The Shuffle Drill takes any new or intermediate boxing student to the limit of their cardio endurance while working the upper and lower body.
Once a student is taught the jab and the cross, this drill can be part of a monthly workout to gauge improvement in cardio endurance and the ability to execute well-structured, fast punches.
Equipment
Instructor: heavy bag or mitts. Student: hand wraps and boxing gloves.
Instructions
Create a physical line about 8 feet away from the heavy bag or the instructor so the student can shuffle forward and backward to and from the target.
- Jabs: Shuffle forward, jab the target once, then shuffle back behind the line. Repeat, adding one jab each time until reaching 10 jabs in a row, then back down to 1. (100 jabs total plus 19 shuffles.)
- Crosses: Immediately repeat the same shuffle pattern with the cross, fast and powerful, rotating the torso for maximum power rather than leaning forward. Build up the same way. (100 crosses total plus 19 shuffles.)
- One-minute break.
- 1-2 combinations: Same shuffle pattern executing a Jab-Cross in rapid succession, increasing the count each rep up to 10 (a total of 20 punches on the last rep). (110 punches plus 10 shuffles.)
Most boxing combinations require only a single or double jab. Rarely are 3 jabs in a row ever thrown, so it takes pure will to execute 8, 9 or 10 quality jabs in a row. The shoulder screams. That is part of the fun.
A heavyweight title fight averages about 450 total punches per fighter. This drill packs 310 punches and roughly 768 feet of shuffling, about 2 and a half football fields, into under 6 minutes. Students often report their calves are more sore than their shoulders the next day.
Coaching Notes
Students are concentrating on motion, cardio and technique, so forcing them to count is out of the question. YOU do the counting, and do it loudly. When the student shuffles back behind the line, announce the next set. Constantly coach hands returning to the face so lazy punches never become a habit. Counting and coaching at the same time is a skill that takes practice. Count louder than the voice in their head telling them how hard this is. Have fun.