Lets talk boxer, a pure boxer uses his jab to do 3 things, find range, distract and stop a fighter from closing the distance. RANGE - outside fighters or boxers dont make the mistake of just throwing a hook or a strait without knowing if it will land or not. The jab in this situation tells the fighter weather or not the target is in range for a follow up punch. DISTRACT - The other thing the jab does simultaneously is clouds the targets view of other incoming punches, which makes the 1 ,2 combo the most important combo in boxing. DEFENSE - When the target is trying to close the distance a stiff jab to the face or head and then a back step is the best way to get back out of range it will also lessen a power shot thrown from the target if the jab is landed at the same time. On top of all that it scores points.
Now your style, an inside fighter, tell me how you close the distance? If you are able to close the distance without using a jab then I would calculate that the guys you are fighting are not very good. An inside fighter who just wades in hoping to throw a hook will get denied every time because he is so easy to see coming. The jab is enough to distract the boxer, off set his timing and alow you to close the distance. Even inside a jab can be used to keep the boxer off balance and off rhythm, the jab is just as important to the inside fighter as the boxer as it is the only punch that will close that distance. You find a successful inside fighter that does not use a jab to get in and your a million dollar winner. One thing people do not realize about Tyson is that he in his prime had an excellent jab and was the only way behind his bobbing and weaving he was able to get inside and unleash on his opponents.
Haymakers are easy to see coming and are the least effective punch in boxing, the Haymaker is named after the Hail mary which is a desperation shot and when all your plans have failed. It is easily seen coming so when it lands the fighter can brace for impact and roll with the punch or avoid it all together and counter. However if you snap the boxers head back (while inside) with jab, you cloud his vision, off set his timing and can land the hook, uppercut or maybe even a huge haymaker behind it.
The jab is everything in boxing, I suggest you master it to the best of your abilities to be successful no matter what your style I would suggest watching tapes of the great inside fighters, Duran,Tyson,Frazier ext you will notice a nice, well places timely jab to close the distance more times then not.
The jab is important for setting up for punches but depending on the person and how powerful they are a jab can be a straight so it can be a secondary weapon or a primary weapon. The jab is good for keeping distance and measuring distance. No offense only morons rush in without using jabs. The shortest route to reach a target is by going straight. Your hook is a punch done in a circular fashion. Would you rather take the longer route or the shorter route? Hooks are only good when you go into in-fighting distance. Besides why are you limiting yourself to how you should fight? You should be a jack of all trades.
The jab is a fighters bread and butter. Everything else is important as well. The more complete you are the better. But the jab is usually what holds it all together.
It allows you to control distance and pace.
Even I you prefer the up close haymaker and hook how do you think you get up close in the first place? You work your way in using your JAB!!!!!!!! And if the other person clinches, the ref separates the fighters u have to work your way in again using ur JAB!!!!!!!! If you work your way in without using your JAB!!!!!!!! U will get picked apart without even getting close to the other guy. your outside trying to get in close, the other guy knows there's no punch as your trying to get in so he can keep you at the end of his JAB!!!!!!! Just watch hatton-mayweather the perfect example of a fighter trying to get inside leading with his face rather than his JAB!!!!!!
The jab is one if the most important punches . It helps you to keep your distance against your opponent and also helps set up punches .
Big-0-ten got it right on the spot. The jab is the most effective and can keep your opponent away and can give you easy points. Distance is always key.
How can the jab be the most important punch? I mean styles makes fight. What if the jab has niothing to do with my style then? Shouldn't it be useless for me then? I'm not saying that the jab is bad, I mean it can be good for setting up powerful punches, but I prefer to be up-close 24/7 so the haymaker and hook should be far more important for me right?
