Boxing Drills to Take Your Inside Fighting to the Next Level

Inside fighting, or fighting at very close range, a boxing technique often used by aggressive fighters, is perhaps the most iconic style in the sport of boxing. Brave, rough, and tumble brawlers standing toe-to-toe are what many consider to be the heart of the sport, and many boxers train specifically to excel in these close-range fire fights. How can you demonstrate this in your own at-home boxing training? Here are some tips and drills that a boxer at any level can use to improve their inside fighting skills.

Rolling Punch Drill

Also called a sidewinder drill or a shift drill, the purpose of a rolling punch drill is to help you learn to shift your weight properly when you punch. (Drill bonus: it’s a killer leg workout!)

• Start in your boxing stance and shift the majority of your weight onto one leg

• Bend your knees until your thigh muscles are supporting your weight

• Start shifting your weight back and forth or side-to-side depending on how wide you like your stance and what punches you want to throw

• Develop a steady rhythm, and then start mixing punches in

  • You should fall naturally into a good punching rhythm as long as you remember: Whatever leg currently has your weight, that’s the side your next punch should come from

Danger Close Drill

A danger close drill is a drill designed to help you learn to work in an extremely close-range space. You can effectively work this drill on a heavy bag.

• Start very close to your punching bag, as if you were getting right in the face of your opponent with your gloves raised high

• From there, which should have you only inches away from resting your head on the bag at any time, simply practice throwing your punches and working on moving your head “off the line,” the direct line between you and your opponent’s fists as you throw punches

Key focus: Pay special attention to your hip rotation and throw tight, compact shots like hooks and uppercuts. You’ll find that the close space makes your core work harder to get the necessary “pop” on your shots.

Rolling Thunder Drill

A rolling thunder drill is a conditioning drill that is absolutely killer on your legs, shoulders, and core.

• On a heavy bag, set an interval of your choosing

  • I do 1-minute rounds for this drill, but I recommend starting with 30 seconds until you build your endurance and strength

• Throw your best, strongest, fastest hooks non-stop for the entire round without any breaks

  • Make sure to maintain proper wrist and shoulder rotation so that you don’t land on the wrong part of your hand and hurt your wrist

• Rest for 1 minute in between each round to recover

Tip: Maintaining a calm and steady breath will help you establish your rhythm.

Better, Faster, Stronger

Inside fighting is a difficult technique to master, but practicing these three (3) drills will help you develop your boxing game. Plus, these drills are all fantastic for cardio training.

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