Slipping a punch can be the riskiest proposition in the world, even if you already know how to slip. Sure, you only to move your head a few inches but when you’re not absolutely sure of your opponent’s timing, angle, and intention, there are too many variables to guarantee your safety.
Nonetheless, it’s totally possible to slip…without getting caught…and (most interestingly) without being afraid of getting caught.
Slipping Strategies
Wait from the side
- Move your head off to one side
- Stretch your opponent
Never bait for a punch with your head at the center. What happens is his punches take up the center and your head is forced off to the sides until you’re eventually crushed, out of room, and get hit anyway. All slips should be baited with your head off to the side. Even if your head is at center, you want your head to appear like it’s to one side or you want your opponent to commit to one side. It’s best that he doesn’t throw his punch straight down the center. Ok, so first off: don’t position your head at the center, bring it slightly to the side. What this does is force your opponent to stretch a little more to hit you. And as he commits more (because you a tiny bit off to one side), it will take him slightly more off balance to reach for you. At the same time he’s reaching more, his body will also be exposed more and his arm will also take longer to recover.
Make your opponent stretch,
to give yourself more room/time to slip and counter.
Once you’re waiting on one side, you don’t switch to the other side until you see your opponent commit a punch to the side that you’re on. Once you know he’s committing to one side, then your goal is really just to get to the other side. Another way to think of it…is to “cut across the middle”. This can help you to slip tighter and tighter while still maintaining your evasive angles.
Bait with movement (not stillness)
Yes, set up your slip using movement. But what kind of movement? I will explain. I don’t want you to stand still and wait for him to fire first. But I also don’t want you to use predictable head movement ahead of time and make it easy for him to learn your movements and time you. The ‘movement’ I’m taking about are little movements that pressure him to throw a punch at you. Here are some examples
- Some punches or touching jabs – keep jerking that hand around and he’ll eventually fire at you in irritation.
- FAKE head movement – jiggle your head around from side to side to make him think you’re already slipping. But in reality, you’re just waiting in place and already prepared for that punch that’s going to come.
- Other body movements – lift and drops your hands (alternating), twist your body back and forth a little, pull your head in and out. Be creative. Try to come up with movements that get a reaction out of him.
Use movement
to pressure your opponent into punching at you.
Match your opponent’s rhythm
When I say to move your opponent’s rhythm, it means to slip with the same timing of his punches. Don’t try to go too fast. Try to feel his rhythm. You can try starting with a block to evade his first shot and then start slipping from there once you feel his rhythm. And once you’re able to feel his rhythm, you’ll be able to RELAX more because you’re not pressured to race his punch anymore since you know when it’s coming.
Counter
You’ll need to hit your opponent if you want him to stop punching at you. If all you do is keep on slipping, you’ll eventually get caught at some point. Countering also helps to keep him from learning your movement. It’ll occupy his mind as he thinks more about how to avoid your counter than how to time your head movement. And if you can’t counter, then at least stick a hand out and touch him, push him. Make contact somehow and use it to disrupt his rhythm (or his thoughts).
Got some slipping tricks of your own? Share them in the comment box below.
Nice little article! I will sometimes try and throw a punch while slipping e.g. while slipping to the outside of my opponents right cross, I will throw a right hand at the same time as slipping. Or jab and slip to the right at the same time, which will also set me up for a right hook to the body. Both work a treat with a little bit of practice :))
Great moves, Jon. Totally common and very effective.
Mayweather, I think we all agree, is pretty good at slipping shots. If you watch, he does not typically use a lot of movement to do so. Look at the Pacquiao fight. He often stood STILL, even flat-footed, watched for the initiation of one of Manny’s crude lunges, then slipped the coming punch or punches. Also, review Sugar Ray Leonard’s moves in the first bout with Hearns. Leonard repeatedly slipped punches from a stationary position. You don’t have to have incredible reflexes like these guys. The two accessible skills required: excellent eye contact and a sense of anticipation. Any boxer can acquire these attributes through reps and practice. Not too many of us have seen a closed Mayweather workout. But I can almost guarantee you many of his sparring sessions involve rounds of him practicing nothing but slipping and defense.
Sweet article Coach. Its always nice to see just any kind of knowledge.
Because I’m short, I always try to swarm and if I can; Pressure. Always coming in and out, and I have to say, my slips were… okay. Not even decent, even If I would slip one jab, one hook, I would still eat a secondary punch. I know now that every time I would slip at all, is that, I would just sit there. As you have said, to not bait or stay stationary after.
These tips will most definitely improve my slips~!
Hey johnny nice article I’m a 6ft6 southpaw from the uk been boxing about a year now love your website great stuff
Thanks, man!
Hi Johnny, great article. Can you please provide tips on how to slip on the inside ala Marquez or Hatton? Everytime I slip inside, the jab adjust away from the centre line and in effect crossing over to where my head has moved into (my right). Having to constantly keep the hands up while moving forward becomes predictable.
Hold your head on the opposite side…then cut over.
