To roll the jab. Or not to roll the jab?

[DB Cooper]

I have been fortunate to have trained with some very good boxing trainers and I'm sure there are others here who have too.

Every one of them has taught the jab with horizontal knuckles at the punch extension. Basically to roll the knuckles over as you deliver the punch.

So it came as a shock watching training legend 'Nacho' Beristain teach the jab with vertical knuckles at the punch extension. It was on an episode of Fightworld, the new Netflix series Fightworld.

Has anyone here trained with anyone who taught the jab with vertical knuckles at the punch extension??

 

[DBerry]

I have been fortunate to have trained with some very good boxing trainers and I'm sure there are others here who have too.

Every one of them has taught the jab with horizontal knuckles at the punch extension. Basically to roll the knuckles over as you deliver the punch.

So it came as a shock watching training legend 'Nacho' Beristain teach the jab with vertical knuckles at the punch extension. It was on an episode of Fightworld, the new Netflix series Fightworld.

Has anyone here trained with anyone who taught the jab with vertical knuckles at the punch extension??

I don’t believe in ‘rolling’ the jab, I’ve always trained to let my hand end up naturally where it wants, with the elbow facing more to the ground, unless the jab is trying to get over a high guard.

 

[Davie]

I suspect the mechanics of the arm will mean it's personal to the person throwing it, take Ricky Hatton, were his elbows not partially fused and he couldn't fully straighten his arm? Probably different strokes for different folks

There's probably a technically correct way to throw it and I'd suspect that turning the knuckles over as you extend is the "technically correct" way of doing it.

But I always think of the jab as being a very versatile weapon and it probably depends what you want to get out of it.
It's probably technically correct to throw it with the knuckles turned over to get the arm properly aligned behind it to get maximum force out of it. If you were just jabbing to hit your opponent with the jab, great.

But what if you want speed, does flicking it out without turning it over happen milliseconds faster? I don't know.
What if you are just trying to occupy someones guard, distract them, throw it at an angle to budge a high guard to make an opening, throw it as a half hook/half jab type shot.
A body jab probably naturally turns the knuckles over.

Look at Archie in my profile pick, he held his left hand at his body in that cross armed defence and often flicked the jab out from there while leaning over his right leg, without looking at footage right this very second, it looks like he's going to feel awkward turning his hand over from that position.