Benefits of the Boxing Slip Rope

How do You Use a Slip Rope?

As mentioned, a slip rope is a very versatile training tool. It can be used to improve your footwork, elusiveness, and countering, and it can also be used with other tools such as a double end bag or heavy bags to add combos to your workout.

To give you an idea of how you can use a slip rope in your training, start by stringing one across two points, such as the corners of a ring, at around shoulder height.

From there, you can perform a variety of workouts, but for now, let's keep it simple:

• The basics: Start by placing one end of the cord on your dominant shoulder while maintaining your fighter's stance and protecting your center line. When you roll to your right, simply side step. While weaving to your left and keeping your center line protected, drive forward to position yourself for a counter.Do this by bending your knees and lowering your bum to allow your head to slip under the rope while making a little contact with it, but without bending your back or hips. The idea is to work your legs, not your back.
  
  
• Start with some footwork: Next, start moving forward while minding your footwork and weaving under the rope first to one side, and then to the other; and repeat. This should be done while keeping your front foot in front, your back foot in back, and by bending your knees and lowering your rump rather than crouching your back. Your "steps" need to be front foot first, followed by your back foot while remembering not to drag your back foot since it's the foot you drive off. Stay on your toes as well, and the sequence should drive from back foot by step front foot forward, slip,and repeat.When you move backwards, the sequence is reversed.
  
  
• Make some contact: Use the cord to measure your speed of movement by making gentle contact with it as you complete each weave. This helps teach you not to over weave, or under weave while on defence; and you should also continue making light contact when you incorporate combos.
  
  
• Add some offence: Once you've established your weaving and footwork under the rope, you can then add in some punch work. Try rolling forward onto your front leg and to the other side of the cord, which puts you in an ideal position to throw an uppercut from the same side as your front leg. Now weave the other way and repeat. Remember to do this from a crouched position after weaving from one side to the other so that you slip left and throw a left uppercut before slipping right and throwing a right uppercut. This will not only teach you how to come back with an effective punch from a low centre of gravity to generate some POWER, but it also teaches you to throw your uppercuts across your body rather than up-and-down. By throwing them cross-body, you'll leave your opponent fewer openings.
  
  
• Start slowly: Above all, and no matter the drill, start with slow, deliberate motions before building speed as you establish muscle memory and improve. Once you're up to full speed, your movements will be far smoother, more accurate, and effective this way.
  
  Be creative: In its simplicity, a slip cord has nearly endless versatility. Here are a few things just to give you an idea of ways it can be used:
  
  
• Try criss-crossing two cords from the turnbuckles in a ring to allow you to work the entire ring.
• Add a double ended bag in the cord's middle to improve your punching accuracy and speed along with your footwork.
• Suspend the cord between two heavy bags for combos at each end.
• Have a sparring partner throw simple combos after you slip to improve your ability to anticipate punches.
• While there are any number of ways you can "officially" use a center line, your imagination is the ultimate limit on turning your weaknesses into strengths using one…or two.

Above all, listen to your trainer! They are the one who know what you need the most work on, and assuming you have a good one, they are who will help you become the most competitive fighter you can be.