
8. Y 1
9. Z 2
10. O 3

Day three

Today’s drills are about self-awareness.

1) shadow box v yourself, exploiting your weaknesses.
2) shadow box v yourself, nullifying you’re strengths.

Day four

Today’s drills are about ‘messy’ learning scenarios.

1) You’ve hurt your lead hand. What do you do?
2) You’ve hurt your rear ankle. What do you do?
3) Your opponent is holding/hitting on break but not getting warned. What do you do?

Day five

More messy scenarios for you to work through.

4) You’ve been warned for head down twice. How will you box?
5) You’ve been hit on your right side with a body shot and can’t move your feet. What do you do?
6) You have someone in your corner whose accent you don’t understand. What do you do?

Remember with all drills, be AIRR – Be Adaptable, be Independent, be Robust, be Resilient, be AIRR with England Boxing.