Aiming for the face when sparring.

[flyingknee16]

I'm mainly a grappler and I have been working a lot to improve my stand up. However, I notice I have a problem where I always seem to try to aim for my sparring partner's gloves when we box. I think it's because I'm used to hitting focus mitts, but I think this kind of mentality hitting the gloves is hindering my ability to fight. Do you guys just aim for the face and hitting the gloves just happens when they block, or do you guys often find urself errneously aiming for the gloves as well?

 

[Wado Guy]

Most of the guys I spar with (myself included) wear Everlast headgear or something similar.
I find myself aiming for the part of the headgear that covers the cheekbone area.

 

[Sinister]

You might also be standing a little too far from your opponent if you're hitting the gloves at the end of your punches. Try using a jab to get in closer then throwing your combinations when you're in close-range to your man for a little while. This should help you get out of the habit of aiming for the gloves when you're on the outside. When you're on the inside, aiming for the gloves or hitting the gloves mostly is not really an option and if you do it anyway, you'll notice it more.

 

[Matt]

It could also just be a subconscious mental thing where you just feel bad about hitting someone in the face.

 

[BlackBeltNow]

are you short? sometimes it is difficult for short people to aim upwards.

 

[flyingknee16]

are you short? sometimes it is difficult for short people to aim upwards.

I'm 6'0".

And I do think part of it is that I don't wnat to hurt my training partners as well. We only wear mouthguards when we spar (no headgear).

 

[toasty]

i have a real problem with this myself....I never know how hard to throw to the head but often feel the other guy is going slightly harder than I am...and I've had the opposite where I've had to encourage new people to hit me in the face....boxing really is a wierd sport if you think about it too much...

any doing the stuff below helped me

rip to the body but just tap em to the head ...then when they start hitting back harder you'll dial it up slowly to the point you're hitting to the head at a respectable but not dangerous level.... or ask if they will wear head gear until you feel more comfortable hitting to the head with control.....or ask after you've sparred if it was at an ok level when you hit to the head...or ask a really experienced guy you know you can't really hurt to work with you once or twice until you've beaten your problem...

 

[BlackBeltNow]

I'm 6'0".

And I do think part of it is that I don't wnat to hurt my training partners as well. We only wear mouthguards when we spar (no headgear).

are you doing pure boxing or kickboxing? if its pure striking you should wera helmets.

btw it's normal to be hesitant to hit someone when you start. I had a hard time jabbing the forehead/chin b/c I always felt even if i did slappy jabs at quick speeds, the quickness would hurt. but it doesn't. Even if people go "ouch time out time out" that's jsut their inexpeireence; it really isn't pain but more of them being overwhelmed of being hit. Be assured even if they complain about a big punch, it's difficult to hurt someone unless really intended to.

 

[flyingknee16]

i mainly do boxing but occasionally we spar muay thai at the place i go to.

 

[aaron_mag]

I'm not really sure people throw bombs at each other in training anyway. Every training video you see they look like they are pulling the full force from the punches. Watching Couture and Rampage, for example. Just slight jabs to say, "You are open here."

We used to do it the same way. We'd throw some stiff jabs but pull the real bombs.

When people are going harder you see them with head gear on. And it all makes sense. Getting injured while training for a fight is basically the worst thing you could do to yourself.

If you guys got head gear it would probably help a lot.

 

[Freestyler]

Or are you just sayin u hit their gloves out of instinct?? All my friends always come over and hit the bags b/c they are toys to them and then few of them will end up backyard boxing and when i watch them, they hit gloves alot on such jabs...Like almost to feel each other out, open for their crazy windmill punch...I dunno if you're askin it this way or not, but i see this happening alot, instead of jabbing the face/head, they hit gloves...?

 

[zaner]

I always aim for the chin. It's a mutual understandimng that we aren't trying to knock eachother out and that any damage done is accidental. We spar with MMA gloves and boxing gloves and just try to agree on how hard we want to go and then aim for the jaw every time.

 

[LCDforMe]

It sounds bad but I've kind of always just aimed for the face. I figure people are there to learn their mistakes and I'm there to learn mine. The only way for me to learn is to get hit solid and some people seem to learn like that also.

 

[Zankou]

I always aim for the face. Always.

 

[tokian]

LOL Headhunters!!
Ha thats good though, seriously getting hit in the face is a temporary fixation. Just remember what you are there for, and remember the game. Dont forget body shots either.

 

[The Sickness]

I love the body shots, but when I throw to the head, I actually aim for the neck. You may be able to bob and weave out of the way when I aim for your nose, but it's alot harder when I aim for the neck...

 

[phenomfan1529]

LOL Headhunters!!
Ha thats good though, seriously getting hit in the face is a temporary fixation. Just remember what you are there for, and remember the game. Dont forget body shots either.

yeah, i love throwin body shots.

 

[BigBubba]

It could also just be a subconscious mental thing where you just feel bad about hitting someone in the face.

That's my problem. I like everyone I train/spar with.

 

[LilFinger]

maybe you are scared of hitting him. because if you hit him flush in the face, you know he will try to get you back. Even in light sparring, if the other guy accidentaly cracks you hard, you will avenge that hit sooner or later in that round.