On this page I have a number of boxing tips that will help you in all areas of boxing. These tips are based on the shorts videos on my Youtube Channel. I’ll link to the video so you can see it in action and briefly summarize the information. We cover boxing footwork, training, head movement, defense, punching technique, boxing tactics, strategy, and style.
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Boxing Tips
Pros and Cons of The High Guard
Even if the high guard isn’t going to be your main stance, I strongly recommend you spend time developing it. It keeps you safe while you’re learning to read punches and collect visual data. The real benefit of the high guard is how compact and efficient the defensive movements are—tiny motions like tilts and turns are enough to block most shots. You’re protected, and the gloves or body naturally cover your openings unless the opponent lands something perfect.
Another big advantage is that it lets you close the distance safely. You can walk forward and pressure without getting rocked, especially if you add in a little sway and head movement. A great example of this is Canelo’s fight against Kovalev—watch how he uses the high guard to advance, collect info, and then land clean shots.
Now, the downside: if you’re not punching, you’re going to get outworked. Even blocked shots can sway the judges if you’re just sitting behind the guard not throwing back. So while it’s a fantastic developmental tool, and very effective defensively, you’ve got to pair it with offensive volume if you want to win rounds.
“Come up Punching!” Like Tyson
Kevin Rooney used to drill this into Tyson—“Come up punching.” And that’s exactly what I want you to take away. When you slip or duck under a punch, don’t just come back up empty. That’s your moment to counter. You duck under a right hand? You come up throwing. Whether it’s to the head or body, you make that defensive move an offensive opportunity.
One of the most common counters is to drop under and come up with the lead hook—clean, sharp, and unexpected. But the key is not to pause. Don’t wait, don’t reset, don’t come up blank. You move under, and then you come up punching—every time. That’s how you turn defense into offense.
Naoya Inoue Footwork
If you want that Naoya Inoue-style footwork—simple but brutally effective—you’ve got to train the small stuff hard. It all starts by dropping into a stance just a little bit lower, almost like a horse stance adapted for boxing. If you don’t know what that is, go look it up—it’ll change how you train your base.
From that lower position, everything starts to come together: the pendulum step, the jab, the one-two, the step-back. You just stay in that stance and work it. Bounce, rock, stay in motion—but stay low. Don’t cheat by coming up tall.
The beauty of this is that when it’s time to spar, you don’t have to stay that low. You go back to your normal stance, but now you’re stronger, more grounded, and more efficient because of the extra conditioning. That’s how you get that Inoue effect.
Fighting Inside and Getting Angles
When you’re working your way to the inside, the goal is to get to a spot where you can land powerful shots and stay safe. Watch Tyson—there are tons of sparring clips that show exactly what I’m talking about. He lines up his centerline with the opponent’s and either steps or moves his head to slip into position. Sometimes it’s two quick steps, sometimes just slick head movement—boom, boom, side to side.
Once you’re in, you don’t have to stay put. You get in, unload—body, head, head, uppercut—then shift or slip back to the other side. It’s all about positioning and movement.
Here’s a drill: slip to the outside. Now your opponent’s right hand is out of play, so the left is coming. Anticipate it. You can duck under, counter, or keep pressing. Just know—this Tyson-style takes a ton of energy. You’ve got to be conditioned for it. That upright fighter isn’t making mistakes—they’ve got their own style. But if you can train this and take those angles on the inside, you’ll land clean shots while staying protected.
Power Punchouts for Boxing
One of my favorite conditioning drills is what I call quality punch-outs. I like to hit this at the end of a session—after shadowboxing, after bag work—when I’m already a bit fatigued. The idea is simple: go nonstop punches for 10, 15, maybe 30 seconds, depending on how gassed you are. But every punch has to be sharp—no fluff, no sloppiness.
Too often, when we shadowbox, we get loose and relaxed, but those punches wouldn’t hold up on the bag. And on the bag, we might have power, but miss the speed. This drill bridges that gap—it’s all about high-quality output under fatigue.
After each burst, I breathe, I move, maybe add in some head movement, then I go again. The goal is to build stamina for clean, effective punches—even when you’re tired. It’s a killer finisher. Work it into your routine.
How to get SNAP in your punches!
If you want more snap in your punches, you’ve got to train your body through repetition. One of the best ways is by throwing multiple rapid punches from the same side—like 10 quick jabs in a row. Do the same with the right hand, same with hooks. This builds up lactic acid and forces your muscle fibers to get more efficient. Your body wants to get better—you just have to guide it. Thinking about it isn’t enough. You’ve got to actually do it. Repetition teaches your body exactly what you expect from it.
Tyson Style Combo
Combo of the day: start with a jab, then a variation of the right hand with a little follow-through step. That step shifts you slightly to the right—just enough to open up the angle for the uppercut up the middle. It’s a small movement, but key. When you go one-two, let that back leg come through a bit. You can even rip it to the body instead. From there: uppercut, hook. That right hand blinds them, they’re covering, and they don’t even notice the step. Great against someone with a high guard. Once you get that angle, drive the uppercut through and stay on the attack. Work that combo.
The Medicine Ball for Boxing
To improve your boxing overall, not just your punching power, not just your stamina, but your whole game—you need to start training with a medicine ball. It’s one of the most underrated tools out there. I use them all the time because they hit everything: coordination, explosiveness, core strength, footwork, balance. It’s a full-body training tool if you use it right. I like the rubber ones because they’ve got bounce and softness—you can throw them, catch them, rebound them, slam them, all without wrecking your joints or slowing down your flow.
Here’s the big mistake I see people make: they go too heavy. I weigh 160 lbs, and honestly, an 8-pound ball feels too heavy for a lot of what I do. It slows me down, messes with my timing, and defeats the purpose. Six pounds is my go-to. Light enough to move fast and fluid, but heavy enough to challenge my body. The goal isn’t to max out—it’s to move better, sharper, and more explosively.
And don’t overthink it. Don’t treat it like some elite science project. Just grab a ball and play around. React to it. Get creative. Let your body figure stuff out. You’ll build skills and strength at the same time without even realizing it.
Dealing with Brawlers
A lot of people think angles only happen on offense, but you’ve got to remember—you can create angles with your defense too. Defensive angles are just as important, and they can give you openings without you having to force anything. So let’s say your opponent’s coming in hard, throwing a big hook or a right hand. You don’t just shell up and cover. You step with your defense. That little shift creates an angle. It’s not about getting flashy, it’s about repositioning while staying protected.
If you want to take it further, watch what guys like Bernard Hopkins used to do. He’d dip, step out, and disappear off the line. It’s slick, and it works. I show how you can use that same movement—whether it’s a small slip or a bigger drop-off—to throw off their rhythm and open up your counter. Especially if you’re taller, you might not want to duck all the way down, but you can still use their aggression against them. Let them come to you, block smart, and move your feet to reset the whole exchange on your terms. That’s high-level defense—and it builds real fight IQ.