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The importance of reflexes and reaction time in boxing

Updated on Jul 16, 2024
1 min read

Quick reflexes and swift reaction time are extremely important for any move in boxing, be it offensive or defensive.

Reaction time in boxing is, in fact, so important that the success of any professional boxer is decided by their ability to respond to their opponents’ moves as fast as possible.

Boxing reflexes and reaction time - Which one is more important?

Boxing reaction time and reflexes are more or less the same. The only difference is that reaction time is involved in voluntary actions, and reflexes are not voluntarily controlled.

None of these can be deemed more or less important than the other as a boxer needs to master both of them to succeed.

The average boxer reaction time depends on a number of factors and can be improved with training.

Now that you know why is reaction time important in boxing, let’s see how you can improve it.

Reflex and reaction training - The key to boxing success!

Reflex and reaction training in boxing is not just a way of making the reactions faster. It also helps a boxer perfect their moves and hardwire certain moves to respond to a given stimulus or situation.

To understand that on a better level, you can consider the example of driving.

When the car next to you stops, your foot moves to the brake pedal without you thinking about it. In the same way, boxers can react with the perfect offensive or defensive move in response to the opponent’s move.

Regular training is the key.

When training to improve your reflexes and speed up your reaction time, regularity is the most important thing.

Boxers need to repeat a move countless times before it can be good enough to be used in a real fight. Repeating the move once or twice just cannot prepare a boxer to deliver that punch in the ring.