How to keep my feet together more

[IronFist]

I have a problem when I'm boxing and shadow boxing. After a combo, or while moving to dodge a punch or something, I'll always notice that my feet are too far apart. I like to attribute this problem to TMA practice when I was younger.

So aside from getting something like this (http://store.titleboxing.com/ff.html), how can I work on keeping my feet more together? Anyone have any drills or tips or anything?

[Cody]

Gosh, what an instrument of torture!

Well, as you point out, it's a result of habit, which crosses over into another situation. The habit led to one or more positive results, and assumptions.
I know from my own experience, that it can be easier to sink in a lower stance. Eventually, you can feel same in a higher one, and get the kind of mobility you need for a different way of doing things. That might be part of what is going on.

I don't have the expertise to advise you to a great extent. It would seem too me that you need stepping practice specific to boxing, as opposed to going from horse to bow and arrow, and so forth. It could be as simple as that, without muzzling your legs.

best,
Cody

[SevenStar]

1. are you flat footed?

2. does it happen when you throw off of the rear hand, or does it always happen?

[KWUsCRD]

If spacing is the only problem then I don't see why you couldn't just cut a rope to the ideal distance and put it on during practice.

I sometimes keep my chin to high when I'm boxing. So one day my Sifu, to stress the importance of keeping my chin down, put a small pine cone under my chin. If I lifted my head too high, the pinecone would obviously fall because I wouldn't be holding it in place.

Although he did this in a joking way and didn't expect me to run around boxing with a pine cone under my chin, it taught me a valuable lesson, and illustraited a good point, and everyonce in awhile, if I'm practicing in my room or something and I notice my head keeps moving up, I'll put somethin under my chin and hold it there for a few minutes while practising.

You could maybe even buy a cheap adjustable belt. Simple? yes, effective? yes.

Just my 2 cents.

[David Jamieson]

me and the group of guys i train with visited this very situation just the last time we trained.


practice repetitive shuffle step drills while in a guard position.

shrimp up, get in the en guard position, 60/40, step/follow, step/follow acroos the room, turn and go back.

next incorporate throwing out a jab and a cross so

step with the lead, follow with the back leg, jab cross.

repeat and make sure you are planted before you throw your punches.

start throwing in a small "skip" to change your lead as well when you are comfortable that you are getting to 60/40 properly.


that is a typical shuffle stepping drill. very basic but after a few thousand repititions, take it in and out for and back against a heavy bag, then start moving side to side assume a 60/40 then back and forth, side to side, for for for, back back back and finally take it into sparring.

over time you will break the habit of being to widely spaced in teh feet.

cheers