Read this article to learn how to feint, one of the most essential techniques in boxing!
If you’re watching boxing for the first time, you may wonder why boxers sometimes make jerky, halfway movements. Are they a waste of energy? Are the boxers afraid to throw a punch?
What you’re seeing are boxers using feints to gain an edge on their opponent.
If you’re a beginner boxer, you’re only focused on throwing, blocking, and dodging punches. Learning how to feint will open up new levels to your boxing and make you a more effective, dangerous, and unpredictable fighter!
What Is A Feint?
A feint is when a boxer fakes a technique or movement to set up his opponent for the real attack.
It could be as simple as a sharp step forward to make your opponent think you’re throwing a jab or it could be as complex as changing the direction of a punch midcourse.
The purpose of a feint is to:
- Get more information about your opponent’s habits.
- Keep your opponent guessing and unsure of your next move.
- Scramble patterns in your movements.
Types of Feints
- Hands
- Feet
- Eyes
- Timing
- Directional
Hands
First, you can feint with your hands.
With a jab, go through the initial movements, but stop short and don’t extend your arm.
The same idea can be applied to the:
- Cross: sit on the punch and turn your hips and rear foot, but stop short and don’t extend your arm.
- Hook and uppercut: rotate your hips and feet, begin to bring your arm up, but don’t make the full extension.
You’re seeing if your opponent changes his guard. For example, if you throw a regular jab and he parries by bringing his glove down, then you can try throwing a jab feint. When you see him bring his glove down, then you can throw a hook.
If you extend the jab, you can use it to block your opponent’s vision, draw a counter, or bring his guard down, rather than using it just to hit a target.
A good example of this idea in motion is to see how Floyd Mayweather Jr. knocked out Diego Corrales.
Watch the video below to see how Mayweather sets up the lead hook knockout by throwing multiple jabs to the body first to bring Corrales’ guard down.
Feet
Next, you can feint with your feet.
This works in all directions:
- Take a hard step forward as if you were throwing a power jab.
- Take a step backwards to draw your opponent towards you or to make him think that you’re loading up a cross.
- Take a hard step to either side. If your opponent tries to cut off the ring, then you can escape the other way. This is handy if you’re getting pressured against the ropes.
This technique is subtle and needs to be in sync with your footwork’s rhythm to be effective.
To an outsider or a beginner, it looks like a waste of energy, but becomes essential to more experience boxers.
Eyes
Next, you can feint with your eyes.
Your opponent is always watching your eyes and body to see what your next move is.
Use this idea to trick him by looking at the wrong target.
Look at your opponent’s body but aim a jab at his head, or do the opposite: look at your opponent’s head and aim at the body.
This is handy if you’re facing an opponent that uses the Philly Shell defense: look at the head or body, but aim for the chest.
Timing
Next, you can feint by mixing up the timing of your punches.
Every boxer knows the rhythm of a 1-2-3-4 combo and learns how to guard against them accordingly.
You can feint with timing by pausing between the 2 and 3. If your opponent relies on muscle memory to guard against this combination, your 3 and 4 will be more likely to land.
Another way to feint with timing is to go from slow to fast or fast to slow with your combinations.
This confuses many boxers, as many think it’s best to go full speed and punch at maximum power all the time.
However, this is a simple way to throw your opponent’s rhythm off.
Directional
Lastly, you can feint by mixing up the direction of your punches.
You’ve seen before how you can vary jabs to the head and body to break down your opponent’s guard.
Another way to feint with direction is to throw a hook that starts low at waist, but then changes direction to aim at the head instead of the body. This is tough because you have to change direction mid-punch.
When your opponent sees your glove starting low, he’ll guard against a hook to the body. Instead, he’ll receive a hook to the head.
A good example of this idea in motion is Donovan “Razor” Ruddock’s Smash Punch. This punch starts low, which serves both as a windup and to bring his opponent’s guard down, and it ends as a devastating uppercut/hook/Mexican jab hybrid.
Where Should You Go From Here?
Like the jab, the feint is an essential technique. It’s a simple idea, but there are many variations and all of them are useful.
First, it shows you that boxing is equally a mental and physical fight; it’s not just trading punches. Next, it forces you to pay attention and keep track of your opponent’s reactions. Lastly, it shows you that it’s ok to miss punches.
Here we only talked about techniques in isolation, but when you mix feint techniques, the possibilities are endless. Mix hand feints with eye feints, feet feints with timing feints, hand feints with timing feints to keep your opponent guessing for the whole fight.
Stay sharp with your technique and make sure there is substance behind your feints. Otherwise, your opponent won’t react to your feints and you’ll just be wasting energy.
Keep these ideas in mind so that you don’t fall for your opponent’s feints.
Play around with these ideas when you shadowbox to make you a better and unpredictable fighter!
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