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Some of the hardest hitting punches in boxing include:

  1. Overhand Punch
  2. Uppercut 
  3. Liver Shot
  4. Counter-Punch
  5. Corkscrew Cross

Boxing as a sport isn’t just about your skill and speed. It’s also about your raw power. Several legendary boxers have built a legacy because of how hard they can punch. The question I often get is about the punches that hit the hardest in boxing.

You can’t punch hard if you don’t master the top five punches. In this post I will discuss the top five punches and how to hit hard with each one.

An overhand punch is a vertical and semi-circular punch thrown with the backhand. It is a powerful punch that is used to knock your opponent down.

It is typically used when the opponent is slipping or bobbing. It is delivered by throwing a punch from the top down into your opponent, almost like a half circle motion. The drop’s strategic value, which relies on body weight, has a lot of power.

Your opponent won’t predict the punch and won’t have time to defend against it, which makes it extremely powerful. When an overhand punch connects to the temple, it will deal massive damage, and you should expect a KO.

When throwing an overhand punch, aiming for the target’s head is crucial. This will ensure that your punch connects and causes the most damage. Also, make sure to put your entire body weight behind the punch.

The best way to defend against an overhand punch is to duck under the punch and then hit them in the stomach or kidney. If you can do this quickly enough, you can knock your opponent down with the power of your punch.

Overhand punch

2. The Uppercut

An uppercut is a punch that strikes the opponent’s chin in a vertical line. It is delivered with the hand going above the shoulder and is aimed at the jaw, which could usually result in a KO. The uppercut is strong because of how much rotation you get from your hip and shoulder when delivering the punch.

It is one of the two primary punches that statistics classify as power punches, along with the cross. This makes it one of the most powerful punches in boxing and can be used to knock out your opponent.

An uppercut punch is delivered with a quick snap of the arm and lets the hand move forward at almost a 90-degree angle. Using your whole body to throw this punch is essential because it has great power and can knock your opponent off their feet.

When throwing an uppercut punch, you want to aim for the opponent’s chin. You can do this by throwing the punch with a quick snap of your arm and following it up with a rapid body movement. 

Make sure to keep your hand close to your body to maximize the power of the punch. When you throw a punch with your arm extended straight out from your body, the force generated is mainly from the horizontal component of the motion. This means that the force applied to your opponent principally comes from the front and sides of their body.

Your rotational inertia, the resistance to a rotating object moving in a straight line, also plays a vital role in how strong a punch is. This is because when you rotate your arm, it takes more energy to keep it moving than if you keep it still.

As such, punches with more rotational inertia are generally stronger than those with less. The uppercut punch has a lot of rotational inertia due to its upward motion, which makes it one of the strongest punches in boxing.

Throwing a powerful uppercut is a great way to surprise your opponent and knock them off balance. However, where you should aim the punch depends on your opponent’s fighting style.

If your opponent is a boxer, aim for the middle of their chin. If they are an MMA fighter, aim for their belly button or solar plexus.

There are several ways to defend against an uppercut punch. One way is to use an overhand right as a counter. To do this, you must crouch down and forward so that your shoulder is square to the opponent’s body.

When the uppercut comes, step in with your right foot and snap your arm back so that your hand is close to your head. Then drive your elbow forward, aiming for the opponent’s chin. 

Uppercut

3. The Liver Shot

A liver shot punch is a punch that is thrown with the hand closest to the liver. It is a powerful punch that can knock your opponent down or cause serious injury as it targets the liver. The liver is a vital organ in the body, leading to a KO. 

This punch aims to hit the opponent’s liver below the ribcage. This punch can be hard to defend against, as it can cause severe damage if it connects. To throw a liver shot punch, you need to create space between you and your opponent and aim for the target area. Be sure to use your whole body to power the punch, as it is one of the hardest hitting punches in boxing. 

When an opponent throws a liver shot punch, the best strategy is to use your hand to defend against the punch and then step in with a counterattack. To protect against the liver shot punch, you must keep your head up and watch for the opponent’s arm coming towards your face.

When you see the arm coming, use your hand to block the punch and then pivot away from the attack. If you can avoid the punch, you can counterattack with your own punch.

Liver shot

4. The Counter-Punch

Counter-punch is a punch thrown in response to an opponent’s punch. Counter punching allows a boxer to avoid being hit by their opponent and allows boxers to set up their own punches more easily. 

Counter punches involve throwing a punch simultaneously as the opponent’s punch is being thrown. This makes countering a punch very difficult, as the opponent has already put all their energy into their original attack.

Due to this difficult timing, counter punches are often strong and can easily knock an opponent out if timed correctly. 

Some of the best counter punchers in boxing include Andre Ward, Oscar De La Hoya, and Floyd Mayweather. These boxers are known for their ability to avoid getting hit and then retaliate with powerful punches.

