To elevate your striking game, this shadow boxing drill with a mirror is a simple yet powerful tool to improve your technique.

All you need is a mirror.

Ideally a large one that shows your entire body from head to toe, though a portable mirror will do the job as long as you can see your full reflection, head to toe.

The mirror will help you monitor aspects of your form: body position, hand placement, elbow alignment, head positioning, balance and the mechanics of your strikes.

Are you bringing your hands back after each punch? Keeping your chin tucked? Avoiding looping punches? Rotating your hips for those power shots?

The mirror gives you real-time feedback to catch mistakes early and make adjustments on the spot.

This drill also sharpens your head movement and teaches you to move off the centerline.

Nothing beats seeing yourself punch, kick, and move in real time to refine your technique and build muscle memory.

Video Breakdown

How to Perform the Shadow Boxing Drill

For this drill, slow things down.

Focus on flowing with your technique and staying hyper-aware of every movement.

Pay close attention to your body position, hand placement, footwork, head movement and the execution of each strike.

If something's off, adjust it immediately. Catch those mistakes early to prevent bad habits from forming.

You have two options for structuring the drill:

• Freestyle: Throw different combinations—punches, kicks, whatever you want to work on, while watching your reflection to ensure proper form.
• Focused Repetition: Drill specific punches or combinations repeatedly to hone your technique and build muscle memory.

Perform the drill for 4 rounds of 3 minutes each, with a 1-minute rest between rounds.

Why This Drill Works

This shadow boxing routine is a game-changer for improving your striking. By slowing down and using the mirror, you'll develop better awareness of your form, catch errors in real time and make corrections that translate to cleaner, more effective strikes.

Take It Further with Combat Solo

For more shadow boxing drills like this, along with heavy bag drills to develop your technique, power, speed, combinations, flow and footwork, check out "Combat Solo Heavy Bag and Shadow Boxing Drills" program. It's packed with solo drills designed to help you get better today.