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Overview & When to Use
The first jab probes distance and draws a reaction; the second jab lands while the opponent is still processing the first stimulus. A staple of the Soviet amateur system and the foundation of volume punching, the double jab was perfected by Larry Holmes, who used it to control distance and set up his right cross against every challenger for a decade.
When to use
Use to control distance, set up power shots, frustrate aggressive opponents, and establish jab dominance when a single jab is being blocked or timed consistently. The double jab is the foundation of volume punching and point scoring in amateur boxing, and it creates twice the disruption of a single jab.
Common Mistakes
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- Throwing both jabs at the same speed and power, which fails to create the processing overload — the first jab should be a probe while the second is a sharp, scoring shot.
- Dropping the rear hand during the double jab sequence, which removes your only defense on the power-hand side and invites a counter cross that arrives while your lead hand is extended.
- Stepping too far forward with the jabs and ending up inside the pocket where your long-range weapon loses its mechanical advantage and the opponent can work at their preferred close range.
Pro Tips
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- Larry Holmes threw the most effective double jab in heavyweight history — study how he varied the speed, height, and intensity of each jab to make them unpredictable despite being the same punch twice.
- Target the first jab to the gloves to momentarily blind the opponent and raise their focal point, then snap the second jab underneath to the chin through the gap their raised guard creates.
- The double jab sets up every power punch in your arsenal because it forces the opponent into a reactive state — after two jabs, they are always a half-beat behind your timing.
Conditioning Drills
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- Resistance Band Jabs: 50 double jabs with a band around the wrists for speed-resistance training, 3 sets with 30-second rest.
- Heavy Bag: 3 rounds of 3 minutes throwing only double jabs, focusing on varying speed and target between each pair.
- Shadowboxing: 3 rounds of 3 minutes with emphasis on varying targets — body then head, left then right, probe then snap.
Q1 of 3
Which muscle group is primarily engaged when performing the Double Jab (1-1)?