Keeping the correct boxing head position for a long time is a fundamental boxing skill. The way you hold your head while holding a guard will significantly impact your offense and defense.
What would happen if you “forgot” about tucking your chin?
If you don’t position your chin down, your neck muscles get loose. That means if you get a head punch, it has a more severe impact. I’m sure you have seen boxing matches where the fighter gets out of the guard and KOed by a straight or a hook.
Also, if you don’t stick your chin down, your head is more vulnerable since it gets out of the hands’ protection. That means an easy target for the opponent.
That doesn’t mean you have to glue your chin at your upper chest since you can’t do head movements. But you need to get used to tucking your chin down.
In a nutshell, proper head poison is an essential part of the boxing stance for effective defense. But, since it’s so logical and “easy,” many people are willing to forget about it. They focus on their punches and footwork instead.
But, I have a simple drill which will teach you to never forget about it.
The tennis ball boxing drill to tuck your chin
This is a simple yet effective technique done by great boxers like Bernard Hopkins.
When you do shadow box, hold a tennis ball under your chin to adopt the proper head form. You can do the same when you have heavy bag training. After some sessions, you can drop the ball at the end of rounds but focus on keeping the same head position.
If you are shorter than average, you can use a smaller ball instead or a boxing glove.
This little trick can help a lot keep accustomed to tuck your chin and hold it for long.
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