How do you throw a jab to the body?

To throw a jab to the body, follow these steps: - Assume an Orthodox boxing stance with your hands up in fighting position - Throw your Jab in a straight line, from your face to your target, then immediately return your hands back to guard - As you begin to throw the Jab, you should simultaneously step towards your opponent's rear side, at almost a 45-degree angle, and drop your center of gravity, coming into an exaggerated knee bend - The step forward has a dual benefit: it helps you get down to body level faster and gives you a better angle to land the punch - Power for the Jab is generated from the ground up - Focus on pushing off the ball of your back (right) foot as you transfer your weight forward - Key focus: As your punch lands, your lead foot lands

How do you throw a cross to the body?

To throw a cross to the body, follow these steps: - Assume an Orthodox boxing stance with your hands up in fighting position - Throw your Cross in a straight line, from your face to your target, and then immediately return your hands back to guard - Step diagonally towards the rear side of your opponent or target with your lead foot, bend down, and drop your center of gravity, as your foot lands - Power and force for the Cross is generated by pivoting your rear foot - Key focus: As you throw the Cross, be sure to “tuck” your chin into your right shoulder, while simultaneously keeping your lead (left) hand up near your chin to block any counter punches and your lead (left) elbow tucked close to your body

How do you throw a lead hook to the body?

The Lead Hook to the body is often considered to be the most infamous body shot in all of boxing. Hook body punches are used to sneak around the guard of your opponent. For Orthodox boxers, these are the punches that land directly on the opponent’s liver and can have devastating effects. - Assume an Orthodox boxing stance with your hands up in fighting position - Start by cheating your weight onto your lead foot and slightly rotating your upper body towards the side - Open your lead hand off your face, rotate your hips, pivot your foot, and generate your power as you throw your Lead Hook to the body - As you rotate and throw your punch, transfer your weight from your lead foot to your rear foot - Be sure to keep your rear hand up and your elbows tucked in to protect yourself while punching - Key focus: For this punch to be effective, your elbow and fist should stay in line with each other, with only a slight upward “hook” motion, to really dig into your opponent’s midsection

How do you throw a rear hook to the body?

To throw a rear hook to the body, follow these steps: - Assume an Orthodox boxing stance with your hands up in fighting position - Drop your center of gravity, and come into an exaggerated knee bend - Throw your Rear Hook, rotate your hips, pivot your rear foot, and transfer your weight from your rear leg to your lead leg - To land a clean punch, make sure to keep your elbow up - Immediately return back to your boxing stance with your hands back in guard - Key focus: Keep your lead hand up and your elbow tucked into your body so you are not susceptible to counter punches thrown by your opponent

How do you throw a lead uppercut to the body?

Uppercut punches to the body are meant to be thrown inside the guard of your opponent–the opposite of the Hook techniques. - Assume an Orthodox boxing stance with your hands up in fighting position - Start by cheating your weight onto your lead foot and slightly rotating your upper body towards the side - Open your lead hand off your face, rotate your hips, pivot your lead foot, and generate power as you throw the Lead Uppercut to the body - As you rotate and throw your punch, transfer your weight from your lead foot to your rear foot to maximize the power for your punch - Be sure to keep your rear hand up and your elbows tucked in to protect yourself while punching - Key focus: For this punch to be effective, slightly drive your fist forward as you throw the punch upward into the midsection of your opponent or target

How do you throw a rear uppercut to the body?

To throw a rear uppercut to the body, follow these steps: - Assume an Orthodox boxing stance with your hands up in fighting position - Drop your center of gravity, and come into an exaggerated knee bend - Throw your Rear Uppercut, rotate your hips, pivot your rear foot, and transfer your weight from your rear leg to your lead leg - Focus on transferring weight from rear to lead foot to maximize power - Immediately return back to your boxing stance with your hands back in guard - Key focus: When you make contact with your target, make sure your elbow is behind your fist to avoid injury and land a clean shot

6 Basic Body Shot Punches To Use In Boxing

Q: What are some tips for throwing body shot punches in boxing?

Here are some tips for throwing body shot punches in boxing: - The key to landing a proper body punch is to get low when you are striking. To do this, drop your center of gravity in your boxer's stance and focus on getting ample knee bend to properly throw your punch at your target, either your opponent's body or the heavy bag. - Note: Throwing body punches in an upright vertical position leaves you vulnerable and wide open for your opponent to counter strike

Professional Boxer, FightCamp Co-Founder, and Trainer Tommy Duquette teaches you the 6 basic body punches to master in boxing.

Published: February 22, 2022

Topics: Boxing, Training

Author: Tommy Duquette

There is an old adage in boxing that states, “go to the body and the head will fall.” That statement is a direct summation of the devastating effectiveness that body punches can have on an opponent in the ring, literally taking an opponent’s breath away. If you're able to land enough body punches on your opponent, they will have no choice but to protect themselves, opening you up for throwing combinations that will leave them vulnerable to head shots.

Today FightCamp Co-Founder and Trainer Tommy Duquette will walk you through the 6 basic body punches in boxing.

The Perfect Body Punch | How To Throw The 6 Basic Punches To The Body

Tips for Effective Body Punches

The key to landing a proper body punch is to get low when you are striking. To do this, drop your center of gravity in your boxer's stance and focus on getting ample knee bend to properly throw your punch at your target, either your opponent's body or the heavy bag.