Counter punches are a great way to keep your opponent on their toes. They can also disrupt their rhythm and throw them off balance. To throw a counter punch, you need to know the timing and height of your opponent’s punch. You also need to judge the distance between you and your opponent and the angle of their punch. 

Counter punches are a very effective way to knock your opponent out or score a knockout. To defend against counterpunches, keep your head up and move away from the punch. You can also try to duck under the punch or block it with your forearm. 

5. The Corkscrew Cross

A corkscrew cross punch is a punching technique that is executed by rotating the palms of your hands in front of your chest and then sweeping your left hand towards the opponent’s head.

The move is used to catch an opponent off-guard and can be extremely powerful. It’s often used as a counterattack rather than a direct punch.

The corkscrew cross punch is one of the hardest punches in boxing. It is so strong because it twists your opponent’s body, throwing them off balance and giving you an advantage.

The cross punch is a powerful punch that can be thrown in various ways. The most basic way to throw it is to extend your arm in front of you and rotate your hand so that the knuckles are pointing towards the target. You can also throw the cross punch by extending. Put your arm behind and rotate your hand, so the knuckles point towards the target.

The corkscrew cross punch is a more advanced variation of the cross punch. Instead of rotating your hand, you extend it forward and twist it around so that the knuckles are pointing behind you. This gives you more power and range when throwing the cross punch and makes it harder for your opponent to block. 

When throwing a corkscrew punch, it is important to aim for the opponent’s vital areas. These areas include the neck, jaw, and pit of the stomach. By aiming for these specific spots, you can ensure that your punch will have the most impact. 

When a boxer is facing an opponent throwing a cross punch, the best way to defend against this punch is to duck down and hit the opponent in the head with a hard uppercut. This will cause them to miss their intended target and give you time to get back to your feet. 

5 Tips to Punch Harder in Boxing

1. Rotate Your Hip

One of the most important aspects of boxing is the rotation of your hips, feet, and shoulders. When you rotate your hips, you open up your shoulder girdle, allowing more power in your punches. 

By keeping your feet planted and driving off your toes, you help keep your balance and prevent yourself from being knocked down. Additionally, rotating your shoulders allows for greater accuracy when throwing punches since using the entire arm allows you to generate more power in each punch.  

2. Practice with a Heavy Bag

Heavy bags are a great way to practice punching as hard as you can because they provide a realistic simulation of an opponent’s body.

Many people think punching hard is about hitting the air, but that isn’t the case. You’ll improve your technique by punching the bag as hard as possible and learning to apply more power to each punch.

3. Use Your Feet

When you use your feet to push off, you add power and speed to each punch. This allows you to add more force to your punches.

Another important factor in punching hard is using your feet correctly. This is especially important if you want to hit opponents moving quickly away from you. By using your feet properly, you’ll be able to land more punches and defend against enemy attacks more effectively.

4. Punch with Your Shoulder

By punching with your shoulder, you’ll be able to generate more power and hit your opponent harder than if you punched with your hand alone.

The shoulder is one of the most powerful bones in the human body, and when you punch with it, you increase the force of your punch. 

5. Aim at a Weak Spot

Aim for the weak spots on your opponents, like the temple, jaw, liver, and solar plexus.

No matter how hard your punch is, it won’t do as much damage if it lands on a guard. So, instead of learning to throw harder punches, you can also focus on accuracy. 

Who Hits the Hardest in Boxing?

Some of the hardest-hitting boxers include the legendary Mike Tyson, George Foreman, and Deontay Wilder.

Mike Tyson is almost always mentioned whenever there is a discussion about who’s the hardest-hitting boxer. During his impressive career, he was feared for his high punching power and has won several world championships. This is because he was able to use it unpredictably.

Although now he’s mainly known for the cooking grills, at one point, he was known to be one of the hardest-hitting boxers in history. He was one of the few men who could defeat Mohammad Ali. Although he wasn’t as skilled as other boxing legends, he made up for it with raw punching power.

Deontay Wilder is one of the more recent contenders for the hardest-hitting boxers. His abilities are almost superhuman. Although he is extremely tall and huge, he’s not as slow as one might be expecting. This, combined with his high punching power, makes this modern-era boxer a danger.

Conclusion

Boxing isn’t something you will learn in a few days. It requires frequent practice as well as dedication to learning new techniques. This article served as a guide to some of the hardest-hitting punches, as well as some tips to help you hit even harder.

I hope this article helps you expand your boxing knowledge and improve your existing knowledge.

Ifandi S.

Ifandi started Unflinched.com to answer all the questions of martial artist (regardless of the level). As an avid martial arts lover and curious person, he remembers how many unanswered questions he had when he started. With Unflinched.com, that's no longer the case.

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