A good boxer knows what openings will result before he feints and makes use of this knowledge and initiates his follow-up action almost before the opening results

Edwin Haislett

A feint is an outright lie. Great Fighters are the biggest Liars on Earth

Jose Torres

Feinting is the art of  faking an offensive move to  draw a response or reaction from  your opponent , leaving him open for your next real attack. In order for the feint to be successful, you have to make your opponent believe that a real punch is coming. The jab, for instance, can be used as a probe to test your opponent reactions ( his head movement direction, do they flinch, retreat, parry, catch or slip) . All these information will serve your when you begin to set up your punches.

You can also feint a  good shot that was landed earlier.

Once of the oldest tricks of feinting is to look as if you are targeting  the stomach area to force your opponent to  protect his midsection and then land a punch to his unprotected head.

To feint a jab, jerk your shoulder forward without extending your arm fully . Feint the cross in the same manner.  This is known as shoulder feint  and it is one the safest way to feint.  You may also grunt a little to make your feints believable  or use facial expression  to indicate a real punch . Adding a  quick step can also help the feint look more real.

Here are some of feinting skills.

• Look off : Do not look at what you are going to hit
• If a   feint doesn’t  draw a punch , always come back with a jab
• Slow your punching speed  and accelerate once  a response is elicited
• Pretend to be hitting certain target and change to a different one
• Make sudden body moves such as advancing quickly  to check your opponent’s reaction
• Feints must be precise of action, rapid and decisive.
• Never use the same feint more than twice in a row. Change is all important

Feint drills :

• Feint a low jab  then jab high and retreat
• Feint a high jab then  jab low and retreat
• Feint a low jab and throw a lead hook high
• Feint a high jab and throw a lead hook
• Feint a low jab and throw  a right cross to the head
• Feint  the cross and throw  a  lead hook
• Feint a  lead shoulder and throw a cross
• Feint a  lead shoulder then feint a cross and throw  a lead hook
• Feint a left jab to the chin and then drive a straight left to the solar plexus.
• Feint a left jab to the solar plexus and then step in with a left jab to the chin.
• Feint a left jab to the chin, shift the weight to the right foot, and feint a right to the chin. Then step forward with a left jab to the chin.
• Feint a straight right to the jaw, and throw a left hook to the body.
• Feint a jab to the chin and deliver a right uppercut to the body.
• Feint a jab to the chin and deliver a hard right uppercut to the body.
• Step forward with the left foot, as in the quick advance, and jab without hitting the opponent. From this close position, pull the left arm back to position, and jab to the chin.

Many methods of feinting require the coordination of any of the eye, hands, body and leg in order to deceive the opponent. You should familiarize yourself with many different feints till they become natural movements.

The mirror is a good place to start.Then progress into sparring sessions.

The ability to out-think and out-smart your opponent is essential to being a good boxer.

These are the masters of feinting :Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson, Sugar Ray Leonard,Willie Pep and Benny Leonard. Watch their videos and learn from them

These are some of feinting drills taken as excerpt from the US Navy Boxing manual:

The Arm Swing

Advance slowly, allowing the left arm to swing free. If the arm is held loose and relaxed, on each foreword movement of the left foot, the left arm will swing slightly to the rear and then forward. This action is produced entirely by the movement of the body, but gives the impression that the left hand is being extended.

The Knee Feint

While advancing slowly, quickly bend the left knee. This gives the impression that the arms are moving as well as the legs. In reality, the arms are entirely relaxed and ready.

The Body Drop

Make a quick forward bend of the upper body, at the same time bending the left knee and moving the left hand slightly forward.

The Side Bend

While advancing slowly, drop the body to the right and forward, creating the impression that a right hand lead is about to be executed.

The Up-Down Feint

Means feinting a left to the chin, and then to the body, or feinting a blow to the body or the chin with the right hand, without follow-up action. Such feints are used to ascertain how the opponent reacts, and to establish plans to the further use of the feint.

The Draw-Back Feint

This is a right hand feint using the same principle as in frightening an animal. (Think of raising a club above your head, or drawing a rolled up newspaper back.) This is done by drawing the arm back as if to strike, rather than in a striking movement itself. To execute, drop the weight back to the right foot, and draw the right hand back, as if to deliver a hard right hand blow. (Side Note: Following this idea, alternatively one may draw their left hand back as to convey that one is preparing to throw a left hook.)

The Shift Feint

This too is a right hand feint to the chin, using a striking motion to “fake out” the opponent. Shift the weight forward over the left foot, raising the right elbow slightly. Turn the right hip to the center line as if to strike with the right hand. A hard hook to the chin can be delivered off of this feint.

You can also feint your footwork by quickly advancing forward pretending to attack and then quickly step backward to entice your opponent into lunging at you.