Did you just get beat up in a bad first spar?
Even though you think you’ve failed, you’ve reached an important milestone in your boxing journey. Keep your head up high!
Once the anxiety and adrenaline wear off, it’s important to reflect on how you did and what you can do to get better.
This article will discuss why you had a bad first spar. We’ll also discuss simple fixes you can do to make your next spar better.
What You Should Do After A Bad First Spar
After a bad first spar, you should:
- Make Friends and Ask For Feedback
- Fix Your Shadowboxing
- Set A Small Goal For The Next Spar
- Record and Take Notes
Many beginners feel that when they try to do everything at once, their mind overloads and their body refuses to listen.
The key to moving forward is to focus on one thing to improve.
Make Friends and Ask For Feedback
After a bad first spar, make friends and ask for feedback.
One of the reasons you had a bad first spar was that you saw the person across the ring as a stranger, not as a partner.
Make friends with your partner and ask for feedback.
By showing a good attitude, you’ll convince your partner to help you and build a solid friendship.
Boxing is a small world, so you’ll probably cross paths with this person again.
The next time you spar this person, you’ll feel more comfortable.
If the partner is equally or less skilled than you, talk about what you both want to work on. In either case, don’t be the guy or girl with the bruised ego.
You want to have three kinds of sparring partners:
- Better: This partner will reveal your weaknesses. Focus on what you’re best at.
- Equal: This partner will let you work on your weaknesses and practice your strengths.
- Worse: This partner will let you experiment and try out new situations in a low-risk setting.
Always remember that sparring is a cooperative process; you’re there to help your partner improve as well.
Fix Your Shadowboxing
The next thing you should do after a bad first spar is to fix your shadowboxing.
Another reason why you had a bad first spar was because your shadowboxing had no substance.
Remember before how your shadowboxing was randomly throwing combinations and slipping punches?
Now that you have firsthand boxing experience, you can apply situations from the first spar into your shadowboxing routine. Sparring is the fuel and inspiration for your shadowboxing.
Of course, your first-time sparring will always be a blur. As you progress, the mental visualization will become easier.
Here are a few examples of how you can change your shadowboxing:
- If your partner was stepping forward throwing jabs, visualize stepping back or to the side.
- If your partner was using a high guard, visualize using a jab-body hook combo.
- If you kept getting pinned against the ropes, practice pivoting and sidestepping instead of staying in one place.
Set A Small Goal For The Next Spar
The next thing you should do after a bad first spar is to set a small goal for the next spar.
Another reason why you had a bad first spar was because you tried to do everything at once.
Since your techniques were not committed to muscle-memory, trying to do everything at once overwhelmed your mind.
Sparring triggered your fight or flight response; instead of focusing on technique, you focused on survival.
Instead, set a small goal for the next time you spar.
This also helps to take away the pressure and anxiety or sparring.
As long as you spar with this goal in mind, none of your future spars will be a failure, no matter how badly you do.
Get comfortable with the basics so you have a solid foundation for challenging yourself later.
When you step in the ring again, try one of these:
- Keeping a balanced, closed stance.
- Keeping your eyes open while being punched.
- Calm breathing. This will keep you from getting tired quickly.
- Looking through the high guard instead of curling up against punches.
Technical and conditioned sparring are great for these goals; not all spars have to be all-out brawls.
Record and Take Notes
The last thing you should do after a bad first spar is to record your next spar and take notes.
In the beginning, sparring will feel like a blur. It will be hard to remember what you were doing or thinking at the time.
Next time, ask someone to record your next spar since the tape never lies.
In training, boxers build up an idea of themselves and their skills. On the other hand, sparring shows you what kind of boxer you really are.
This is the best way to get immediate feedback on your form and technique. With a video, you’ll note exchanges and highlights that you can learn from.
At first, you’ll be embarrassed by these videos, but with time and hard work you’ll see improvement.
Before you record, ask your sparring partner if they’re okay with being recorded, especially if he has a fight or tournament coming up soon.
Conclusion
After a bad first spar, it’s important to take an honest account of what you did well and what you did poorly.
You’ll probably feel the same way after your second, third, and fourth spars. However, each time you cycle through, you’ll have new shadowboxing ideas and goals to achieve.
Lastly, take it easy on yourself! It’s a long process, but you’ll improve each time you spar. Most boxers (professionals too) make the same mistakes when sparring.
If you want to beat your fear of getting hit, check out these tips!
Watch the video below and imagine what each boxer is working on.
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