Thanks for this Johnny. Actually, I just have one to share with everyone as a southpaw fighting orthodox fighters. One of the problems I have as a southpaw against orthodox fighters is that due to the open guard/uncrossed stances, when I slip the opponent’s jab I have found that doing a slip against his incoming cross leads my head pretty much directly into the line of fire. Because I also train MMA, I switch stances often and found that in a left leading orthodox stance, I have no problem slipping a 1-2 combo because we’re more centered and equidistant from each other.
So what to do? Exactly what Jon said above. I slip to the right AND step off slightly to the right while firing off that left straight. Basically, it just goes back to what Johnny is saying about not just standing there after a successful slip and doing nothing. If you’ve put in the effort to slip, don’t let it go to waste. 🙂
I was doing a friendly boxing/sparring tournament about a month ago with fighters from other schools and the guys were all great with giving each other feedback. One of the fighters who was a head taller than me was mentioning to me how he loved how I was doing what I described above because I was always literally beating him and everyone else to the punch even though they had longer reach and height than me. The combination of the slip, movement and attack made up for the physical differences.
I’m not saying it’s impossible for a southpaw fighter to slip right-left against an orthodox 1-2, I’m sure there are plenty of way more experienced fighters who can and have done it. I just personally find that the risk is too high and the slip as well being a great defensive move is also an excellent setup for other strikes that takes a comparatively small effort so I take full advantage of it.
@Southpawuk: Damn, I wish I was a 6′ 6″ southpaw. I have to settle for being a 5′ 6″ one. I hate you. Don’t hurt me please. 😉
@BJ: Like you, I’m short and like to swarm so I wanted to share this too. The last guy I sparred at the tourney turned out to be a guy with pro Muay Thai fighting experience (which I didn’t learn until after the sparring session was over) with a He-Man action figure type of physique and he caught onto my swarming style and smartly used a high triangle guard to defend against my swarming.
We talked about it afterwards and he told me I should be doing more body shots because swarmers tend to get caught up on hitting the head and forgetting the body is there to hit as well. Great guy and good lesson for me.
I know that tactic and I love it. When you continue in that angle, it forces the opponent to over-reach and spin himself off balance if he tries to reach with his right. One thing I would suggest to southpaws…never think of it as slipping RIGHT-LEFT, think of it as RIGHT-BACK. As in slipping to the right, and then pulling back. It can even be a diagonal back and to the left.
@tran bronstein it does have great advantages being 6 6, still hurts when a smaller guy lands a clean body shot though! That’s if they can get past the jab and right hook first 🙂
Beginner question…..so if I set my head up slightly to my left to invite a jab so I can slip right and try to counter, what do I do if my opponent decides to not be predictable and throw his straight right? A) slip to the right anyways (this seems like it’s gonna carry me into his left hand), B) Slip left even though my heads leaning to the left already (seems like an ok option if it doesn’t throw you off balance). C) roll under D) something else/a few of those options? (assuming both fighters are orthodox)
It’s all about understanding the positioning and the timing. Altering these tiny details can make a world of difference. You have to play with them a bit and adjust as needed. Different opponents require different adjustments.
Definitely post a video of how to slip in to the “inside”. I’ve been boxing for 6 months and definitely need some tips on slipping punches to get inside
Can you please take a look at this https://www.youtube.com/embed/-Cn0RMmvRM8?autoplay=1 and give me some tips? Id appreciate it . The rings at aruba where huge though
Sorry abou the quality he only landed one punch
I’m a shorter heavyweight(6’0) I’m having issues getting inside with heavyweights who are long and elusive and I’m having trouble baiting them in one spot. Do you have a couple of good points? And this article is amazing, I really like the detail on ‘fake bobbing’ to get the opponent to jump
Great article here! I used to stay still before I slipped I’ll definitely start moving slow before I do now!
Nice article.
What are some good drills to improve slipping?(with or without partner)
Really enjoyed this article Johnny… Its a real shame you dont post new articles more frequently these days… Anyway ive enjoyed all of them to this article. Keep up the good work!
I find the snapback/pullback works well and its a natural response. Follow it up it up with an inside or outside slip or spring back with some offense. If you find you’re caught on the back foot, then use some foot movement – bring the front foot in and take the rear back, which is easier when more weight is on the rear foot.
Hey Johnny,
this is a brilliant piece of work. Every time I search the web for Information about certain boxing skills I always find myself ending up here. Thanks in advance. My brother and I have been boxing for quite a time but had to cut it down to an occasional basis due to work/ moving away/ studies… Now we live in the same city again and went back to daily training. Your articles really help to refine our skills and to get back in shape. Please keep up your helpful and dedicated work. Greetings from Germany.
Hey Johnny,
I am Andy and i just started boxing a month ago and i joined a boxing club . thanks for the great videos of yours on youtube . they helped me a lot.
will be waiting for a reply from you . my friend Vannesa follows you on twitter and u even have replied to her tweets. thanks and i am a great fan of yours.
Hey Johnny ,
I am a little short in height as compared to my opponents will that be an advantage or an disadvantage for me as i am not able to throw jabs on their face.Pls help me out.