The six-punch number system
Boxing has a shared shorthand. A coach calls numbers, and the boxer throws the punches. The numbers are not a secret code; they are a way to keep the round moving.
- 1 — jab (lead hand).
- 2 — cross (rear hand).
- 3 — lead hook.
- 4 — rear hook.
- 5 — lead uppercut.
- 6 — rear uppercut.
Learn the four punches first
The jab is your measuring stick: fast, straight, and back to guard. The cross comes from the rear side with the hip and back foot turning. The hook travels around the guard with the elbow at roughly shoulder height. The uppercut comes from below with the legs and hips, not just the arm.
Do not chase power before balance. A combination that leaves you upright and in stance is worth more than a wild shot that lands and puts you off balance.
Four combinations worth drilling
Start with these, one at a time. Throw each combination slowly enough that the last punch is as clean as the first.
- 1-2 — jab, cross. The foundation. Work it until both punches return to guard.
- 1-2-3 — jab, cross, lead hook. The hook comes after the cross has turned your hips.
- 1-2-3-2 — add the cross again. This one teaches you to reset between punches.
- 1-1-2 — double jab, cross. The first jab measures, the second closes the distance.
How to drill them on the bag
Pick one combination for a round. Break it into halves if you need to. Throw it at a pace you can control, reset your stance, and do it again.
A simple structure: one round of the combination slow, one round at normal speed, one round with the last thirty seconds pushing the output. That is enough. You do not need ten combinations in a session.
- Round 1: technique — slow, clean, full extension.
- Round 2: rhythm — normal speed, reset between combinations.
- Round 3: output — same combination, more rounds, no sloppy finish.
The mistake beginners make
The usual mistake is collecting combinations instead of owning one. A boxer who can throw 1-2 properly, from balance, with their hands returning to guard, is further along than someone who knows twenty sequences and drops their lead hand on every one.
Pick two combinations. Drill them for a month. Add a third when the first two feel automatic.
Use a timer and a generator
A round timer gives the work a shape: three rounds, one minute rest, done. A combination generator gives you something to throw when you cannot remember what to drill.
Both are on this site and both are free. Neither replaces a coach. If a combination feels wrong, ask — that is what the coach is there for.
Own two combinations. Collecting twenty is not the same as knowing one.