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Overview & When to Use
The jab measures distance and occupies the high guard, the rear uppercut attacks from below to lift the chin, the hook catches the lateral opening created by the uppercut's disruption, and the cross drives through whatever remains of the guard. This four-punch sequence is a gym classic that every trainer teaches, though each may call it differently.
When to use
Use when the opponent has a tight, disciplined guard that straight punches alone cannot penetrate. The multi-angle approach forces them to defend three different planes in rapid succession, and any failure to adjust creates a clean opening for the remaining punches.
Common Mistakes
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- Rushing through all four punches without allowing each one to land and create the disruption that sets up the next, turning the sequence into four fast but powerless taps that fail to break the guard.
- Not bending the knees to dip for the uppercut, instead bending at the waist which removes leg drive, reduces upward force, and leaves you bent forward and off-balance for the remaining two punches.
- Losing balance from the multiple direction changes and rotations because your stance is too narrow or your weight shifts too far forward, collapsing the sequence before the final cross.
Pro Tips
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- This is a universal gym classic — every trainer calls it by a different name, but the four-punch multi-angle sequence is the standard answer to a tight, disciplined guard at every level of boxing.
- Vary which punch you throw with maximum power to keep the opponent from calibrating their defense — sometimes the uppercut is the bomb, sometimes the hook, sometimes the cross.
- The uppercut is the key to the entire combination — if it lands clean and lifts their chin, the hook and cross will land almost automatically because the guard is fully disrupted.
Conditioning Drills
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- Heavy Bag: 5 rounds of 3 minutes practicing the full four-punch sequence, starting at 50% speed and building to full power as the flow becomes automatic.
- Mitt Work: Coach holds at four different heights and angles for each punch, 3 rounds of 3 minutes building spatial awareness for multi-plane targeting.
- Level Change Squats: 3 sets of 15 rapid up-down squats to build the leg drive and knee-bend habit needed for dipping into the uppercut under pressure.
Q1 of 3
Which of these is a common mistake when performing The 1-6-3-2 (Jab-Rear Uppercut-Hook-Cross)?