How not to get outjabbed?

[AaronJW]

Maybe a ****** question because I suppose the answer is just to be a better jabber than your opponent...

I sparred against someone new today and I had no idea of his ability until we started. He was probably roughly the same height and had the same reach as me but as soon as we started, he was immediately able to outjab me.

My jabs didn't seem to land so much, he didn't seem to react to my feints and whenever he threw a jab they'd usually hit me directly in my face. After a while I remembered that I can block with the right hand when I jab but it was another one of those sparring sessions where I'm reminded of how much I'm lacking skill-wise.

Any advice?

[Akan]

Sounds like he had better footwork/head movement. If you continue to get tagged directly to the head you need to work on making yourself a harder target by constantly moving your head. Doesn't have to be huge movements, just enough so that you can slip the punch completely or avoid most of the impact so he doesn't land flush. When it comes to footwork you have to learn how to manage the range. If you feint out of range or he notices you only step in when you actually intend to jab, you can be predictable and beaten to the punch. Move laterally and feint with your body/feet as well as your hands. I'm mostly making assumptions because I don't have enough information, so these are general tips i give based on what I've seen. One major factor could be that you're throwing singles, learn to double and even triple up your jab to both the head and body. If you can't hit the head, gain confidence by aiming for the chest and body. When aiming for the head try not to hit dead center aim slightly to the outside or inside to force him to move in the opposite direction and get a feel for which way he tends to slip the jab. Hope I helped.

[Dip_Slide]

If you're fighting someone with a superior jab u have to take that jab away, u can dip and counter with a hook to the body or u can come over the top with a right hand. Also, if you manage to get to fight him close he won't be able to use that jab much, u have to learn how to move ur head and how to bend ur knees to work under jabs to the body and then to the head. If you can't win a jab match because his jab is sharper than urs or because he's quicker or taller u have to resort to turning the fight around.

Defensively u have to work with ur coach on parrying the jab and on slipping and rolling, mitt drills are good for that.

[AaronJW]

Thanks, that's great help, a lot of good tips there!

[Richard P]

If you're fighting someone with a superior jab u have to take that jab away, u can dip and counter with a hook to the body or u can come over the top with a right hand. Also, if you manage to get to fight him close he won't be able to use that jab much, u have to learn how to move ur head and how to bend ur knees to work under jabs to the body and then to the head. If you can't win a jab match because his jab is sharper than urs or because he's quicker or taller u have to resort to turning the fight around.

Defensively u have to work with ur coach on parrying the jab and on slipping and rolling, mitt drills are good for that.

Pretty sound advice

[bluepete]

Do you jab to the body often? I often jab the body when the guy jabs to the head, the head movement is inbuilt, he's jab goes over your head, breaks he's rythmn. Occasionally I jab hard to the shoulder too, has a similar effect. Just notice Dip_slide advised the same thing. Worked well for me anyways.

[Dip_Slide]

Do you jab to the body often? I often jab the body when the guy jabs to the head, the head movement is inbuilt, he's jab goes over your head, breaks he's rythmn. Occasionally I jab hard to the shoulder too, has a similar effect. Just notice Dip_slide advised the same thing. Worked well for me anyways.

I'd be very careful teaching a beginner to jab to the body since it's a very long punch and if you overuse it or telegraph it u can easily get countered by a right hand and get hurt or get knocked down because you're off balance, the jab to the body needs a high level of atheleticisim, quickness and a very good sense of timing combined with the ability to set it up by feinting upstairs and then going downstairs.

So to expect a beginner to have all these things in order to be successful with the jab to the body is a bit too much to ask, only a very few number of professional fighters use the jab to the body successfully, a lot of boxing trainers stop their fighters from using that punch including Freddie Roach and Eddie Futch to name a few because it's too risky.

Floyd Mayweather has all the characteristics I mentioned plus a long reach for his frame so he was very successful with it, he did a number on Diego Corrales with that punch alone.

[bluepete]

I'd be very careful teaching a beginner to jab to the body since it's a very long punch and if you overuse it or telegraph it u can easily get countered by a right hand and get hurt or get knocked down because you're off balance, the jab to the body needs a high level of atheleticisim, quickness and a very good sense of timing combined with the ability to set it up by feinting upstairs and then going downstairs.

So to expect a beginner to have all these things in order to be successful with the jab to the body is a bit too much to ask, only a very few number of professional fighters use the jab to the body successfully, a lot of boxing trainers stop their fighters from using that punch including Freddie Roach and Eddie Futch to name a few because it's too risky.

Floyd Mayweather has all the characteristics I mentioned plus a long reach for his frame so he was very successful with it, he did a number on Diego Corrales with that punch alone.

My trainer used to talk about what could go wrong if you stay there too long or lean in with the body jab. It was just after it led to the downfall of Razor Ruddock against Lennox.Mike McCallum was the template he used, as we got to see him at our gym before he fought Michael Watson.Course, at the time I didnt recognise the subtitles. I sparred with Lyold Honeygan who was at the end by then and as a shorter man he used it to great effect. He's tip was to make sure it was a hard enough shot to stop you on your tracks to avoid being countered. It actually hurts like hell after a while.

[therealpugilist]

Maybe a ****** question because I suppose the answer is just to be a better jabber than your opponent...

I sparred against someone new today and I had no idea of his ability until we started. He was probably roughly the same height and had the same reach as me but as soon as we started, he was immediately able to outjab me.

My jabs didn't seem to land so much, he didn't seem to react to my feints and whenever he threw a jab they'd usually hit me directly in my face. After a while I remembered that I can block with the right hand when I jab but it was another one of those sparring sessions where I'm reminded of how much I'm lacking skill-wise.

Any advice?

dont throw all your jabs the same way

throw up jabs, power jabs, flicking jabs, stans to the body

sometimes catch his jab and shoot one immediately


also a good way to take away a good jab is countering it when youre sure hell commit.

no one likes to be countered constantly.

[powershots]

Reminds me of the Trinidad/Wright fight. Tito ate a lot of jabs that fight.