Basic Counter Punching With Teddy Atlas
Counter punching is an effective method of boxing, seen chiefly with experienced and technical fighters. In order to counter an opponent effectively, a boxer must lay traps and use his superior knowledge to lead the dance and catch the opponent once he falls into the trap that gave an opening for the counter.
When we counter punch, we mix between our defensive & offensive abilities, as it allows us to evade/defend a strike while using the opening created as a chance to get onto the offensive cycle. So now we can understand why it is hard to become a good counterpuncher as we need to master two areas - defense & offense. Let’s begin with our defense; the most common defenses to set up a counter are - slips, parries, pullbacks, blocks, bob and weave.
Now for the offense, we must be creative and use our eyes to see where the opening is so we can choose the most optimal strike to use in this situation. Here, we can take more risks with powerful punches like hooks and uppercuts when there is an opening for them.
In the next section, we will talk about counters off the slip, so before diving in, I would like to go over some common mistakes and ways to make your slips better.
Common mistakes when slipping punches:
- Practitioners get hit while slipping. Remember, we need to move our heads all the way off the centerline to evade a punch.
- Practitioners come up after a slip and get hit. As we counter the opponent, we must stay low and remember never to raise our heads.
Now we know how to optimize our slips, so we don’t put ourselves in danger, but do we know how to slip correctly and smoothly?
Let’s go to the mechanics behind the slips now:
- Keep your feet under you, so you are never off-balanced
- Keep your eyes on the opponent, so he doesn’t surprise you
- Take your head off the centerline and bend your knees slightly
- Keep your defense tight
- As you slip, rotate your shoulders so you are loaded for the counter.
By ensuring that we avoid the common mistakes shown above and perform the slip correctly, we can consistently set up great and easy counters.
In this video, Teddy Atlas will show us a simple counter, off the slip to a straight right hand.
Who Is Teddy Atlas?
Teddy Atlas is a well-known American boxing coach with many world champions under his belt. Teddy was the student of the great Cus D’amato and is one of the last coaches that can pass on Cus’s knowledge and methods. Teddy also worked with Mike Tyson for a short time before getting separated by an incident. Nowadays, after 45 years of teaching boxing, Teddy still educates as many practitioners as he can get to the sweet science of boxing.
Check Out Teddy's Top-Tier Instructionals! Click Learn More!
Countering The Jab With The Right Hand
In this video, Teddy Atlas will give us a sneak peek at his upcoming instructional video, “The World Of Counter-Punching”. Teddy thinks it is a relevant topic to go over today as many people are interested in counter punching when a great counter puncher like Floyd Mayweather has come back into the scene.
Because it is only a sneak peek, we will go over the most basic and effective counter to learn - The counter right hand to the Jab. So first of all, like in any counter, we want to have something to counter, and it is usually the Jab that is thrown consistently throughout the fight.
Now while we are moving around, we need to get the proper distance and position ourselves at the end of the opponent’s Jab where we can bait him to throw the punch and counter it. Remember, we must stay calm in here; we already expect what he will throw, so make sure you see it coming and slip at the right time.
Another tip Teddy gives us is to let the rear shoulder rotate and load the punch as we slip outside; now, we can have power with our punch without wasting time setting up the shot.
Learn More From Teddy Atlas
This video breakdown was a preview for a new upcoming instructional called “The world of counter-punching.” In the meanwhile, if you want to expand your knowledge and learn more from the legend, you can check another instructional- “Timing - Boxing Shot Clock For Success” available exclusively on Dynamic Striking.