Exactly What Is A Haymaker Punch In Boxing? Fully Explained

The haymaker punch is an extremely powerful overhand strike thrown in boxing, kickboxing, and MMA. A haymaker is generally considered to be a last ditch technique in order to knock out the opponent. Typically, haymakers are thrown in the later rounds of fights when one fighter is known to be losing by a wide margin on the scorecards. At this point, a haymaker becomes a wreckless, yet viable option to win the fight.

Nobody is sure of the origin of the word “haymaker” which looks very out of place in the world of boxing. Anyone not familiar with combat sports would surely think that the word has an agricultural meaning behind it – although they would be very wrong. The earliest uses of the word “haymaker” can be traced back to American newspapers reporting on boxing matches in the early 1900s.

Also known as “overhand” punches, haymakers take a fighter completely off balance and therefore open them up to any kind of counter punch. Experienced fighters and counter punchers will be able to see a haymaker coming from a mile off since it requires a lot of wind up and torque compared to a standard jab or uppercut. However, as a single haymaker can end a fight instantly, they are not to be underestimated or ignored. If a fighter lets their guard down for a split second, they know that a haymaker could be the final punch of the fight.

Haymaker Punches In Boxing

The sport of boxing is very technical at the elite level. Here you will not see too many haymakers being thrown due to the fact that everyone is fully aware of how to defend them. Not only this but when a fighter throws and misses a haymaker punch, there is a very good chance that they will have to eat at least one counter punch since they are so out of position.

Professional boxers can telegraph a haymaker due to the fact that it requires a long “wind up” and twisting of the hips and shoulders. As soon as this is recognized, the defending boxer will immediately get out of the way. Occasionally, you will find that elite fighters are able to mix in haymakers with regular strikes effectively. This can be an effective style of fighting but is relatively uncommon.

For this reason, haymakers are rarely seen at the highest levels and are mostly used in last-ditch attempts to win a fight by knockout.

As you would expect, left handed haymakers are slightly more effective than right hand techniques. This is because the human brain is used to sparring against right handed opponents with much less experience against left. As a result, we are conditioned to expect a right handed haymaker a lot more than one being thrown from the left hand side.

Haymaker Punches In MMA

You may be surprised to know that haymaker punches are a lot more common in MMA than in traditional boxing.

There are two main reasons for this.

Firstly is that the standard of boxing in MMA is a lot lower than it is in professional boxing. This isn’t really surprising as fighters have to learn a variety of disciplines in order to become a top mixed martial artist and cannot soley train boxing. A professional boxer would immediately get taken down and submitted in an MMA fight, regardless of how good their boxing technique is. As a result of this, haymaker punches are not defended as well in MMA, so have a higher success rate.

Secondly is the overall strategy that can be used with a haymaker punch in combinations. In boxing you are very exposed when a haymaker is thrown. However, in MMA, you can combine a haymaker with a knee-tap or double leg takedown. Back-pedalling, whilst will stop you getting hit in a boxing match, is not enough to defend against a haymaker in MMA. The haymaker may have just been a ploy to get a takedown in the first place. If your opponent is off balance and moving backward with high hands, it is much easier to take them to the ground.

MMA Fighters such as Justin Gaethje have used a wrestling style mixed with multiple haymaker attempts during fights to great success. Whilst this isn’t a 100% viable strategy against all opponents, it clearly works at the highest levels and is not just simply throwing mindless overhand punches as critics may suggest.

Haymakers In Street Fights & Self Defense

If you were attacked by a crazy drunk, there is a good chance that they would throw a haymaker at you. Untrained fighters love haymakers since they are able to knock someone out with a single punch – much like a professional.

Aggressive attackers do not consider the drawbacks of throwing a haymaker since it is thrown with rage, not technique, thought, or skill.

As a result of this, it is advisable that you recognize when a haymaker is being thrown and are able to defend yourself against them. After all, this is both a common and dangerous punch in a self defense setting.

How To Throw An Effective Haymaker

First of all, a haymaker punch has to be set up properly. There is no use throwing a haymaker with perfect technique if the opponent already knows what is coming. It’s for this reason that you ideally want your opponent to cover up their head. If they are on the ropes and have taken a nasty body shot, the last thing they will be thinking about is a large overhand strike as soon as they drop their guard.

A haymaker involves tension and torque throughout the entire body. The first movement is to pull back the striking arm into a loaded position with both feet planted firmly on the floor. From here, the hips twist towards the opponent, with the same side shoulder, elbow, and fist all following in the same direction. This ensures maximum power is loaded behind the punch for when it reaches the intended target.

As a haymaker is a high risk punch, it also has to be high reward. This means that when you throw a haymaker, it is not with the intention to score points due to the judges being impressed. It must be thrown with full power and ideally, stop the fight as soon as it lands.

Defending Against A Haymaker Punch

The most important factor when defending against a haymaker is being able to see it coming in advance. This may sound like telepathy to an untrained fighter, but it is actually pure technique and reading of the opponent’s body shape.

Recognizing a haymaker will mostly come from experience, but when an opponent’s shoulders shift in a sideways manner and the furthest arm is drawn backward in an arcing motion – it doesn’t take a genius to figure out what comes next.

Most advisable in a self defense situation is to step backward which will ensure that the punch misses and off balances the striker. From here, you can either counter punch or try to wrestle the attacker to the floor. Both of these options should be viable since missing a haymaker makes you very vulnerable for a brief moment.

Other more technical ways to defend against a haymaker are to duck the punch altogether or to close the distance. These two methods are more suited towards experienced boxers since if you misjudge the punch, it could well end up with you flat on your back.