Body Shot Development

Mobilisation (5 minutes)

• Neck rolls: 8 each direction
• Shoulder circles: 10 forward, 10 back
• Hip circles: 10 each direction
• Thoracic rotation: 10 each side (extra important for body shot rotation)
• Bodyweight squats: 15 reps (body shots require knee bend)
• Side bends: 10 each side
• Trunk twists: 10 each side, fast

Warm-Up Drills (10 minutes)

Shadow boxing - body shot focus (5 mins)

2 x 2-minute rounds. Members shadow box with emphasis on level changes.

• Round 1: throw combinations to the head, then bend the knees and throw body shots. Head, body, head, body. Get used to the up-and-down motion.
• Round 2: practise the level change without punching first. Drop your level by bending the knees (not the waist), then throw a body shot from the low position. Repeat.

Heavy bag level change warm-up (5 mins)

1 x 3-minute round on the heavy bag. Alternate between head shots and body shots every 5 punches. The transition between head and body height should be smooth - not standing tall, punching high, then crouching low. The whole body moves together.

Main Session (35 minutes)

Body Shot Mechanics Breakdown (8 mins)

Lead body hook (3 mins)

Demonstrate in slow motion:

• Bend the knees to drop your level. Your eyes should be at the opponent's chest height.
• Keep the guard up - rear hand stays at the cheekbone. This is the biggest mistake. When you go low, the head is exposed. Guard protects it.
• Turn the lead hip into the shot. The power comes from the hip rotation, same as a head hook, but at a lower angle.
• The punch targets the area below the ribs and above the hip. The soft area.

Practise 10 slow lead body hooks in the mirror. Coach corrects individually.

Rear body cross (3 mins)

Demonstrate:

• Drop level by bending knees
• Drive the rear hand straight to the body, rotating the rear hip
• Keep the lead hand high - it is your shield while you are low
• The angle of the punch is slightly downward

Practise 10 slow rear body crosses.

Liver shot drill (2 mins)

The liver shot is a lead body hook that targets the right side of the opponent's body (orthodox vs orthodox). It is one of the most effective punches in boxing because a clean liver shot shuts the body down.

Demonstrate the angle: the lead hook goes slightly around and upward into the right side of the body. Members practise 10 liver shot angles on the heavy bag.

Pad Work - Body Combinations (12 mins)

Pairs with pads. Pad holder holds one pad low (at their hip) to simulate the body target.

Round 1 (2 mins each): single lead body hooks on the low pad. Worker must level-change before every shot. If they throw the body hook from a standing position, stop them. "Drop first, then punch."

Round 2 (2 mins each): jab to the head, body hook. Pad holder presents high pad for the jab, then low pad for the body hook. Two-level combination.

Round 3 (2 mins each): 1-2 to the head, body hook, jab to the head. The full sequence: jab high, cross high, hook low, jab high. This is the money combination. The head shots set up the body shot, and the final jab catches the opponent's hands dropping to protect the body.

Body Shield Work (8 mins)

Partner A wears the body protector shield. Partner B works body shots at moderate contact.

Round 1 (2 mins each): lead body hooks into the shield. Continuous. Focus on sitting down on the punch (bending knees to generate power from below).

Round 2 (2 mins each): 1-2-body-1 combination into the shield. Full speed, moderate power. The shield allows slightly harder contact than pads, so members can feel what it is like to commit to body shots.

Coaching point for shield holders: brace your core, lean slightly into the shots. Do not flinch away - it teaches bad distance for the worker.

Body Sparring (7 mins)

Sparring gear on. Light contact. Head shots are not allowed. Body shots only.

This is unusual sparring because the guard position changes. Instead of hands at the cheekbones, fighters can keep their elbows tighter to protect the body. But remind them: "In a real fight, you still need to guard the head. This drill isolates the body, but do not develop a bad guard habit."

3 x 2-minute rounds. 30-second rest.

Members will find that body sparring requires getting much closer than head sparring. That is the lesson. Body work is inside fighting. You cannot body punch from the outside.

Conditioning Finish (7 minutes)

Heavy bag body shot conditioning:

• 30 seconds: lead body hooks, constant, moderate power
• 30 seconds: rear body crosses, constant
• 30 seconds: alternating body hooks (left-right-left-right)
• 30 seconds rest
• 30 seconds: 1-2-body combination, repeat
• 30 seconds: body shots from a crouched position (squat low, throw from there)
• 30 seconds: maximum output, any body shots, everything you have
• 30 seconds rest

Finish with 20 sit-ups and a 30-second plank (core work after body shot work is deliberately painful and deliberately useful).

Cool Down and Reflection (3 minutes)

Side stretches (reach one arm overhead, lean to the opposite side - 15 seconds each), hip flexor stretch, quad stretch, shoulder stretch.

"Body shots are the most underused weapon in amateur boxing. Everyone goes to the head. The fighters who work the body change fights. A head shot hurts. A body shot takes the fight out of someone."

Coaching Notes

• The number one mistake in body work is bending at the waist instead of the knees. Bending at the waist drops the head forward into the opponent's punching range. Bending at the knees keeps the head back while lowering the body. Correct this relentlessly.
• Watch for members who drop their guard hand when going to the body. The rear hand must stay at the cheekbone when throwing the lead body hook. This is non-negotiable.
• The body shield rounds are where members learn to commit to the shot. Many recreational boxers throw half-hearted body shots because they have never felt what a committed body shot feels like. The shield gives them that feedback.
• For less experienced members: keep them on the pads and bags. Body sparring can be uncomfortable if someone goes too hard, and beginners do not have the body conditioning to absorb shots yet.
• For advanced members: add a rule in body sparring where a clean body shot earns 2 points and the fighter who took the shot must clinch and reset. This simulates the effect of body shots in a real fight.
• The liver shot is the highlight of this session. If you have a heavy bag that is soft enough, have members practise the liver shot angle specifically. The correct angle is slightly upward and around, not straight in.
• This session pairs naturally with the Conditional Sparring session (body shots only condition).