Shadow Boxing - 3-Punch Combos (Jab-Cross-Hook)

Setup

Boxing stance, hands up, knees soft, weight balanced on both feet.

Execution

1. 1Throw the jab, retracting immediately to guard
2. 2Fire the cross with full hip and rear-foot pivot
3. 3Whip the lead hook by pivoting the lead foot and rotating the lead shoulder, elbow at 90 degrees
4. 4Keep chin down and rear hand glued to the cheek throughout the hook
5. 5Reset to stance after the third punch

Key cues

• Each punch loads off the last one's rotation
• Pivot the front foot for the hook, don't just swing the arm
• Keep the non-punching hand up at all times
• Snap, don't push, each strike
• Breathe out on every punch in the combo

Common faults

• Dropping the rear hand guard while throwing the hook
• Arm-only hook with no foot pivot
• Overextending and losing balance on the third punch
• Pausing between punches instead of flowing
• Squaring the hips too early, killing power on later punches

Tweaks

• Swap the third punch for an uppercut (jab-cross-uppercut)
• Add head movement (slip) between punches two and three
• Throw the combo while stepping laterally

Muscles

Notes

Build combos progressively across a round: add one new punch per minute so the fighter never rushes technique. 4x3min rounds, 60s rest is a solid session structure.

Sources

• Beginner Shadow Boxing Combos 123 (Jab Cross Hook) Slip Roll Back Reset
• 3 Punch Combos & Footwork For Beginners / Shadow Boxing

Attribution: Fight Camp