Every boxer makes mistakes when starting outâit's an inevitable part of learning a complex skill. The difference between quick improvers and those who stagnate often comes down to identifying and correcting errors early. Bad habits ingrained through months of repetition become incredibly difficult to fix later.
This guide highlights the most common mistakes we see beginners make, explains why they're problematic, and provides practical solutions. Consider this your shortcut to better technique.
Mistake #1: Dropping the Hands
By far the most common and dangerous beginner mistake. When tired, concentrating on offense, or after throwing a punch, beginners let their guard drift down, leaving their chin exposed.
Why It's Problematic
Your chin is your off switch. A punch you don't see coming does significantly more damage than one you brace for. Dropped hands mean you can't protect yourself from counters, and in sparring or competition, you'll get hit constantly.
How to Fix It
Develop the habit of returning your hands to your guard after every single punch. Not most punchesâevery punch. Practice slowly, deliberately bringing your hand back to your face before throwing the next punch. During shadow boxing, touch your cheek with your glove between combinations to reinforce the guard position.
Have a training partner tap your chin lightly whenever your hands drop during pad work or partner drills. The immediate feedback creates awareness of when you're leaving yourself open.
Mistake #2: Over-Reaching on Punches
Beginners often try to reach their target by extending their punches beyond proper range, leaning forward, or straightening their arm completely. This happens because they're trying to hit without properly closing distance first.
Why It's Problematic
Over-reaching sacrifices balance and power. When you lean into a punch, you're off-balance and can't recover if you miss. You also lose the kinetic chainâthe power that should come from your legs and hips dissipates when you reach.
How to Fix It
If you can't hit the target with proper form, you're out of range. Use footwork to close distance rather than reaching. Practice throwing punches at a target (bag, pads, or imaginary opponent in shadow boxing) while staying balanced enough that you could stop mid-punch without falling forward.
Good boxing is about putting yourself in position to land with proper technique, not about stretching to reach targets you're not close enough to hit.
Mistake #3: Telegraphing Punches
Telegraphing means giving away your intentions before your punch arrives. Common tells include pulling the hand back before punching, widening the eyes, tensing visibly, or taking a deep breath.
Why It's Problematic
An experienced opponent can read these signals and either block, slip, or counter before your punch lands. Your punches become ineffective against anyone who can read them.
How to Fix It
Punches should start from guard position and travel directly to the targetâno windup, no cocking back. Record yourself shadow boxing and watch for tells. Practice keeping a neutral, relaxed face while throwing. Your punch should surprise the target, even if the target is a bag.
Mistake #4: Holding Breath While Punching
Many beginners hold their breath during combinations, especially when trying to throw with power. After a flurry of punches, they're gasping for air.
Why It's Problematic
Holding your breath causes early fatigue, reduces power (proper breathing actually adds to punch power), and increases the damage received if you get hit while breathless.
How to Fix It
Exhale sharply with each punch. Many boxers make a "shh" or "tss" soundâthis isn't for show, it ensures they're breathing out. Practice slow combinations focusing entirely on breathing, then gradually increase speed while maintaining the breathing pattern.
Mistake #5: Neglecting the Jab
Beginners often want to throw power punchesâhooks and crosses feel more satisfying than the comparatively simple jab. They neglect jab development in favour of "exciting" punches.
Why It's Problematic
The jab is boxing's most important weapon. It sets up combinations, measures distance, disrupts opponents, and scores points. Without a good jab, your other punches become much harder to land because you can't create openings or establish range.
How to Fix It
Dedicate entire rounds of shadow boxing and bag work exclusively to your jab. Practice single jabs, double jabs, jabs to body, jabs while advancing, jabs while retreating. Make your jab sharp, fast, and automatic before worrying about power combinations.
The jab is like the period at the end of a sentence in boxingâeverything flows from it, and you can never have too good a jab.
Mistake #6: Flat-Footed Stance
Standing flat-footedâwith weight on the heels and feet planted heavilyâis comfortable but terrible for boxing movement.
Why It's Problematic
Flat feet mean slow reactions. You can't move quickly, can't generate power properly, and can't adjust to an opponent's movement. Every direction change requires extra time you don't have in the ring.
How to Fix It
Stay on the balls of your feet with a slight bounce in your stance. Your heels should barely touch the ground or hover just above it. Jump rope regularlyâit naturally trains you to stay light on your feet. See our footwork guide for detailed drills.
Mistake #7: Only Training Offense
Hitting things is fun. Working on defense often isn't. Many beginners spend 90% of their time on offense and wonder why they get hit constantly in sparring.
Why It's Problematic
Boxing is called "the sweet science" because it's about hitting and not getting hit. Without defense, you'll absorb unnecessary punishment that accumulates over time, and you'll never be able to implement your offense against someone who fights back.
How to Fix It
Dedicate specific training time to defense. Practice slips, rolls, and blocks in shadow boxing. Have partners throw slow, controlled punches for you to defend. Build defensive movement into your combination workâthrow a combination, then move your head or block an imaginary counter.
Mistake #8: Throwing Arm Punches
Arm punches use only the arm muscles to generate force, ignoring the legs, hips, and core. They look like punches but carry little power.
Why It's Problematic
Arm punches tire you out quickly (arm muscles fatigue fast) and don't hurt opponents. All your work throwing punches achieves minimal effect.
How to Fix It
Power comes from the ground up. Push off your back foot, rotate your hips, and let the arm follow. Practice in slow motion, feeling the power transfer from feet through hips into your punch. A properly thrown punch feels like your whole body is behind it.
Throw a punch with just your arm, then throw one with proper hip rotation. The difference in power should be immediately obvious, even on a heavy bag.
Mistake #9: Rushing Development
Impatient beginners want to spar before they can throw a proper jab, or they skip fundamentals trying to learn advanced combinations they saw professionals throw.
Why It's Problematic
Building technique on a faulty foundation creates long-term problems. Bad habits ingrained through practice become extremely difficult to change. Rushing into sparring before you're ready can also be dangerous and discouraging.
How to Fix It
Trust the process. Master the stance before worrying about punches. Master the jab before throwing combinations. Get fundamentals solid before adding complexity. This isn't slowâit's actually the fastest path to competence because you won't have to unlearn bad habits later.
Mistake #10: Inconsistent Training
Training intensively for two weeks, taking a week off, training for three days, skipping another weekâinconsistent training prevents real progress.
Why It's Problematic
Boxing skills require neurological pattern development that only comes from consistent repetition. Sporadic training means constantly re-learning rather than building on previous sessions. Your body also can't adapt properly to training demands.
How to Fix It
Schedule your training and protect that time. Three consistent sessions per week beats seven sessions one week followed by none the next. Make training a non-negotiable part of your routine, not something you do when you feel like it.
Learning from Mistakes
Recognising these common errors in yourself isn't failureâit's the first step toward improvement. Every experienced boxer has made every mistake on this list. What separates good boxers is their willingness to acknowledge errors and put in the work to correct them.
Film yourself training regularly. What you think you're doing often differs from what you're actually doing. Video provides objective feedback that helps identify issues you might not feel while training.
Work with coaches and experienced training partners who can spot and correct errors in real-time. A good coach sees things you can't see and provides the guidance to fix them efficiently.
Be patient with yourself while maintaining high standards. Perfection isn't the goalâcontinuous improvement is. Focus on one or two corrections at a time rather than trying to fix everything at once.
Every mistake is a learning opportunity. Embrace them, correct them, and keep moving forward.