Uppercut Method pros\cons

[JimmyHoffa]

So I was originally always trained to throw my uppercuts strait up with my arm at 90 degree angle, using leg\back lift for most the travel, combined with a slight raise in my hand from about my jaw (maybe lower) to just above eye level.

Now after a few year hiatus because I moved away from the gym I trained at, I have started at a new gym and one of the people their told me it's better to throw my uppercut at about a 45 degree angle out to get more reach on it, so more swing of the arm less back\leg power.

What's your opinions of the two ways, should I stick to one and which? Or am I better off using each in different situations? What cons should I keep in mind when using either?

Is there another way I should be throwing my uppercut, or alterations I might focus on to improve it in general from the methods I described?

[Sang]

People are going to disagree with me here but i think that if you have to throw your uppercut at 45 degrees it may as well be a straight. The goal of the uppercut for me is to snap their head up out of their guard so you can hammer them with a lead hook, i don't think the 45 degree one would do this. I get plenty of reach on a normal uppercut anyway so it hasn't really been worth me trying out a 45 degree one.

By all means practice them like this way on the heavybag though, better than not training uppercuts at all.

[Steve]

By all means practice them like this way on the heavybag though, better than not training uppercuts at all.

Training uppercuts on a heavy bag? Not a good idea, unless you have some weird bag that I've never heard of...

Is there another way I should be throwing my uppercut, or alterations I might focus on to improve it in general from the methods I described?

At this point in your training (judging by your question) you need to worry more about transferring hip rotation into your strikes, not how your punch is defined with a protractor.

[Sang]

I use them more like a shovel punch (what i think he means by coming in at 45 degrees) on the heavy bag just to make my combinations right then go drill 50 of each uppercut on the uppercut bag to get the technique right. It's easily my worst punch though.

Steve's right on the money as usual in the 2nd comment.

[Steve]

Ah, I thought you were thinking about the shovel punch. The way the question was phrased sounds like he was only thinking jaw, when the upper cut is much more useful than that.

[Matt Phillips]

These are really two different punches, with only the first one belonging properly to boxing. The other punch is servicable in other settings (like MMA, the street) where the technical level of the opposition is lower. Its like the relation between a proper hook and a haymaker: both can work, but one is a slower, loaded punch unsuited to the ring. Another example would be the correct overhand vs the Liddel overhand.

[Yohan]

I work both ways, personally.

[Torakaka]

The uppercut isn't really a "distance" punch. It's supposed to be a sneaky punch from inside of punching range. I do throw what a former boxing coach has referred to as an "up jab" which is kind of like a cross between an uppercut and a jab and is a nice little addition to throw into the mix and catch people with. It is absolutely no sort of replacement for an uppercut, however and any kind of wide angled uppercut isn't going to have the same driving force as a straight vertical uppercut.

[Matt Phillips]

The uppercut isn't really a "distance" punch. It's supposed to be a sneaky punch from inside of punching range. I do throw what a former boxing coach has referred to as an "up jab" which is kind of like a cross between an uppercut and a jab and is a nice little addition to throw into the mix and catch people with. It is absolutely no sort of replacement for an uppercut, however and any kind of wide angled uppercut isn't going to have the same driving force as a straight vertical uppercut.

This (KO 0:15) punch? It's a "Jabbercut"

Forgive if this vid doesn't imbed. I'm cursed.

YouTube - Kessler KO Haussler

[JimmyHoffa]

This (KO 0:15) punch? It's a "Jabbercut"

Forgive if this vid doesn't imbed. I'm cursed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rugYTPgit4

Jabbercut.. I like it. So two different punches, both obviously useful, just for different things. May be fun finding out the right times to use that one, less fun my learning the wrong times to use it, but that's life.

I'll keep using my normal uppercut same as I do for now, when I'm in close, or find myself on their right side, great to push right between their gloves from the side like that, when a strait punch would just hit the side of their glove and left hook would hit the back of their neck.

Thanks everyone!