Let's quote a legend here:
"Knockouts aren't about power, they're about timing."-Sugar Ray Robinson
I use Mr. Robinson's quote as he states emphatically that knockouts aren't about power but about, well, what he said. I think the man knew what he was talking about. Robinson was not known as a heavy-hitter and yet out of 173 wins 108 of those were by KO. Sounds like this non-heavy-hitter hit plenty hard with good timing in his bag of tricks.
We all love a well-timed punch; you know, that mighty sweet one that catches the opponent flush when his own punch is at full-extension leaving that hole wide-open with his own punch biting air over your rear shoulder. Sweet, huh?
Timing is so tough to train because it requires thoughtful, cooperative drilling. You can't really train good timing on solo gear, that is until you already have drilled good timing into your brain and body via that thoughtful and cooperative drilling we just mentioned.
Building elite timing is not a solo quest because great timing is not volitional. That is, you don't get to choose when's a good time to throw that sweet punch we were just talking about-he chooses, your opponent chooses.
Your job as a counter-boxer is to be a well-trained reader of holes and potential holes who is ready to fill them in when provided.
Even after you acquire good timing it's still mighty difficult to train solo. Every punch you throw on a bag, in front of the mirror, into passive pre-arranged mitt patterns is self-generated and has nothing to do with timing in the true sense.
To train good timing you are simply going to have to have a good partner, this can be an Active or a Passive partner.
An Active Partner is a fellow boxer who will glove up and tit-for-tat this manuals drills with you.
A Passive Partner is a trainer or buddy who may not necessarily want to box but is willing to don some focus mitts and create the energy and angles required to build the enclosed timing drills.
You can build power solo, you can build speed all by your lonesome, and to some degree you can build evasive footwork and a crafty body, but just like the tango it takes two to perfect that timing.
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