How To Find The Right Boxing Coach

Want to find the right boxing coach to take your game to the next level? Here’s how.

The best boxers have a combination of talent and inner drive that goes a long way toward making them great.

Without some inherent talent and the discipline and determination to work on your craft, it’s next to impossible to become your best self and beat out the competition. 

At certain points, though, you need some help, you can’t do it alone, and that’s where a coach comes in.

This is particularly true in our sport of boxing, the sweet science that demands peak physical fitness, refined technique, thousands of hours of training, and lots of toughness.

Without a coach who knows what makes you tick, it’ll be easy to hit a wall.

Whether you’re starting your boxing training as a total beginner or you’re an amateur looking for a coach that’s right for you, here are our tips for finding a boxing coach who suits your skill level and goals.

Know What Suits Your Personality

Chances are you know your strengths and weaknesses.

You should also know what types of teaching methods you best respond to. This is one key to finding a good boxing coach.

It’s not enough to just have the best technical knowledge, a boxing coach needs to be able to transfer that knowledge to the individual boxer in a way that sticks.

Human beings all learn differently. Some people learn best visually, while others learn through auditory methods.

Others learn best through reading and writing, while some need kinesthetic or hands-on experience. So be thoughtful when it comes to finding a coach who suits you. 

Sometimes a coach who makes you uncomfortable might be exactly what you need. Be honest with yourself to figure out what stage you’re at.

Do you need a coach who gives out encouraging pats on your headgear, or do you need someone who will grab you and deliver a stern talk? Only you know.

A coach is someone that finds out how you learn best and gets you to your destination.

Look For Certifications, Achievements & Experience

Would you jump at the opportunity to visit a doctor without any certifications?

Or, would you want to learn business from someone who hasn’t started one?

We’re guessing you wouldn’t, and the same should apply to a coach that you’re paying to help you.

Boxing coaches can have many different types of certifications and if they have one or a number of them, it adds to their credibility.

Unlike some certifications, you can’t secure boxing coaching certifications by buying them online - so you know they’ve put the work in for them.

Consider the certification levels attained by your potential coach, as well as opinions on the institutions that issued them and the achievements their students have attained.

Have they trained good fighters? Do their students sing high praises of their teaching style? Do some research in advance so you understand which coaches are fit for the job.

A good and experienced boxing coach tells you to work on exactly what you need most. 

For example, the coach might understand that fixing your jab and improving your slips will make 80% of the difference in your fighting ability and he’ll have you working precisely on just that.

Nothing else to complicate things, nothing else to distract you from what you really need to focus on. 

If your boxing coach already does this, then you’ve found and chosen the right coach.

What Makes A Good Boxing Coach?

Boxing isn’t something that is learned in one weekend. 

To call oneself a coach comes with a huge arsenal of skills, including a tremendous amount of responsibility for the students. Here are 3 key qualities to look for in a good boxing coach:

• Real Experience: An experienced trainer is one who’s been around different situations, whether that is as a fighter, a coach, or both, and understands where the real gains can be made. Someone who’s been around the block will know what you need to focus on, instead of working on everything. They’ll pick two or three things that they feel will help you the most. Often, focusing on just a few key areas will really help you excel.

• Analytical & Systematic: In the training and preparation phase, an analytical coach will explain not just how to implement a technique, but the reason it’s important and the situations where it will be useful. When fight night arrives, an analytical coach will be able to size up your opponent and help you create the best strategy for victory.

• Creative & Adaptable: Truly great coaches are not set in their ways. They’re adaptable and they will figure out different ways to communicate. This could be as simple as a change in tone or coming up with varied training routines and regimens to keep you engaged. But they’re always thinking about new and different ways to help you become your best self.

Been on the lookout for these qualities, but usually, in boxing, you don’t find the coach, they find you.

In every gym that you approach, just know that there are always boxing coaches watching you. Even when you think that nobody is watching you hit the bags, or that nobody sees you shadowboxing in the ring, just know that someone is always noticing the work that you’re putting in. 

They don’t just see your physical ability, they see your fighting spirit and your ability to listen and improve. When the right trainer comes along, they’ll see your potential and want to work with you.

Summary.

You can’t do it alone, every great boxer has had a great coach by their side.

There’s also no doubt that a truly effective coach will ultimately build you up and not beat you down.

A coach who’s right for you will read you well and know when to push and when to let you relax. The underlying message of all of this is instilling a belief in you that you can and will continue to improve.

Apply these tips when looking for the right boxing coach for you and let us know how you go!

Want more boxing tips? Check out our full list of articles here.

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