There’s More Than 1 Way to Throw the Jab

In the video below I look at seven ways you can throw the jab. The jab is an extremely versatile weapon in your boxing tool box, no other punch is as versatile and no other punch is thrown as often as the jab. The jab can be used for a host of reasons, the most obvious being to attack but it is also used as a form of defence and to manage distance.

The 7 ways to throw your jab outlined in the video are as follows…

1. The step jab – the most basic and common method of throwing the jab, stepping in with your lead foot and shooting the jab out, elbow and shoulder in a straight line, turning the hand over with palm facing the floor.
2. The Power jab – elbow higher than the shoulder, head off the center line, using a little more stomp in the lead foot.
3. The screw jab – mostly used to split the opponents guard, turning the hand over with the palm now facing you.
4. The Up Jab – lead hand is now lowered to around the waist area and is shot up under the opponents eyeline trying to catch them under the chin, propping their chin up for the back hand coming behind the up jab.
5. The Double Jab Feint – used to gauge your opponents reaction to your jab. The first jab is thrown slower and half way but is quickly followed by a fast and full jab.
6. The Pump Jab – also known as the flick jab, this double jab is really used to obstruct your opponents vision and is fired at their gloves/eyeline so they cannot see your back hand coming over the top. The thinking being the punch which hurts the most is the punch you don’t see coming, so if you can use the pump jab to obscure their vision, the shot you throw after will hurt that much more.
7. The Body Jab – A great way to switch levels by attacking the body, used to gradually slow your opponent down and draw the guard down. Also excellent against taller fighters by slipping to the outside of the jab and shooting your body jab.