Long arms are one of the most valuable natural gifts a boxer can have inside the ring. Many boxing systems, like the drowning style, are tailor-made for taller fighters since longer arms provide advantages inside the ring.

The drowning style shouldn’t be confused with the common phrase used in boxing, where one fighter vows to take the opponent into deep waters and drown them. That phrase refers to breaking opponents down with your endurance.

The drowning system is designed to make opponents feel like they’re drowning in a body of water by pressuring them with your movement while waiting for opportunities to counter. It’s a defense-focused style that can leave opponents frustrated inside the ring as they tire themselves out by missing most of their punches.

Without further ado, let’s dive deep into what exactly is the drowning boxing style and discuss the basics you must master to become good at it.

Understanding How The Drowning Boxing Style Works

The drowning style is designed to make opponents feel like they would if they ever found themselves struggling in a body of water: helpless. Anyone who has ever come close to drowning understands how helpless it feels to thrash your arms and legs as much as you can without getting anywhere. The water pushes and pulls on you, but it feels like nothing is there when you push back.

That’s what the drowning style is about. You control the fight’s pace with your movement, annoy your opponent with punches, step back out of the way when they return fire, and make them pay for their missed punches by landing counters. Repeat this sequence enough, and you can frustrate anyone inside the ring.

The drowning boxing system favors taller fighters with longer reaches, but you don’t need either to make it work. Anyone can use the drowning style if they take the time to master it. “One of the best boxers to ever master this style is multiple-time heavyweight world champion Wladimir Klitschko. Watch the video above for a breakdown and explanation of how he used it to dominate his opponents.

The key to mastering the drowning style is figuring out the perfect range where you can pressure your opponent with punches but only have to take small steps back to avoid punches. You want to bombard your opponent with pressure while moving out of the way when they try to return the favor.

Why Long Arms And The Drowning System Work Together

You don’t have to be tall or rangy to use the drowning boxing style, but it does favor longer fighters. Some of the advantages fighters with longer arms have when using the drowning style include:

• Easier Range Control: Having longer arms makes it easier to keep opponents at the perfect range you want for the drowning style to be effective. Having a longer reach than your opponent makes it easier for you to hit them from outside range while they can’t effectively return fire.
• Longer Punches: Having longer arms allows your straight punches to cover more distance while you remain relatively safe as you annoy your opponent with constant pressure.

Using the drowning boxing style to drown your opponents doesn’t mean you stand before them and throw long combinations. It’s your ring presence that makes your opponent feel helpless as you’re always right in their face, landing shots while always a little too far away when they try to respond to your attacks.

Your opponent punching nothing but air makes them feel helpless as your punches landed count continues to rise.

The drowning system is a pressure counter-fighting style where you create openings to counter by constantly being in front of your opponent but far away that a backstep gets you out of the way of any punches thrown. Your job is to be relentless with your movement, constantly goading your opponent to throw at you by landing straight punches on them.

Using The Drowning Boxing Style

Now that we’ve covered what the drowning style entails, let’s take a look at the different steps involved in making it work for you:

1) Constant Pressure

You must constantly pressure opponents to make the drowning style work for you. Take away their space, follow them around the ring, but maintain a safe distance so you can easily step away from punches.

Use your jab to keep opponents busy as you take space from them and mix in a few crosses. You don’t need to connect with hard punches to make the drowning style work. You just want to keep touching them and scoring points.

2) Stay At The Edge Of Your Range

Good distance management is crucial, especially in the drowning style of boxing, where controlling space lets you smother your opponent without getting hit.

Here’s where having long arms makes it easier to use the drowning style. You want to be right at the edge of your range, so a small step away from your opponent puts you out of harm’s way when punches are thrown. If your arms are long enough, you might even be able to touch your opponent while they can’t reach you without stepping away from their punches.

You’ll need a solid understanding of distance management to keep an opponent at the edge of your punches consistently. Make sure you practice this skill when working heavy bags or sparring. A simple way to improve your ability to gauge distances is to try to land punches on a heavy bag during the last couple of inches of your arms’ extension as you throw. This is called keeping opponents at the end of your punches.

3) Open Your Guard

Opening your guard baits straight punches into thin air instead of your gloves. Keep your hands up so you’re ready to fire quick counters the moment they miss.

Opening your guard while using the drowning style will make it easier to land counters like overhand rights. Remember that the system requires you to move out of the way of punches, not block them.

Opening your guard ensures their straight punches hit only air instead of your gloves. Keep your hands up while opening your guard so you can throw fast counters once they miss.

If you’re wondering why the drowning style prioritizes moving out of the way instead of blocking punches, it’s because the former gives you more time to counter. Hitting air is also more physically draining for your opponent.

4) Use Backsteps Indefinitely 

When using the drowning style, your opponents will eventually get frustrated with you and start lunging at you. That’s when you use your backstep to move your body a few inches away from their punches. Immediately follow up with a counter.

5) Counter Often

Countering after making your opponent miss is what makes it so frustrating for them. You keep hitting them, but they just can’t get close enough to land anything substantial on you. Don’t worry about loading up with power when using the drowning style. Instead, focus on throwing fast, straight punches that score points. Your opponent will eventually tire, and that’s when you bring out the heavy artillery.

An Excellent Fighting System For Boxers With Long Arms

While the drowning style works well for fighters with long arms or a preference for fighting at range, its concepts can benefit any fighter, regardless of reach. Try incorporating it into your game—you never know, the drowning boxing style might just be the one that elevates your fight game.

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