.png)
How to Throw a Body Shot in Boxing: Targets, Mechanics, and Setup
- Simmy
- Jun 17
- 6 min read
Updated: Jun 25
Body shots do not end fights as visibly as a hook to the chin, but they do something more important over the course of a fight: they slow the opponent down, shorten their breathing, and force their guard to split between protecting the head and protecting the body. A fighter who never works the body is leaving half the target available.
The targets
The liver (right side of the body, opponent's left): The liver is one of the most sensitive points in the body and has no bone protecting it below the ribcage. A clean liver shot causes an involuntary reaction: the opponent's body drops to the right and their arm pulls down to cover. This is the primary setup for the head shot that follows.
The solar plexus (center, below the sternum): A direct shot to the solar plexus disrupts breathing and can drop a fighter even when the punch does not feel particularly hard. The diaphragm spasms and the fighter temporarily cannot breathe. This is a stopping shot when landed cleanly.
The ribs (both sides): Rib shots accumulate. None of them alone feels decisive, but after 4-5 rounds of rib shots, breathing becomes painful and the guard arm on the affected side starts to drop. Body shot fighters like Canelo Alvarez use rib shots throughout a fight to set up the later-round liver shot.
The lead hook to the body
The lead hook to the body is the most used body shot in boxing. It targets the liver, it arrives from the side rather than straight on, and it sets up the head shot directly because the opponent's reaction to it is to drop their right hand to cover.
Mechanics
Get to body level: Bend the knees to lower the body to rib and liver height. Do not bend at the waist. Bending at the waist puts your head down and your back exposed. Bend the knees to keep the torso upright at the lower height.
The elbow position: For a body hook, the elbow is parallel to the floor or slightly below it, not raised to shoulder height the way it is for a head hook. The fist travels horizontally to the body target.
Hip rotation: The lead hip pivots forward to drive the punch. The punch comes from the legs and hips, not from the arm. An arm-only body shot at close range has limited stopping power regardless of size.
Return to guard: After the body hook, return immediately to upright position and guard. Staying low after the body shot leaves your chin exposed to the opponent's response.
The rear straight to the body
The rear straight to the body is a direct punch to the solar plexus or liver from the rear hand. It requires a step to the side or a slip to get the angle, because a straight rear punch to the body down the center line gives the opponent a clear read on the cross.
Mechanics
Step to the side first: Step the lead foot to the outside, which creates the angle to drive the rear hand into the body rather than directly into the opponent's guard. Without the step, the rear body shot goes into a protected center.
Drive straight down: The rear hand drives forward and slightly down to the body target. The same hip rotation applies as the head cross, just directed at a lower target.
Stay compact: At close range, this is a short, tight punch. Full extension on the rear body punch at close range telegraphs the shot and exposes the chin. Keep it compact with hip drive generating the force.
Setting up the body shot
Jab high, body shot low: Jab to the head to pull the guard up, then immediately throw the lead hook to the body while the guard is occupied with the jab. The guard responds to where the last punch came from, not where the next one is going.
Body shot, head shot: This is the classic combination. Lead hook to the liver, then immediately the rear cross or the lead uppercut to the head as the opponent reacts to the body shot. The reaction to the liver shot is involuntary: the arm drops and the head follows. The head shot arrives in the window that creates.
Double body: Two body shots to the same or different sides before the head shot. Two body shots force the guard to commit more strongly to the body, opening the head further. Canelo uses this pattern: body, body, head.
Common mistakes
Bending at the waist instead of the knees. Bending at the waist puts your head at the opponent's hip level and your chin exposed to a downward hook. Bend the knees, keep the torso upright.
Throwing the body shot down the center without stepping. A rear body shot without a step to the side goes straight into the opponent's guard or their elbow. Step to create the angle first.
Not returning to guard immediately. After a body shot, the chin is briefly exposed because the head is lower. Return to upright position and guard fast. Staying low after the body shot is where the overhand right finds you.
Only throwing body shots in obvious situations. The best body shot fighters mix them in throughout the fight, not just when the opening is obvious. Mixing body shots in unpredictably keeps the opponent guessing and lowers the guard over time.
Throwing at the arm instead of through the target. Aim for the ribcage or liver, not for the surface of the arm. A punch aimed at the arm stops when it hits the arm. A punch aimed at the organ behind the arm drives through.
Drills at BOXwithSimmy NYC
Body-head combination on mitts: Coach holds one mitt at body level (right side) and one at head level. Boxer throws lead hook to the body mitt, then immediately the cross to the head mitt. Three rounds specifically on this two-punch combination, building the automatic body-to-head transition.
Heavy bag body shot round: Dedicate one full round to body shots only on the heavy bag. No head shots. This forces the boxer to get to body level, work the angles, and practice the return without the option of defaulting to the easier head punches.
Body shot entry drill: BOXwithSimmy NYC uses this as a standard close-range drill: slip the jab, step to the outside, lead hook to the body, then exit on an angle. The full sequence: defense, positioning, body shot, exit. This is the basic inside fighting entry built around the body shot.
FAQ
Are body shots legal to the back?
Shots to the back of the body, the kidneys, are illegal under amateur and professional boxing rules. The legal targets are the front and sides: the ribs, the solar plexus, and the liver. Shots that land on the spine or the back of the body result in a warning or point deduction.
Why do body shots hurt more than head shots sometimes?
The head has the skull to distribute impact. Organs do not. A liver shot or solar plexus shot hits soft tissue and nerve clusters with almost no bone protection below the ribs. The pain response is also more disorienting: it is harder to will through a body shot than a head punch because the involuntary nervous system response is more powerful.
How do I protect against body shots?
Elbows tucked in close to the body, lead arm covering the liver side, slight knee bend to lower the center of gravity and present less body surface. When taking a body shot, exhale sharply at the moment of impact, which tightens the core and partially absorbs the blow. Never inhale when you know a body shot is coming.
Should beginners work body shots?
Yes, from an early stage. The body shot requires a different level drop and different guard position than head shots, so developing the habit early means it integrates with the rest of the technique rather than being an add-on later. At BOXwithSimmy NYC, we introduce the lead hook to the body as part of the foundational combination work.
Watch it here
Watch the BOXwithSimmy NYC YouTube channel for body shot mechanics and the body-to-head combination drilled at full speed in the gym.
The body shot is the long game
A knockdown from a body shot is one of the most decisive moments in boxing because the opponent cannot simply get up and shake it off. The damage is in the organ, not the head, and the pain does not clear quickly. But even without the knockdown, a fighter who works the body consistently controls the fight over time. The guard splits, the arms get heavy, the breathing shortens. By the later rounds, those head shots land much cleaner because the opponent is already fighting through body damage.
Simeon Hardy is a former WBC (CABOFE) Welterweight Champion and World Ranked Contender based in Manhattan, NYC. He trains boxers and fitness clients of all levels at BOXwithSimmy, offering private sessions, group classes, and online coaching.
Website: www.boxwithsimmy.com
Read Next
Get Weekly Boxing Breakdowns in Your Inbox
Every week I break down technique, biomechanics, and fight strategy the way nobody else does. Science-based boxing straight from a former WBC welterweight champion.
Comments