Boxing is a science, as a matter of fact, it is called the “Sweet Science” for a reason. It is a chess match. Fighters are constantly battling for the best foot positioning and leverage to be able to overcome the opponent in front of them. But what about a boxer who is flat-footed? How can they be able to win this game of wits and attrition?
What are some tips for flat-footed boxers? Here are some tips a flat-footed boxer can use to improve their boxing:
- Invest in wearing proper footwear.
- Jump rope a lot more.
- Focus on improving your posture.
- Learn to relax your upper body.
- Move your body as a unit, not individual pieces.
- Learn to utilize the balls of your feet properly.
- Learn to narrow your stance.
- Learn to take smaller steps, not big ones.
- Learn to “Walk.”
- Learn how to pivot.
- Learn to manage your center of gravity.
As you have probably figured by this point in time, boxing is not as simple as throwing punches at the person in front of you. It takes a lot to build up the necessary skill to become proficient in the art, and within this guide, we are going to give you some pointers to become a better boxer and be able to move more efficiently in the ring, even if you’re flat-footed.
Tips to Combat Flat-Footedness in Boxing
When it comes to boxing, it can be a bit difficult to improve things like your technique and footwork if you’re flat-footed and don’t know where to begin to address the issue. Take a moment to look at and study the tips below to improve your boxing ability.
1. Be sure to Invest in The Proper Footwear
Not wearing the proper shoes is a common problem that we see in boxers, especially with newcomers to the sport. A lot of people who begin in boxing often think that it is okay to wear tennis shoes or basketball shoes in the ring and practice.
The problem with this is that these shoes do not allow an individual to move properly, and they do not provide the necessary sole and ankle support that a boxer, especially one with flat feet, needs. When looking to improve your footwork and combat flat-footedness, investing in the right pair of boxing shoes is a must.
Make sure you check out my article on the best boxing shoes under $100 to see the best affordable shoes out there. You don’t have to read the whole thing, just check out my top recomendations.
2. Start Jumping Rope a Lot More
If you look at the jump rope in the boxing gym with total disdain or don’t believe that it is necessary to improve your skill and footwork, look again. It plays an important part in helping a boxer condition their legs and learn to be on the balls of their foot.
It will also help build and condition your legs to be able to move faster and position yourself more effectively as a boxer.
3. Perfect your Posture
When it comes to boxing, you may notice that a lot of boxers are a bit hunched forward, lean back, or maybe a bit too square in their stance. One thing that you need to keep in mind as a boxer is when your stance is weak, your boxing suffers as an effect. Especially if you are inherently flat-footed. This makes your posture even more crucial.
Posture will also affect how you move on your feet. When you position your body in a manner that places too much weight on your lead or rear leg due to hunching or leaning, you are not going to be able to move like you need to, and you are placing unnecessary strain on your ankles, soles, and back. Pay attention to your posture, and it will greatly improve your boxing ability.
4. Relax that Upper Body
One thing that we see a lot of, especially with new boxers is that they are often tense in their upper body when it comes to taking a stance in practice or within a match. Believe it or not, this will also affect how you move your feet.
Learn to loosen up! You don’t have to be extra tense when it comes to boxing. If you are, you are paying more attention to your shoulders than your footwork, and as we pointed out earlier, that affects everything in boxing. Aside from affecting your footwork, it also causes undue strain on the shoulders and can gas you out a bit faster.
5. Focus on Moving Your Body as a Single Unit, Not Individually
One thing that affects a boxer’s performance, especially a flat-footed one, is how they move. They do not move all the parts of the body in unison. If you are rolling under a punch or stepping of angle to reposition for dominance or a counterattack, you don’t just move your leg or head then the rest of the body. You move everything at once. It helps maintain your stance and center of gravity.
6. Learn how to use your Feet Appropriately in Boxing
In boxing, being flat-footed traditionally refers to how your feet are in your stance. In layman’s terms, it means that you are standing flat on the soles of your feet, including both the ball and heels of your feet. In boxing, this is going to be detrimental to your progression as a boxer. These following tips are a couple of things you need to focus on:
7. Focusing on standing on the balls of your feet.
As a boxer, you don’t want to stand on the heels of your feet. This is detrimental to your footwork and will negatively impact your punching ability as well. If you want to improve your boxing, focus on moving on the balls of your feet instead of putting weight on your heels.
8. Narrow your stance.
If your stance is too wide, it will be difficult to have an efficient economy of movement in boxing. If your goal is to be able to move around in the ring more efficiently in boxing, you need to bring your legs closer together. This will also prevent you from standing flat-footed in your stance.
9. Learn how to “walk.”
Believe it or not, you are not going to walk towards or away from your opponent, in the same manner as you would walking down the street. When you advance towards your opponent or retreat, you are going to step with the ball of your foot and “drag” the following leg into position. Do not step with your heels! You will lose balance!
And always move your rear foot first when moving back, and your front foot first when moving forward. The same thing when moving left and right (right foot first when moving to your right and left foot first when moving to your left. This is basic boxing footwork that applies to everybody not only to flat-footed people.
10. Learn the art of pivoting.
Pivoting is important in boxing. It provides a means of repositioning in a match and sets up a nice counter hook or uppercut if you time it just right. To pivot, you guessed it; you need to be able to move on the balls of your feet.
11. Learn to Manage your Center of Gravity
In combat sports, especially boxing, a good center of gravity is essential. When you have a good center of gravity will provide the following benefits to you as a boxer:
- A stronger stance. When you have a good center of gravity, your stance is going to be one to be reckoned with. It will allow for better resistance against offensive maneuvers and also allow you to put more power into your punches using less energy and effort.
- It will provide better head movement. Head movement is extremely important in boxing. It’s how you avoid taking the more serious blows that can potentially put you out of commission. If you can get your center of gravity right and move those feet, you will be amazed at what you can avoid.
- It provides better stability. If you are flat-footed, your stability may be a concern to you. If that is the case, your center of gravity is of even more importance. Learning how to manage it will provide you with that stability to need to move effortlessly around the ring.
The Final Bell…
Boxing is a complicated art, but you can make it easier to grasp and understand even if you are flat-footed. Make sure that you have the right shoes. They are just as important, if not more important than the gloves that you put on. Also, don’t be scared to grab that jump rope and start working on bouncing on the balls of those feet you got.
Don’t forget everything that we told you about working on that footwork and center of gravity, either. All the jump roping and boxing shoes in the world won’t make a bit of difference in your ability to perform in the ring if you don’t get your footwork down right. If you’re serious about overcoming flat feet and improving as a boxer, you will have taken this information to heart. Train hard. Fight easy.