Solo Drills for Evasive Boxing Head Movement

By Bryanna Fissori 

Blocking and evading are the two general ways to defend yourself when boxing. Blocking involves allowing the punch to touch you in a controlled way to minimize damage. Evading is the act of avoiding contact altogether. There is a time and a place for both methods of defense, and both are crucial to being successful in boxing. In this article, we will give you some tips on how to practice your evasive boxing head movement techniques on your own. 

Slip Drills – Used to avoid straight punches by moving head out of the way

Slips are an important part of boxing head movement. Stand in front of a full-length mirror. Most gyms will have a mirror somewhere in the facility and often for this purpose. Choose a spot in the middle of the mirror or place a piece of tape on the mirror. Stand in your fighting stance with your hands up and knees slightly bent like you are ready for action. Lean or “slip” to one side of the tape. Your elbow should touch your hip as if you were doing a side crunch. Repeat to the other side. Continue to do this for a certain period of time or number of slips.  

Duck Drills- Used to duck lower than a straight punch thrown to the head

Stand in your fighting stance, hands up and knees slightly bent like you are actually getting ready to fight. Essentially all you are going to do is a squat. Do not transition out of your fight stance. There is no need to drop all the way down (a** to the grass), but you should since down at least six inches. 

Roll Drills – Used to avoid hooks to the head

Use an extra hand wrap or a rope of some sort to tie from one point to another. The rope or wrap should be positioned approximately six to eight inches below head level to encourage proper level changing. If there is a fixture such as a pole or heavy bag to use as anchors, that would be helpful. 

Stand on one side of the rope, in your fight stance with your head close to the rope. Dip down and roll yourself underneath the rope so that your head is all the way to the other side. Step forward as you roll under the rope. Repeat, stepping forward with each roll. You may also do this same drill walking backward.