Note: Throwing body punches in an upright vertical position leaves you vulnerable and wide open for your opponent to counter strike

Body Punch Numbers

The body punches are numbered following the punch count numbering system, where “B” indicates body punches.

1B - Jab to the body
2B - Cross to the body
3B - Lead Hook to the body
4B - Rear Hook to the body
5B - Lead Uppercut to the body
6B - Rear Uppercut to the body

1B - Jab to the Body

Assume an Orthodox boxing stance with your hands up in fighting position
Throw your Jab in a straight line, from your face to your target, then immediately return your hands back to guard
As you begin to throw the Jab, you should simultaneously step towards your opponent's rear side, at almost a 45-degree angle, and drop your center of gravity, coming into an exaggerated knee bend
- The step forward has a dual benefit: it helps you get down to body level faster and gives you a better angle to land the punch
Power for the Jab is generated from the ground up
- Focus on pushing off the ball of your back (right) foot as you transfer your weight forward
Key focus: As your punch lands, your lead foot lands

2B - Cross to the Body

Assume an Orthodox boxing stance with your hands up in fighting position
Throw your Cross in a straight line, from your face to your target, and then immediately return your hands back to guard
Step diagonally towards the rear side of your opponent or target with your lead foot, bend down, and drop your center of gravity, as your foot lands
Power and force for the Cross is generated by pivoting your rear foot
Key focus: As you throw the Cross, be sure to “tuck” your chin into your right shoulder, while simultaneously keeping your lead (left) hand up near your chin to block any counter punches and your lead (left) elbow tucked close to your body

3B - Lead Hook to the Body

The Lead Hook to the body is often considered to be the most infamous body shot in all of boxing. Hook body punches are used to sneak around the guard of your opponent. For Orthodox boxers, these are the punches that land directly on the opponent’s liver and can have devastating effects.

Assume an Orthodox boxing stance with your hands up in fighting position
Start by cheating your weight onto your lead foot and slightly rotating your upper body towards the side
Open your lead hand off your face, rotate your hips, pivot your foot, and generate your power as you throw your Lead Hook to the body
- As you rotate and throw your punch, transfer your weight from your lead foot to your rear foot
- Be sure to keep your rear hand up and your elbows tucked in to protect yourself while punching
Key focus: For this punch to be effective, your elbow and fist should stay in line with each other, with only a slight upward “hook” motion, to really dig into your opponent’s midsection

4B - Rear Hook to the Body

Assume an Orthodox boxing stance with your hands up in fighting position
Drop your center of gravity, and come into an exaggerated knee bend
Throw your Rear Hook, rotate your hips, pivot your rear foot, and transfer your weight from your rear leg to your lead leg
- To land a clean punch, make sure to keep your elbow up
Immediately return back to your boxing stance with your hands back in guard
Key focus: Keep your lead hand up and your elbow tucked into your body so you are not susceptible to counter punches thrown by your opponent

5B - Lead Uppercut to the Body

Uppercut punches to the body are meant to be thrown inside the guard of your opponent–the opposite of the Hook techniques.

Assume an Orthodox boxing stance with your hands up in fighting position
Start by cheating your weight onto your lead foot and slightly rotating your upper body towards the side
Open your lead hand off your face, rotate your hips, pivot your lead foot, and generate power as you throw the Lead Uppercut to the body
- As you rotate and throw your punch, transfer your weight from your lead foot to your rear foot to maximize the power for your punch
- Be sure to keep your rear hand up and your elbows tucked in to protect yourself while punching
Key focus: For this punch to be effective, slightly drive your fist forward as you throw the punch upward into the midsection of your opponent or target

6B - Rear Uppercut to the Body

Assume an Orthodox boxing stance with your hands up in fighting position
Drop your center of gravity, and come into an exaggerated knee bend
Throw your Rear Uppercut, rotate your hips, pivot your rear foot, and transfer your weight from your rear leg to your lead leg
- Focus on transferring weight from rear to lead foot to maximize power
Immediately return back to your boxing stance with your hands back in guard
Key focus: When you make contact with your target, make sure your elbow is behind your fist to avoid injury and land a clean shot

These six (6) punches are the classic body punches in boxing. Now that you are more familiar with how to effectively execute each one, with continued practice, you’ll be able to take your fighting game to the next level. Before trying these punches against an opponent, we recommend you practice on a heavy bag. Then once you’re ready, try them out in the ring and before you know it, you’ll be taking down your opponent with these body shots.

Take It To The Body

If you have comments or questions, be sure to reach out in our FightCamp Community, and for more boxing tutorials with tips, techniques, and workouts from Tommy and the other FightCamp Trainers, check out our YouTube Channel and our Blog to find everything from workouts, drills, recovery, nutrition, and more! You can start your at-home boxing journey, no matter where you are in your quest to get healthy and in shape. At FightCamp, we’re here to help. Download the FightCamp App and get started training today!

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About the author

Tommy Duquette

Tommy Duquette is a Co-Founder and Head of Content at FightCamp. He is a former US Boxing Team member with 136 fights under his belt & qualified #2 seed for the 2012 Olympic trials. Tommy is USA Boxing Coach certified.