I've started boxing recently and I'm getting a bad habit where I pause before my combinations. I can't just let my hands go, because I'm the type of fighter that does a lot of thinking in the ring and each combination I throw has a design. In one of my combinations, I thought of using a jab to pop my opponent's head up and an overhand right to chop him down and finish the job.
A good example of this habit showing in professional boxing would be Mike Tyson and GGG, where both would also pause before unleashing a calculated combination that ends in a KO. My goal, eerily similar to Tyson's, is to inch closer to that one punch that ends the fight. My problem is, my opponent can sense that just looking at my eyes and feeling that sudden PAUSE in my rhythm. Eventually, I want to be smooth like Anderson Silva where he is soo smooth, his opponent can't tell if he is going to jab, step, or go for the KO. Do you guys know how I can mitigate or even overcome this bad habit?
Bag work.
You need more time in to the point where you rely almost purely on instinct and muscle memory. That's actually how its done for new guys and aspiring fighters, at the intermediate to exp. stages is when you really start remaining calm with thinking in the ring.
Basically most coaches will drill you in and out for the following as a novice fighter
-pressing forward (ring control)
-retaliating ASAP - interrupting your opponent's combinations with your own combination
-throwing combinations as your offense. Single strikes as an offense is a no no.
-Finishing your combinations, no bailing even if you get hit.
In MT, you'd add basic clinch work to the mix
What happens is as a newer fighter, you need to learn how to "fight" rather than focusing too much on technique. Technique ultimately is the key, but it's just to supplement fighting, if you don't know how to "fight" then its meaningless.
When I started, my coach only had me focus on 2 combinations, clinch work, and we drilled that to the death where I relied on it when the fight came. We lose cognitive thinking when we fight, mostly due to the surge in adrenaline and nerves.
So its best to find a couple of very basic combinations and hammer away at it. (Not sure what it is boxing, maybe 1,2,1. For MT we did 1,2,3,kick --offense, and kick, 3,2 --defense) You'll have to come to terms that you are going to get hit, its a combat sport, there's no such thing as avoiding all hits like in the movies, often times you are going to get hit, just you do your best to get hit in the right places (not chin, liver, temple).Even if you scrap with an untrained frat boy, you're still going to get hit. Once you get over this, and realize its not so bad, its really when you'll soar. I've gone through this when I started, pros have as well.
What's important is you don't bail on your combination when getting hit, thats a issue all new guys have. Follow through to the end, even if you get tagged. Bailing on a combo is a HUGE green to your opponent, it tells them you're easy to get through and there's nothing to be afraid of. the last thing you want, is your opponent to get confidence. Even if they don't get it, their coach will and sooner or later bad news will come from it.
As you've said in the OP, you just started, it takes time. It took me about 6 months to almost a year after during my first camp to get the basic raw instincts down. Some people who are more aggressive, fight prone pick it up faster, others take it slower, its your progress and its important to stick with it to the end.
Cheers