Staying in the Pocket

Posted on July 23, 2020 by Mason Miller, One of Thousands of Health and Fitness Coaches on Noomii.

There’s a phrase in boxing called “staying in the pocket.” The pocket is the point where you are close enough to your opponent to receive punches, even heavy ones, but it is also the point where you are best able to deliver heavy punches, too. To stay in the pocket requires a lot of grit and trust in your abilities, as it is where you are most likely to succeed but also most likely to fail. One of the greatest boxers of all time, Mike Tyson, won most of his matches through his style of staying in the pocket with his trademarked body-body-head hook combinations. This concept of staying in the pocket applies to life as well as boxing. Staying in the pocket in life means that we put ourselves in a place of risking huge failure but at the opportunity for huge success. The difference between failing hugely or succeeding hugely involves three things: your grit, your perseverance, and your preparation. As the famous saying goes, “more risk equals more reward.” But risk can be made smaller by the attitude you enter with, through having grit, committing to persevere even if you do fail, and being fully prepared in every way possible. Mike Tyson knew he would take shots in the pocket, and he did. But he was gritty and tough before those shots were taken, and he was committed to persevere and try again even if he failed because he believed in his preparation for his fights. This is the way Mike became the world champion he was known to be. This is the way you can become the champion you want to be in your own facet of life. Take your shot.