I was watching one of Sylvie's technique vlogs (I forget which one) and she tangentially mentioned throwing your opposite shoulder back to get better rotation on the strike. I've been taught to rotate my torso & get my striking shoulder rotated to point at my opponent, but have always been doing so in terms of bringing that shoulder around to the front. (And when actually drilling, I rarely get that much rotation...) In class the other day I tried also thinking about pulling/throwing my opposite shoulder back on my jabs & crosses, and it made a noticeable difference--more power & faster, and much easier to get that full rotation. I find I have trouble piecing a combo together when I rotate my shoulder like that--it feels awkward to reset from that & go into the next strike, as I usually don't rotate my shoulder nearly that far when doing combos, except maybe on the last strike. Hopefully this is something I just need more practice with.
Yes, that's what my coach says. Power comes from two things: rotation of the body and the shifting of weight from one leg/foot to the other. I'm not sure I like the word "throwing your shoulder back," but for me, mentally thinking "other arm/shoulder goes back" does result in more rotation. And, yes, it takes practice.
When you punch right arm out and pull your left shoulder back, make sure your left shoulder is pulling back in a straight line and not in a curve. If you pull your shoulder back in a curve, your punch will move side way. Old saying said, "You should not pull your hand back empty." A punch should be a punch followed by a pull. A punch should be like a spear with a hook on it. If you miss your stab, you should hook back whatever that you can.
