Boxing Form 101: How to Master a Strong Boxing Stance and Deliver Powerful Punches

Things happen quickly once you put on the VR headset and start your workout. Flashing lights, big beat drops, and your trainer instructing you on what punch pattern is coming your way. 

And while getting lost in your boxer’s rhythm is one of the best feelings you can get—besides the dopamine rush that comes after a heart-pounding, heavy-hitting, signature Litesport workout!—keeping your form and technique sharp is essential to preventing injury and keeping you in fighting shape. 

While in that first minute of our trainer classes your trainer is rapid-fire calling out some boxing form basics it goes by so quickly that it’s easy to miss. Sometimes you need a little bit more time to get that boxing form just right. 

So we’ve broken down your Litesport boxing form basics so you can perfect that all-important boxing foundation before you complete your next Litesport workout. 

Establishing your boxing stance

All your punches start from your boxer’s stance, so it’s important to get comfortable with what yours is. Here’s how you set it up: 

Step #1: Foot Placement

Start by facing the shield, feet shoulder-width apart. 

Step #2: Stagger Your Stance

Take a big step back, swinging your dominant foot back 90 degrees. Stagger your stance at about hip-width distance so you are always balanced and your weight is distributed. Your front toes should line up with the heel of your back foot and you should have a slight turnout in that rear foot.

Left-handed vs. right-handed: If you’re right-handed, you’re what’s called an Orthodox boxer. Your left foot will be forward and your dominant right foot will be back. If you’re left-handed, you’re what’s called a Southpaw boxer. Your footing is the opposite with your right foot forward and left foot back. The default stance is Orthodox in your Litesport app so make sure to switch this if you are Southpaw!

Step #3: Keep Your Weight In Your Toes

While in your boxing stance, keep your weight in your toes, staying on the balls of your feet. Keep that back heel elevated and a slight bend in your knees. This allows you to be quick on your feet so you can create precision movement inside the ring. 

Step #4: Get In Your Guard Position

Bring your hands up by your cheekbones, keeping your elbows in nice and tight pinched to your rib cage in your guard position. Make sure to relax those shoulders down, it’s only your arms that need to be up at your chin, not those shoulders! 

This is your boxer’s stance! Consider this your “default” position in the ring. After throwing a punch always snap right back to this stance as quickly as you can. This will ensure you keep your guard up the entire time and are ready to move with speed, power, and precision. 

How to move in your boxer’s stance: If you are ever moving towards the shield lead with your front leg and let your back leg follow. When moving away from the shield, do the opposite, letting your back leg lead and your front leg follow. This keeps your weight balanced whenever you move so you never get thrown off guard!

Throwing punches

There are a lot of numbers your instructors are throwing out at you throughout class. To make sure those lights are turning green with maximum accurate hits you need to know how to nail each punch. Here’s what each one means: 

Odd-numbered punches

All odd-numbered punches come from your lead arm or the arm closest to the shield. For Orthodox, that’s your left arm and for Southpaw, that’s your right arm. 

To deliver more power with these punches, practice stepping forward with your lead foot as you extend your arm. Make sure to keep your back arm engaged at your chin the entire time. 

1: Lead Jab– Fully extend your lead arm to punch the shield, picking up your back heel and twisting from your hips to generate more power. 

3: Jab to the body– As the name suggests, this punch is meant to land on the body of your opponent. So as you punch with your lead arm, bend your knees into a squat position, engaging your quads and glutes. 

5: Lead uppercut– Lights at the bottom of the shield will indicate when it’s time to uppercut. Shift your weight into your front foot and bend into a slight squat as you drive your lead arm up to punch the lower shield. The movement comes from your hips so rotate your hips up and towards the platform as you punch. 

Even-numbered punches

All even-numbered punches come from your back arm or the arm farthest from the shield. For Orthodox, that’s your right arm and for Southpaw, that’s your left arm. 

These punches use your dominant arm, meaning you can really deliver explosive power each time you land a punch. Pick up your back heel and use your back leg and the rotation of your hips to deliver that power. Make sure to keep your lead arm engaged at your chin to block your face the entire time.

2: Rear Cross– As you extend your back arm towards the shield, rotate your back hip forward. Keep your chin tucked in towards your lead arm as you keep your eyes up and on the shield.

4: Cross to the body– Just like your jab to the body, bring your legs into a slight squat position, engaging your glutes and quads. Pivot off that back hip to drive your back arm towards the shield. 

6: Rear Uppercut: Pivot on your back heel as you drive your punch upward to hit the lower shield. 

Keep your punches tight: Precision is key when throwing a good punch. If you overextend your arm, swing out with your elbow too wide, or uppercut past your nose, you lose precious energy. The more you practice, the better you will get at landing your maximum power possible.

Mastering your defensive moves

Without defense, your fight in the ring will end pretty quickly! That’s why we slip, slide, duck and roll with Litesport. The top light on your Litesport shield will indicate when it’s time to get into a defensive position. 

When that light turns on, here’s how you can master those defensive moves:

• Ducks: In your boxing stance keep your hands nice and tight in your guard position pressed against your rib cage. Move straight down into a squat position, with a soft bend in your knees. This move gets you out of harm’s way from your opponent’s incoming jabs and crosses.

• Slips: Slips involve slight movements of your shoulder and head so that your opponent’s punches “slip” past you without impact. To slip back move your front shoulder towards the shield as you bend your knees. To slip forward move your back shoulder towards the shield. 

• Rolls: Rolls, also called bobbing and weaving, are just like ducks only they involve a slight weight transfer from one foot to another. After you get into your duck position, transfer your weight between your right and left foot imagining that you are avoiding punches from your opponent. 

Defensive pro tip: As you are practicing your defensive moves it’s sometimes helpful to imagine that there is a string coming out of the center of your Litesport shield extending all the way to the back of your room. Every time you duck or roll imagine yourself going under that string. Every time you slip imagine yourself moving out of the way of the string. Sometimes visualization can give your body a better sense of how to move in the ring!

Put it together with our LED runway lights

Now that you’ve mastered your stance, punches, and defensive moves let’s put it all together in the ring. Our LED runway lights tell you where and when to punch. That light is your guide! You want to follow the light, track the light, and punch the light. When the light turns green you know you’ve made an accurate hit. 

For every punch, our force sensors are tracking your power, timing, and accuracy. All this goes into your results in the Litesport app, so we can measure, guide, and build the best workout possible. We collect and report your results daily so that you can track your progress, set goals, and compete for a spot on the Litesport leaderboard. 

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Got it all down, right? Trust us, we know there is a lot to think about during class. That’s why your trainers will be right there with you, reminding you to keep your core tight and your hands light— along with a bunch of other words of encouragement! 

Need some more practice? Try our FOCUS class series, which gives you more technique pointers and precise punching cues. Check it out and let us know what you think!